Classic Hikes of the Smokies kicks off
Exploration of the remote Little Cataloochee area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park will kick off this year’s Classic Hikes of the Smokies series on Tuesday, March 8.
The 6.6-mile hike on the Little Cataloochee Trail will take in the historic Hannah and Cook cabins, as well as Little Cataloochee Baptist Church, with an elevation gain of 1,450 feet. As Cataloochee is also the site of the 2001 elk reintroduction, the hike will include discussion of elk management and the elk-related projects that Friends of the Smokies funds.
Outdoor enthusiast and hiker Danny Bernstein will lead the hike, which is organized by Friends of the Smokies.
$20 for Friends members and $35 for non-members, with one-year membership included.
The Classic Hikes of the Smokies schedule includes 10 monthly hikes in 2016, with a package price of $160 available for all 10. Proceeds benefit the Trails Forever Program, which restores high-use trails within the national park.
Sign up by 5 p.m. March 3 at www.friendsofthesmokies.org/product/hike-the-smokies. To get the 10 for $160 deal, mail a check to 160 S. Main Street, Waynesville, N.C. 28786. 828.452.0720.
