Archived Outdoors

Fall programs in the Smokies

A lineup of fall interpretive programs is underway in Great Smoky Mountains National Park will run through the end of October. From black bears to berries to carbon footprints, the fall programs cover plenty of ground.

 

Sundays

• Longing for the “Good Ol’ Days.” Join a ranger for a walk on the Mountain Farm Museum and learn what life may have been like on an Appalachian mountain farm. 2 p.m., adjacent to Oconaluftee Visitor Center. 

• Junior Ranger: Smoky Mountain Elk. . Learn about the history of the elk through “show and tell” activities, and then stay and watch the elk come into in the fields. 5:30 p.m., Palmer House in Cataloochee Valley. 

Mondays

Welcome Back to the Smokies! 

Join a ranger to hear the stories of reintroduced species within the park, including peregrine falcons, river otters and elk. 1 p.m., Oconaluftee Visitor Center porch.

Tuesdays

• Do You Have Power? Join a Ranger to learn how to leave a light carbon footprint and help protect the park and planet for future generations. 1 p.m., Oconaluftee Visitor Center porch. 

Wednesdays

• Forecasting the Future with Mother Nature. Nuts were fair, berries late, with several morning fogs and moon rings in August. Join a ranger to learn what this might mean for the upcoming winter and how people in the past used nature to forecast the seasons. 11 a.m., Oconaluftee Visitor Center.

Thursdays

• Black Bears: Big, Smelly and Smart. Discover the ways black bears adapt to their environment and how they prepare for winter. 1 p.m., Oconaluftee Visitor Center.

Fridays

• Myths and Legends of the Cherokee. The lands of the Cherokee once extended through several states within the southeast and included all of the Great Smoky Mountains.  Join a ranger to explore the culture, history and mythology of the Cherokee through storytelling. 1 p.m., Oconaluftee Visitor Center.

Saturdays

• Smoky Mountain Elk. A ranger will take questions about elk and dish on the best places to see them in the park. Hands-on components will reveal how elk stay warm and what it feels like to carry those heavy antlers on your head. 11:30 a.m., Oconaluftee Visitor Center.

828.497.1904

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