Grand Teton National Park

Grand Teton National Park -  From stunning mountain vistas and shimmering alpine lakes to abundant wildlife and world class skiing, the question is "what are you waiting for?"  A regal mountain range that stands at 7,000 feet above the valley floor, these mountains play host to coniferous forests and alpine meadows, often splashed with wildflower color. With lakes that are set against the foot of these grand mountains, Grand Teton offers picture book scenery and serenity.

What to see and do:

1. Cathedral Group turnout - This turnout offers a great view of the three highest peaks in the Teton range: Teewinot, the Grand Teton and Mt. Owen.

2. Teton Glacier turnout - About 4 miles north of Moose Junction on Teton Park Road, this turnout highlights the largest glacier in the park.

3. Snake River Overlook - This overlook is along U.S. 26/89/191. Ansel Adams took a famous photograph of the Tetons from this site.

4. Signal Mountain Turn - off the park road south of Jackson Lake Junction. A fairly narrow paved spur road climbs to a parking area, then a very short walk to the summit gives an excellent 360 degree view of Jackson Hole.

Five of the seven Grand Teton National Park campgrounds and RV parks are first come, first served. The five are:

Colter Bay Campground

Gros Ventre

Jenny Lake

Lizard Creek

Signal Mountain

Jenny Lake Campground is a tent-only campground and very popular so you must be there first thing in the morning to get a site.

Similarly Colter Bay's Campground sites fill by noon. Lizard Creek offers views of the Tetons and fishing and sites tend to fill by 2pm.

Signal Mountain offers a mix of spruce and fir trees, hillsides, and lake and mountain views. Gros Ventre is the largest campground and is the last to fill.

The two other campgrounds Colter Bay RV Park and Flagg Ranch accept advanced reservations and we mention them as they are the only campgrounds with RV hookups. Colter Bay is an RV-only campground.

For more information click here  http://www.nps.gov/grte/index.htm

For camping gear click here  http://www.campersglory.com/

Our National Parks

Our National Parks - A National Treasure 

Our National Park System received 281 million recreation visits in 2010. These visits contributed 258,400 jobs, $9.8 billion in labor income, and $16.6 billion in value added to the national economy.

Our National parks contain many of our nation's most treasured landscapes, from the majestic mountain ranges of Alaska to the vast saw-grass prairies of the Everglades. To safeguard these treasures, the National Park Service combines the best available science with innovative education and stewardship programs, such as Biodiversity Discovery, the Climate Change Youth Initiative, and Geoscientists-in-Parks.

We encourage you to "Explore Nature." Learn about the natural resources in parks, from the rocks under our feet to the sky overhead and everything in between. Discover the issues that affect our parks and how we join with neighbors and partners to address them. Meet the people who protect our parks and learn how you can help preserve these treasures for generations to come.

Check out the latest about our wonderful National Parks here:

http://www.nature.nps.gov/

CDTA Closes Down

It is indeed a sad story.  The Continental Divide Trail Alliance (CDTA) will close its doors and shut down its operations because of the lack of funding. For many years, the CDTA has been the vision and guiding force in planning, developing, and maintaining the awesome Continental Divide Trail. The hiking and backpacking community will certainly miss them as an advocate for the hiking experience.  Go to the CDTA web site to read the entire story.

http://www.cdtrail.org/page.php

The Long Trail of Vermont

The Long Trail is known as Vermont's "footpath in the wilderness," and it is 273 miles long, stretching from the Canadian border to the Massachusetts-Vermont state line. The Trail was constructed by the Green Mountain Club (GMC) between the years 1910 and 1930. It follows the ridgeline of the Green Mountains from beginning to end and crosses Vermont's highest peaks. It is regarded by those associated with long distance hiking as the oldest long distance hiking trail in America, and is considered by many as one of the primary inspirations for the planning and development of the Appalachian Trail, which coincides with the Long Trail for one hundred miles in the southern third of Vermont.

As this backcountry trail winds its way from Canada south to the Massachusetts-Vermont state line, it climbs rugged mountain peaks, passes pristine ponds, edges alpine bogs, traverses hardwood forests, and crosses swift mountain streams. The terrain is as varied as the Trail is long - steep in some places, muddy in others, and rugged in most. Hikers and backpackers, whether beginners or old timers, will enjoy the varied aspects of the Long Trail’s terrain as it passes through the heart of Vermont's backwoods.

In addition to the Trail itself, there are approximately 175 miles of side trails connecting to or crossing the Long Trail. There are also nearly 70 primitive shelters to provide camping/sleeping spots, and some protection from the elements, for those enjoying their wilderness journey along the trail. As you can see, the Long Trail offers many hiking opportunities for the day hiker, weekend explorer, and the long distance backpacker.

The Long Trail is clearly marked with white blazes measuring 2x6 inches. Double blazes usually mark important turns, trail intersections are usually marked with signs, and side trails are usually marked with blue blazes..

The Long Trail Guide is the official guide to the Long Trail and its network of side trails. This guidebook and the Green Mountain Club's companion publication Day Hiker's Guide to Vermont, which includes trails outside the Long Trail System, cover the vast majority of hiking trails in Vermont. These publications can be purchased from the Green Mountain Club on their website http://www.greenmountainclub.org/category.php

Find the gear you’ll need for your experience on the Long Trail at the Campers Glory camping supply store http://www.campersglory.com/

Great Smokey Mountains National Park Volunteers

The Great Smokey Mountains National Park is not only a wonderful national park but also a fantastic national treasure. It is the only major national park without an entrance fee, and it was founded and established with that feature to remain intact for all perpetuity. Many of our more scenic national parks now charge a fee of $25 per vehicle, not so with the Great Smokey Mountains National Park.

Without the entrance fee, the Park depends on volunteer organizations to help meet the maintenance and operation costs of this year-round park. These volunteer organizations help raise funds and/or provide assistance at the visitor centers.

Two of these outstanding not-for-profit park partner volunteer organizations are the Great Smokey Mountains Association and Friends of the Great Smokey Mountain National Park.

The Great Smokey Mountain Association has been supporting the educational, scientific an historical efforts of the Parks since 1953. In 2011, the Association has planned to provide over $3 million dollars worth of assistance. Some of the projects marked for assistance this year include saving the hemlock trees, historical demonstrations, environmental education, and constructing the Park’s first history museum.

The Friends of the Great Smokey Mountain National Park assists the Park Service by raising funds, public awareness, and providing volunteers for various Park projects. They organized in 1993 and have raised over $20 million dollars for Park programs and projects. These funds help protect the wildlife, improve trails and camp sites, maintain backcountry shelters, support educational programs for school children, and preserve historic park structures.

These volunteer organizations are quite necessary if the Park is to retain and maintain all of its infrastructure, natural resources, and historic structures. If you have an interest in helping or learning more, please visit these sites below.

To join the Great Smokey Mountain Association, visit their web site at: http://www.thegreatsmokymountains.org/

To join Friends of the Great Smokey Mountain National Park, visit their web site at: http://friendsofthesmokies.org/

Campers Glory

Come to the Smokies for Holiday Magic

The holidays and the Smoky Mountains come together for a season of fun and excitement! Starting in November and going all the way through February, Winterfest lights up the Smokies with a dazzling display of lights and decorations that are a wonder to behold. With special events, spectacular shows, and the wonderland of Dollywood all decked out for the holidays, there's no place like the Smokies for a great winter getaway. The Winterfest kick-off celebration begins on November 7th in Sevierville, followed by Pigeon Forge on November 8th, and Gatlinburg on the 9^th of November.

Other exciting upcoming events for the holidays in the Great Smokey Mountains include:

Gatlinburg Trolley Ride of Lights - Gatlinburg, Nov 09 - Jan 30
Winterfest Trolley Tour of Lights - Pigeon Forge, Nov 10 - Jan 14
Festival of Trees - Gatlinburg, Nov 22-26
Great Smoky Arts & Crafts Holiday Show - Gatlinburg, Nov 22 - Dec 04
Mountain Top Conference - Pigeon Forge, Nov 28 - Dec 01
Fantasy of Lights Parade - Gatlinburg, Dec 02
Christmas Parade - Sevierville, Dec 03
Larkins Christmas in the Smokies - Pigeon Forge, Dec 08-10
New Years Eve Ball Drop - Gatlinburg, Dec 31
Wilderness Wildlife Week - Pigeon Forge, Jan 07-14, 2012

There are special events going on in the Great Smokey Mountains National Park during the holiday season, too. Here is a listing of upcoming events:

Sorghum Molasses Making Demonstrations at Cades Cove
November 4-6
November 10-13

Festival of Christmas Past at Sugarlands Visitor Center
December 10

Oconaluftee Visitor Center Old-Time Music Jam
November 19, 1-3 pm

Take time to enjoy all the wonders of this magical holiday season in the Great Smokey Mountains.

Camping in the Great Smokey Mountains National Park

Camping in the Smokey Mountains is a special experience that many families enjoy on a regular basis. If you have not camped in the Smokies, give it a try, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

The National Park Service maintains several well developed campgrounds within the boundaries of the Park. There are no showers or hookups, except for special medical needs. The campgrounds with these special need services are Cades Cove, Elkmont, and Smokemont.

You can reserve a campsite up to six months in advance at Elmont, Smokemont, Cataloochee, Cosby, and Cades Cove on the government recreation site at www.recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777. Most of the campgrounds are first come, first served, but reservations are required at the Cataloochee campground.

The number of people is limited to six (6) for each campsite and two (2) vehicles (a trailer counts as a vehicle). The maximum stay at the site is fourteen days.

Here is a list of the campgrounds in the Park:

Abrams Creek: 16 sites, $14, open March 11 – October 31, 12 ft. RVs allowed.

Balsam Mountain: 46 sites, $14, open May 13 – October 10, 30 ft. RVs allowed.

Big Creek: 12 sites, $14, open March 11 – October 31, Tents only.

Cades Cove: 159 sites, $17-$20, open year round, 35ft. – 40 ft. RVs allowed.

Cataloochee: 27 sites, $20, open March 11 – October 31 (Reservations required), 31 ft. RVs allowed.

Cosby: 157 sites, $14, open March 11 – October 31, 25 ft. RVs allowed.

Deep Creek: 92 sites, $17, open April 1 – October 31, 26 ft. RVs allowed.

Elkmont: 220 sites, $17- $23, open March 11 – November 30, 32 ft. - 35 ft. RVs allowed.

Look Rock: 68 sites, $14, open May 13 – October 31, all size RVs allowed.

Smokemont: 142 sites, $17-$20, open year round, 35ft-40ft. RVs allowed.

If you need family camping gear, browse the Campers Glory website at this location
http://www.campersglory.com/

Become a supporter of the Great Smokey Mountains National Park by joining the Great Smokey Mountain National Park Association. Check out their website:
http://www.thegreatsmokymountains.org/