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/

Fall Hiking in the Great Smokey Mountains

Hiking and Autumn Weather in the GreatSmokey Mountains
Autumn is great time to hike in the Smokeys, with the cool weather and colorful Fall foliage. Here is what you can generally expect of the weather. September through mid-November: Clear skies and cooler weather signal the onset of the fall color season. Warm days alternate with cool nights. Daytime highs are usually in the 70s and 80s during September, falling to the 50s and 60s in early November. The first frosts often occur in late September. By November, the lowsare usually near freezing. This is the driest period of the year with only occasional rain showers. In the higher elevations, snow is a possibility by November.

Want some great ideas for a hiking adventure in the Great Smokey Mountains National Park? Try one of these hiking trails or nature walks:

Hiking Trails
Abram Falls - 5 miles; 340' climb; a moderate hike on a relatively flat trail leading to the 20' falls
Arch Rock - 2.5 miles; 400' climb; an easy hike on a trail that leads to an erosion-created tunnel
Chimney Tops - 4 miles; 1,335' climb; this is a strenuous hike that winds through a virgin forest to the Chimney Top pinnacles
Hen Wallow Falls - 4 miles; 520' climb; a moderate hike that leads to the 95' falls
Sugarlands Valley Nature Trail - 3,000' loop, hike on a paved trail with educational exhibits and communications media

Nature Trails
Alum Cave Bluffs - 5 miles; passes through a bald of mountain laurel and rhododendrons
Cades Cove - 0.5 miles; see how settlers used native plants
Cosby - 1 mile; introduction to the Smokies' natural history
Cove Hardwoods - 0.75 miles; grove of old-growth deciduous trees
Laurel Falls - 2.5 miles; paved trail leads through a pine-oak forest to the falls

To map out your trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Click Here.

Why do the leaves change color in the fall?

One reason why the autumn colors are so remarkable in the Great Smokey Mountains National Park is the amazing variety of trees. Over 100 species of trees live in the Smokey Mountains and a great majority of these are deciduous (trees that lose their leaves seasonally).

What causes the tree leaves to change colors? As summer ends and autumn comes, the days get shorter and shorter. This is how the trees "know" to get ready for winter. As summer ends, the green pigments in the leaves begin to deteriorate, giving other colors a chance to shine through. As the bright green fades away, we begin to see yellow and orange colors. Small amounts of these colors have been in the leaves all along. We just can't see them in the summer, because they are covered up by the green. Carotenoids, the pigment that makes carrots orange and leaves yellow, are exposed as the green pigment fades. Reds and purples come from anthocyanins, a pigment that is formed when the sugars in leaves break down in the bright autumn sunlight.

The best place in the world for viewing fall colors is probably the Eastern United States, home of the Great Smokey Mountains National Park. This is because of the climate, and the wide variety of deciduous trees. The brightest colors are seen when the late summer is dry, the days of autumn are bright and sunny, and the autumn nights are cool (low 40’s). Then the trees make a lot of anthocyanin pigments. An autumn with cloudy days and warm nights produces drab colors, and an early autumn frost can bring a quick end to the beautiful fall foliage.

Great Smokey Mountains and Fall Colors

In the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, the higher mountain slopes are now showing a full spectrum of color, visible from various overlooks, particularly along Newfound Gap Road. Ridge crests glow with gold from birch, beech and maple trees. Witch hobble, blueberry and blackberry bushes add a rich red-leaf flavor to the mix. Brilliant colors are emerging on species such as sourwood, showing magnificent scarlet; sugar maples with exuberant yellows and oranges; and, several varieties of sumac, displaying showy crimsons to purple.

Autumn in the Smokies

The Great Smokey Mountain National Park offers some great drives for viewing the Fall foliage. During the first part of October, take the Clingman's Dome Road, the Blue Ridge Parkway, or the Balsam Mountain Road. You can catch colorful views of yellow birch, beech, mountain maple, and pin cherry trees as they shed their foliage and prepare for their long winter's sleep. Around October 15, the colors will start to peak at the mid to lower elevations. Take time to enjoy Nature's marvelous kaleidoscope of colors in the Great Smokey Mountains!

Vermont's Colors

The drive from Montpelier to Morrisville in Vermont is ablaze with color. It is a terrific example of the Vermont Fall foliage.

The Autumn season is a great time to be outdoors, especially if you want to take in the colors of the trees as they prepare for their long winter's rest. The woods in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine offer a kaleidoscope of colors this time of year. Wherever you live, take a little time out to walk, or drive, in the great outdoors. You'll be glad you did!