Origins of the Trails in the Great Smoky Mountains

There are roughly 850 miles of hiking trails in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. There�s also a lot of history underneath those trails we walk along today. How were these trails established? Who blazed them, and why?

Some of the earliest trails in what would become the national park were simple game trails, created by migrating bison, elk, and other large animals. Many of these were later adapted by the Indians in the area. The Cherokee used these established routes for trading with other tribes, and for reaching favored hunting grounds.

Over the years, with the steady encroachment of white settlers, many of the old Indian pathways were converted into stock trails and wagon roads. By the late 1800�s, big lumber companies were converting Indian trails into logging roads and railroads to help with the harvest and transport of timber.

A few of these old settler roads eventually became the hiking trails we use today. If you hike along the Old Sugarlands Trail, the Little River Trail or the Meigs Mountain Trail, you�ll be walking on some of the same roads used by the pioneers and homesteaders of this area.

Some of the footpaths we use today were blazed by one pioneer in particular.

Wiley Oakley, also known as the �Roamin Man of the Mountains�, was born in 1885 at the base of Mount LeConte. Tragically, his mother died when he was a young boy. To help deal with his grief he began wandering the hollows and mountains near his home. Reflecting back as an older man, he spoke of how he would try to climb the highest peaks to see if he could catch a glimpse of her in heaven.

As he grew older, Wiley�s responsibilities also grew. At sill a relatively young age he began helping the family with hunting and fishing duties. It was during this time that he spent �roamin� and hunting that he was discovering the unique features of the mountains and was even blazing his own footpaths. Eventually he became a hunting and fishing guide, and gained such a renowned reputation that he was soon guiding politicians, celebrities and businessmen from all over the country, including Henry Ford.

During the Park�s formation, Wiley became a major consultant and was called on by surveyors to help determine Park boundaries. Some of those paths he blazed earlier in his life eventually became official park trails.

Another early explorer by the name of Paul Adams is credited with blazing the trail from Alum Cave to Mount LeConte, as well as for helping to establish the famous lodge atop that same mountain.

Adams, an avid hiker, joined the Great Smoky Mountain Conservation Association in 1924, a group dedicated to making the Smoky Mountains into a national park. Later that same year Adams led an expedition to the top of Mount LeConte for the purpose of showing Washington dignitaries the rugged beauty of the Smoky Mountains, and to help promote the cause for national park status. The delegation spent the night in a large tent. The following year Adams would build a cabin on that same spot which eventually led to the establishment of the LeConte Lodge.

Although many trails in the Smoky Mountains follow all or parts of the routes developed by migrating animals, Indians, pioneers and explorers, the majority of trails still in use today were developed by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC).

The CCC was a work relief program established in 1933 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. As part of Roosevelt�s New Deal legislation, the CCC was created to combat unemployment during the Great Depression. Between 1933 and 1942, the CCC used 4000 men to build trails, campgrounds, bridges and ranger stations in the Smokies.

Some of the trails built by the CCC include Bullhead, Alum Cave, Kephart Prong, Maddron Bald, Sweat Heifer and Sugarland Mountain.

Since the early days of the Park, various hiking clubs have worked to improve the original CCC trails, and in some cases, construct new ones. One of those pathways, the granddaddy of all trails, was the Appalachian Trail.

The Appalachian Trail, also known as the AT, runs for more than 70 miles through Great Smoky Mountains National Park, entering from the north at Davenport Gap and exiting in the south near Fontana Dam. The highest point anywhere along the 2175-mile trail is at Clingmans Dome (6625 ft.). The trail also passes by other notable landmarks in the Smokies such as Charlies Bunion, Rocky Top and the historic stone fire tower atop Mt. Cammerer.

Although the AT was the brainchild of Benton MacKaye, cofounder of The Wilderness Society, it was Harvey Broome and Paul Fink that made it become a reality in the Smokies.

Harvey Broome was an early environmentalist, another one of the cofounders of The Wilderness Society, and a longtime president of the Smoky Mountains Hiking Club. He, along with seven others, hiked the 70+ miles of AT through the Park in 1932 before the trail was completed. He was largely responsible for sighting most of the AT thru the Park.

Paul Fink, another leader of the movement that led to the founding of the national park, was also instrumental in blazing the AT through the Smokies. Fink was a member of the Board of Managers of the Appalachian Trail from 1925 to 1949, and was the author of �Backpacking Was the Only Way�, an account of early 20th century camping and backpacking adventures in the southern Appalachians.

Over the years, the Park has closed certain trails for various reasons. In the future, it�s likely that other trails will be closed and new ones will be created, demonstrating that the park isn�t static, but a park that continues to evolve.




Hiking Great Smoky Mountains National Park, by Kevin Adams, covers 80 hikes in the Smokies, and includes photos, trail maps, elevation profiles, and quick reference trail highlights.







Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com NEXT ->>...

Bear warnings posted on several trails in Smokies

In keeping with today's theme, I thought I'd bring to the attention of hikers that there are several trails that now have bear warnings posted on them in the Smokies. These warnings have been posted due to bear activity in the area, which likely is a result of a lower than usual soft mast crop. Great Smoky Mountain biologists have stated that the park's cherry, blueberry and blackberry crop was poor this summer.

Below is the current list of trails, campsites and shelters with posted warnings. Further down is the list of bear closures:

� Alum Cave Trail
� Clingmans Dome Trail
� Trillium Gap Trail - Grotto Falls parking area to Grotto Falls
� Laurel Falls Trail
� Little River Trail
� Pretty Hollow Gap Trail
� Rainbow Falls Trail
� Upper Forney Ridge Trail
� Backcountry Campsites 18, 28, 36, 37, 38, 61, 85
� Double Spring Gap Shelter
� Laurel Gap Shelter
� Mount Collins Shelter
� Mount Le Conte Shelter
� Spence Field Shelter

Bear Closures:

� Backcountry Campsites 21, 24, 35, 68
� Cosby Knob Shelter
� Silers Bald Shelter


To stay up to date on all the latest closings, please click here.


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com NEXT ->>...

Some tornado damaged trails in Cades Cove have reopened

The EF-4 tornado that ripped through the western end of Cades Cove on April 27th forced the shut-down of several trails in the area. The Beard Cane Trail saw the most damage, as the tornado essentially followed almost the entire length of the 4.2-mile trail.

Since then the park has taken on the monumental task of removing thousands of trees blocking those trails, and is slowly but surely reopening them once the pathways are cleared. In recent weeks, the Abrams Falls Trail, Ace Gap Trail and the Little Bottoms Trail have reopened.

It sounds like it could be several months before many of the other trails are reopened. Here's the current list of closures:

� Beard Cane Trail

� Cooper Road Trail from the Beard Cane/Hatcher Mountain Trails junction to the Cades Cove Loop Road

� Hannah Mountain Trail is closed from Rabbit Creek Trail junction to Abrams Falls/Little Bottoms Trails junction.

� Hatcher Mountain Trail north of the intersection with Little Bottoms Trail

� Rabbit Creek Trail

� Wet Bottom Trail

� Backcountry Campsites 3, 11, 15

To view a map of the closed trails, please click here.


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com NEXT ->>...

The "Remarkable Rhododendron Ramble" at Grandfather Mountain

The showy rose-lavender blooms already decorating the slopes of Grandfather Mountain indicate the beginning of another breathtaking summer on the mountain. The "Remarkable Rhododendron Ramble� hosted by the attraction�s naturalists will be celebrating this memorable sight through June 12th at 1 p.m. daily.

�Looking around at this year�s rhododendron, we see lots of swollen buds that should be blooming nicely in the next couple of weeks,� said Director of Education Jesse Pope. �We like to take people to the elevations which are most densely populated by the blooms and talk about history and cultivation as well as interesting facts people may not know about these plants and other relevant birds and insects.�

Naturalists have planned guided walks to honor the native Catawba Rhododendron and educate guests on how the plant fits into the important ecological communities at Grandfather Mountain.

�These plants are not only beautiful, they are also a key component of the mountain�s biological diversity,� Pope explained.

Found throughout the southern Appalachia, Catawba Rhododendron also hold special significance in the botanical world. It is among only four original species of rhododendron that have been used to cultivate thousands of hybrids. The Catawba Rhododendron covers more than 1,000 feet in elevation from MacRae Meadows to MacRae Peak where it reaches 5,845 feet. The wide range of elevation provides guests with a longer window of opportunity to see the rhododendron blooming on Grandfather. It first appears at overlooks near the entrance of the attraction in late May and arrives at the higher peaks near the Mile High Swinging Bridge by the end of June.

Grandfather Mountain is a globally recognized nature preserve famous for its 360-degree vistas, native wildlife habitats and Mile High Swinging Bridge. The attraction is located on US Highway 221, two miles north of Linville, NC, and one mile south of the Blue Ridge Parkway at milepost 305.

All Rhododendron Ramble activities are included in attraction admission. For more information phone 800-468-7325 or plan a trip at www.grandfather.com.

For information on the hiking trails at Grandfather Mountain State Park, please click here.


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com NEXT ->>...