Wilderness Wildlife Week (January 7-14)
Music Road Hotel, Pigeon Forge
One of the best secrets of the Smokies… is all about the best secrets of the Great Smoky Mountains! And get this, it’s free! If you are interested in hiking the Smokies, conservation, wildlife, wildflowers, mountain music, monarch butterflies, white water rafting in TN or anything else to do with the Southern Appalachians you will find it at Wilderness Wildlife Week.
Wilderness Wildlife Week is an annual Pigeon Forge event in its 22nd year. What is it all about? Fun, education, and more! The 8-day event offers a jammed-packed schedule of events. Every day experts in their field give workshops, lectures & slide/video presentations on mountain topics and lead hikes into the wilderness. All hikes are pre-registered on the day of the hike, so get there early, they fill up quickly. Most excursions have transportation provided to and from the trailheads and, did we mention, this is all free! It all takes place at Music Road Hotel & Convention Center located at 303 Henderson Chapel Road in Pigeon Forge. An information desk is open from 7:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. The vendor/exhibit hall is open from 9:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. Popular vendor booths include Appalachian Bear Rescue and the American Eagle Foundation.
Throughout each day, while the hikes are in progress, there are several rooms hosting hourly programs with topics ranging from hiking the famed Appalachian Trail to Master Gardeners teaching how to raise your own butterflies. Dust off that old compass and learn how to use it in the Orienteering class. Check on the progress of our recovering bald eagle population right here in east Tennessee. Ask the many available experts all your questions about the secrets of The Smokies in Tennessee.
If you’re wondering what to do in the Smoky Mountains in January, you are sure to find that this event will more than meet your expectations for adventure tourism opportunities.
For more information, call the Pigeon Forge Special Events office at (865) 429-7350.
