Tag: guided hikes

Smoky Mountains July 17, 2026

Wildflower Pilgrimage 2027: The Smokies Event That Sells Out in a Weekend

The Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage has been running in Great Smoky Mountains National Park since 1950 — a four-day nonprofit event with over 200 professionally guided walks, hikes, seminars, and programs exploring the park's spring bloom. The 2027 edition will be the 77th annual, expected in late April. Registration opens in late January or February and sells out within days. Here's what to know, how to get in, and what to do if you miss the window.

Smoky Mountains July 15, 2026

Wilderness Wildlife Week 2027: Pigeon Forge's Free Nature Festival

Wilderness Wildlife Week returns to Pigeon Forge in early 2027 — a completely free, week-long celebration of Great Smoky Mountains National Park featuring hundreds of guided hikes, workshops, wildlife seminars, and nature programs led by biologists, park rangers, and expert naturalists. It's been running for more than three decades and costs nothing to attend. Here's what to expect and why January in the Smokies is better than most people realize.