Fall is the perfect time to fall in love with Great Smoky  Mountains National Park all over again.  On Tuesday, October 4th, you can catch the first glimpses of autumn color, explore old cabins and cemeteries and even ring the bell of a picture-perfect mountain chapel during a guided hike along Little Cataloochee Trail with the Friends of the Smokies.

Hiking enthusiast and author Danny Bernstein (Hiking North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Heritage), will lead this 6.5-mile hike, which is moderately difficult (a total elevation gain/descent of 1,500 feet) and features new improvements from the Trails Forever program. Time permitting, hikers will also visit the elk herd in  Cataloochee  Valley.

Hikers should come prepared with food, water and appropriate hiking clothes, and should expect to spend all day on the trail.

Space is limited. To register for the Little Cataloochee Trail hike, contact Friends of the Smokies at [email protected] or 28-452-0720.  A donation of $25 is requested, and includes a complimentary membership to Friends of the Smokies. Donations will benefit Trails Forever, a program dedicated to trail improvement projects in the Smokies. There is no cost to current Friends of the Smokies members.

Participants may gather to depart from Asheville at 8:30 a.m., or off I-40 exit 24 at 9:00 a.m. Exact meeting locations will specified upon registration.

The Friends of the Smokies will host their next hike on Tuesday, November 1, along the Road to Nowhere.