We have arranged a variety of optional field trips for you to choose from; some educational, some relaxing and some that are just plain fun! Please review the descriptions below to find out locations, activities, time of departure from the Gatlinburg Convention Center and fees prior to completing your registration form.
Where: Asheville, North Carolina
Time: 8:00am - 6:00pm
Cost: $100 per person; includes transportation and box lunch.
Requirements: ages 6 and up
Total Travel Time: approx. 4 hours
Explore a real castle! Be inspired by the relaxed elegance of George and Edith Vanderbilt's 250-room family home and country retreat in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Asheville, NC. Discover original art from masters such as Renoir, magnificent 16th-century tapestries, Napoleon's chess set, a library with 10,000 volumes, a banquet hall with a 70-foot ceiling, 65 fireplaces, an indoor pool, bowling alley, and priceless antiques. Opened to friends on Christmas Eve 1895, this French Renaissance chateau remains America's largest privately owned home. You will also have time to visit America's most visited winery and explore River Bend Farm to discover what it was like to live and work on the estate in the 1890s.
For more information, visit www.biltmore.com.
Where: Gatlinburg, Tennessee
Time: 8:00am - 4:00pm
Cost: $50 per person; includes transportation and box lunch.
Requirements: ages 12 and up
Total Travel Time: approx. 30 minutes
Discover Life in America is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization working with the National Park Service to conduct an All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory (ATBI) or all species inventory in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
As of January 2009, DLIA's ATBI Program has resulted in the identification of 890 species new to science. Plus, in just over a decade they have coordinated the discovery of 6,339 more species previously unknown to exist, but not known to inhabit the Park.
During the field trip, you will join Dr. Paul Bartels from Warren Wilson College on a microscopic safari. Dr. Bartel's research focuses on the inventory of the Phylum Tardigrada in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Along with his students, he has discovered over 20 new species of 'water bears'. They are also looking at the role of tardigrades and other microscopic invertebrates as pollution bioindicators.
For more information, visit www.dlia.org.
Where: Cherokee, North Carolina
Time: 8:00am - 4:00pm
Cost: $50 per person; includes transportation and box lunch.
Requirements: ages 12 and up
Total Travel Time: approx. 1 hour each way
During this field trip, you will visit a Native American Fish Hatchery in Cherokee, North Carolina. You will observe trout as they grow through stages from egg to stocking size. Participants will witness the grown fish being released into mountain streams. You will also be provided a fishing pole and an opportunity to catch a rainbow trout! Enjoy the mountain stream in a select area of Tribal Waters. Join this Traditional Knowledge field trip and enjoy a pleasant day in the Great Smoky Mountains.
Where: Gray, Tennessee
Time: 7:00am - 5:00pm
Cost: $75 per person; includes transportation and box lunch.
Requirements: ages 6 and up
Total Travel Time: approx. 4 hours
The Gray Fossil Site was discovered in 2000 when Tennessee Department of Transportation workers were widening state route 75 along a 1-mile stretch. In May of that year, workers dug up black clay deposits which drew concerns about the stability of the soil for the road project. DOT geologists were brought in and further digging unearthed bone fragments. In June, further exploration yielded animal skulls (including an alligator), ribs, legs and backbones. The DOT stopped work at the end of June and geologists concluded the site contains fossils from the Miocene Epoch. During this field trip, you will participate in an Insider's Tour including the lab and collections area, sediment picking, wet and dry screening, and sample classroom activities. You will also have time to explore the museum, including the special exhibit area.
For more information, visit www.grayfossilmuseum.com.
Where: Townsend, Tennessee
Time: 8:00am - 5:00pm
Cost: $75 per person; includes transportation and box lunch.
Requirements: ages 12 and up
Total Travel Time: approx. 1 1/2 hours
Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont provides in-depth experiences through educational programs that celebrate ecological and cultural diversity, foster stewardship, and nurture appreciation of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Connecting people and nature summarizes their mission, which they accomplish through providing hands-on learning experiences with the National Park, focusing on developing in people a greater sense of place, a deepened appreciation and awe for the diversity of life and people, and an ethics of stewardship that follows them home.
The education staff at Tremont will lead participants through two programs. The mountain stream ecology program focuses on water quality monitoring, physical qualities, and biotic index in a local mountain stream. The salamander study plots program will allow participants to catch and identify salamanders.
For more information, visit www.gsmit.org.
Where: Gatlinburg, Tennessee
Time: 8:30am - 2:00pm
Cost: $75 per person; includes transportation and box lunch.
Requirements: ages 5 and up; participants must be no more than 225 lbs.
Total Travel Time: approx. 30 minutes
Enjoy a peaceful view of the Great Smoky Mountains while on the back of a well-trained horse. The natural beauty of riding trails inside the National Park awaits you. Your experienced guide might lead you in to a flock of wild turkey, a herd of wild deer or even a black bear climbing a tree. No experience is necessary to participate in this 4-mile journey through wooded trails and mountain streams.
After your horseback ride, you will enjoy a self-guided tour of Sugarland's Visitor Center in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
For more information, visit www.sugarlandridingstables.com.
Where: Chattanooga, Tennessee
Time: 7:00am - 5:00pm
Cost: $100 per person; includes transportation and box lunch.
Requirements: ages 6 and up
Total Travel Time: approx. 5 hours
Begin your 'mountains to the sea' adventure aboard a high-speed catamaran and explore the Tennessee River along with a naturalist from the Aquarium. The naturalist will guide you through this protected habitat, pointing out wildlife and historic points along the way.
When you return to shore, you will explore the Tennessee Aquarium on the Chattanooga Riverfront and see why it was rated one of the top aquariums in the country by TripAdvisor. You will take a remarkable journey from a cove forest high in the Appalachian Mountains to a coral reef in the Gulf of Mexico. This self-guided visit will allow you to explore both River Journey and Ocean Journey at your own pace.
For more information, visit www.tnaqua.org.
Where: Townsend, Tennessee
Time: 9:00am - 2:00pm
Cost: $50 per person; includes transportation and box lunch.
Requirements: ages 3 and up
Total Travel Time: approx. 1 hour
The best tubing spot in the Smokies is just minutes from Gatlinburg. Tube the Little River on colorful, sturdy river tubes. You will enjoy unlimited shuttle services to make your day on the river fun and relaxing.
For more information, visit www.smokymtnriverrat.com.
Where: Hartford, Tennessee
Time: 8:00am - 4:00pm
Cost: $75 per person; includes transportation and box lunch.
Requirements: ages 8 and up; participants must be at least 70 lbs.
Total Travel Time: approx. 2 hours
Need an adventure? We've got one for you! Feel the excitement as a certified guide demonstrates their passion for whitewater rafting by escorting you down the Upper Pigeon River whitewater trip and Lower Pigeon River float trip. There is no experience necessary to participate in this field trip.
For more information, visit www.raftinginthesmokies.com.