Hikes
- Guided (~6 hours) hike into the backcountry of the Smokies to learn about old growth forests and end at the most popular trail in the Park, Laurel Falls
- Clingmans Dome (~2 hours): Hike to the highest point in the Smokies
- Spruce Flats Falls waterfall hike (~3 hours): Learn about the geology and forest types of the Smokies
- Baskins Creek Falls hike (~2 hours): Understand the impacts of natural disturbances such as fire
Wildlife
- Meet with Park Rangers to learn about bears (and other mammals) in the Park
- Search for salamanders in the Salamander Capital of the World
- Get your feet wet and look for macroinvertebrates in the streams of the Smokies, as part of the Parks as Classrooms education program
- Evening presentations on the diversity of wildlife in the Park
Cades Cove
- Explore the cultural history of the Smokies through an all-day program in Cades Cove
- Learn about how people (tourists) are managed in the most-visited national park in the country
- Experience first-hand the environmental education and interpretation techniques in the Park
Management
- Conduct a citizen science project known as Discover Life in America
- Understand why air quality is the single biggest impact facing management of the Smokies
- Visit the Twin Creeks Science and Education Center to learn about endangered species in the Park
GSMIT
- We stay at one of only two accommodations inside the Park, Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont, nestled in the Walker Valley with some of the Smokies best untouched trails
- All meals and snacks, accommodation, and transport to/from GSMIT (from UGA campus) included in the program
- Engage with the local naturalists of Tremont and maybe pick up an internship or permanent job
Socials
- An evening of Appalachian music with the Lost Mill String band
- Learn how to nature journal
- Take time for personal reflections
- Cool off in the stream that runs through our small campus, known as Tremont
*The itinerary includes activities that are representative of a program but, we cannot guarantee that all activities will always be included