Smoky Mountains Hiking Club upcoming events

Saturday Hike: Spence Field and Russell Field Loop (06/27/2026)

Sat, 27 Jun 2026 12:30:00 GMT

We will hike this classic Smokies 13.2 -mile loop hike in a clockwise direction beginning at the Anthony Creek Trailhead in Cades Cove Picnic Area. We will follow the Anthony Creek and Bote Mountain trails to the AT at Spence Field, gaining approximately 3,000 feet in elevation. If time allows, we will stop at Spence Field and enjoy wonderful views toward distant Fontana Lake. We will follow the AT south to the Russell Field Shelter for lunch and then hike back down the Russell Field Trail to complete our hike. The hike is rated difficult.

For carpooling, meet at Kroger at 244 S. Hall Rd, Alcoa, TN ready to leave at 7:45AM (60 miles roundtrip @$0.07=$4.20 payable to the driver), or at the Anthony Creek Trailhead at the back of the Cades Cove Picnic Area at 8:30AM.

Leaders: Hiram Rogers, 865-789-5008, hiramroges@yahoo.com and Steven Miller 865-318-9882, samiller71@rocketmail.com.

Appalachian Trail Maintainers: Call for Extra Crew Volunteers (06/30/2026)

Tue, 30 Jun 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Registration is open until June 30.

Note: This has no assigned work date. ATMC District Managers or Section Leaders will contact you for orientation and workday invitations.

Help Section Leaders on informal work trips to ensure a safe minimum crew of three. Work typically involves light tasks like cutting brush or clearing water bars. This program is open to all SMHC and ATMC members and to visitors. Based on your survey preferences (hike length, availability, and section), ATMC District Managers or Section Leaders will contact you for orientation and workday invitations.

Contact: ATMC Chairman Philip Royer at (865) 599-8245 or paroyer54@gmail.com.

Capacity: 30 Spaces

Wednesday Hike: Thomas Divide, Newton Bald to CS 52 (07/08/2026)

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 12:45:00 GMT

We will do this 10-mile in-and-out hike with an elevation gain of 1,335 ft. Rated moderate. This trail is named after William Holland Thomas, who was a North Carolina State Senator, but the only white person to be chief of the Cherokee. Starting from the Thomas Divide trailhead on Newfound Gap Road, it will be an out-and-back hike to Campsite 52. The first 1.8 miles are mainly uphill until Kanati Fork junction. Shortly after passing Kanati, there is a climb up and over Nettle Creek Bald, follow by a descent of 2 miles to the Sunkota Ridge Trail junction and finally 0.4 more miles to Campsite 52, where we will have lunch.

For carpooling, meet at Kroger, 244 S. Hall Rd., Alcoa (park at the side of the building near its SE corner), in time to leave at 7:00 am. Drive 106 miles RT at 7¢/mile: $7.50. Or meet at the trailhead ready to hike at 8:45am.

After you register, please send the hike leader an email indicating whether you will meet at the Carpool or the trailhead.

Leader: Maricarmen Rogers, maricarmenrogers54@gmail.com, 865-250-3103. Leader will meet at the trailhead.

Club 1st Saturday Work Trip (07/11/2026)

Sat, 11 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMT

This work trip is a continuation of the National Trails Day project at Kuwohi. This is a moderate .75 mile hike to the work site just north of the Dome. Planned work includes replacing several rotting log water bars and adding/replacing a few log steps. Tools will be provided.

Meetup will be at the Sugarlands Visitor Center RV parking lot at 8:00 am. The alternate meeting point is at the Kuwohi Parking lot at 9:00 am.

Participants will need to wear sturdy footwear and weather-appropriate attire. Bring gloves, lunch, snacks, and plenty of water. If you have a favorite tool you prefer to use, please bring it as well.

Contact: Franklin LaFond 678-464-3380 ox97GaMe@aol.com

Saturday Hike: Middle Prong Trail to Indian Flats Falls (07/11/2026)

Sat, 11 Jul 2026 12:30:00 GMT

Join us as we venture again near lots of water to try and beat the heat! We will follow the Middle Prong trail to a side trail that takes us to the Indian Flats waterfall. This will be our turnaround point and lunch break. Hopefully the patches of jewel weed will be in full bloom!

Hike is 8.2 miles round trip. Rated moderate for mileage and elevation gain (1200’).

Meet at the trailhead at 8:30 am.

Hike Leader: Kerry Randles, kerryrandles25@gmail.com

Saturday Hike: Knoxville Botanical Gardens (07/11/2026)

Sat, 11 Jul 2026 14:00:00 GMT

Join us on an easy Knoxville Botanical Gardens hike (2 miles of trails) on Saturday, July 11, 2026.

We will meet at their parking lot (2743 Wimpole Ave Knoxville TN 37914) at 10 AM.

The KBG is a fairy tale setting. It is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places. There are 16 historic structures, including stone terraces and a circular round house. This site was originally the Howell Nursery. Will we find the Secret Garden? Will we become trapped in a bamboo maze...just kidding! We will visit a pollinator garden. Will we wander by the big red Adirondack chair? Bring a book for the "Little Library".

Leader: Adele Soucy, 865-228-7409, fthom4141@aol.com

Wednesday Hike: Curry Mountain & Meigs Mountain to CS20 (07/15/2026)

Wed, 15 Jul 2026 12:30:00 GMT

This pleasant out-and-back hike starts on an old logging road up the side of Curry He Mountain and continues on Curry She Mountain (both about 3,000 ft. high) to Meigs Mountain Trail (mile 3.3). We head east, through open woods, with a half-dozen easy creek crossings, to Campsite #20 (mile 5.5), where we'll have lunch. Return the same way.

Totals: 11 miles and ~1,500 ft. climb. Rated Moderate.

To carpool, meet at Kroger, 244 S. Hall Rd., Alcoa (park at the KARM side of the building near its SE corner), in time to leave at 7:30 am. Drive 54 miles RT at 7¢/mile = $3.80, or meet at Metcalf Bottoms picnic parking (southeast end) ready to hike at 8:30 am.

Leader: Susan Watson 540-735-4822 (text is best), or email: swatson5407@gmail.com

Off Trail Hike: Ramsey Cascades (07/18/2026)

Sat, 18 Jul 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Join us for a day of fun and frolicking with a bouldery playground of obstacles. We will traverse slippery, large and small boulders and some deep pools along a stretch of the middle prong of the Little Pigeon River. This sections affords some bailouts at the various points, so this is a great hike to test your creek hopping feet or have a blast on this fun section of river. Weather and river flow dependent, this hike will be entirely in the creek on the way up. We'll take the Ramsey Cascades trail back down. We will start at the bridge at the beginning of Ramsey Cascades trail, and we will exit the creek and start back down the trail at the “jeep turn around”.

NOTE: This trail, currently as I’m writing this update, is closed due to aggressive bear activity. So if Ramsey cascades trail doesn’t open before our start date we will have an alternative route of the Road Prong creek.

For more info or to register for this hike, text, call or email: Kindel Page. (865)660-8649, kindeledhearts1985@gmail.com

Saturday Hike: Kuwohi to NFG, with a car shuttle (07/18/2026)

Sat, 18 Jul 2026 12:45:00 GMT

Join us for a great hike from Kuwohi (formerly Clingmans Dome) to Newfound Gap. On this mid-summer hike, we will start from the Kuwohi parking lot and join the Appalachian Trail, following the white blazes north as we walk through beautiful high elevation forests of fir trees, mosses, ferns, and more. We will pass near the Mt Collins shelter, as well as junctions with Sugarland Mtn and Fork Ridge trails. We will see many changes in geography and forestry as we pass from 6500 feet above sea level and descend to roughly 5100 feet.

This is a shuttle hike; we will need hikers to drive other hikers from the end of the hike back to the parking area at Kuwohi (7 miles). Please email the hike leader (email provided below) if you are willing to drive the short distance shuttle from Newfound Gap back to Kuwohi.

This hike rated as moderate at approx. 8 miles and 1,200 feet of elevation gain.

To carpool, meet at Cracker Barrel Strawberry Plains; 1510 Cracker Barrel Lane, southeast corner of parking lot, ready for departure at 7:00 am (110 miles x $0.07 per mile = $8.00 rounded) or at Kuwohi Parking Lot at 8:45am. Contact: Brian via email at BMason997@yahoo.com

Hike leaders Johnny Lee and Brian Mason.

Saturday Hike: Cow Camp Trail (#173) Bald River Trail (#88) (07/25/2026)

Sat, 25 Jul 2026 13:30:00 GMT

We will begin by staging vehicles at the Bald River Falls parking area on Tellico River Road (as space allows). From there, we will carpool a short distance up Tellico River Road to the Baby Falls parking area and/or the limited parking at the Cow Camp Trailhead.

The hike starts with a 0.6-mile road walk from Baby Falls to the Cow Camp Trailhead. From the trailhead, we’ll climb steadily along the ravine to the top of the ridge, then descend to the junction with the Bald River Trail (#88).

We will follow Bald River Trail upstream to its terminus at Bald River Road, then return the same way except descending the full length of Bald River Trail ending at the iconic 90-foot Bald River Falls, where we will shuttle drivers back to their vehicles.

Distance: 10.1 miles Rating: Moderate

Carpool Information: Meet at Alcoa Kroger (244 S Hall Rd.) ready to roll at 7:30am. Coming from Knoxville, Kroger will be on the right just past Burger King. When facing Kroger, park on the far left side beyond KARM. The hike leader will be at Kroger ready to depart at 7:30am. Driving distance 124 miles R/T. $9.00.

Or meet at Baby Falls Parking Area ready to hike at 9:30am.

Hike Leader: Dean Ellis, Phone: 865-659-1233 Email: adean.ellis@gmail.com

Club 1st Saturday Work Trip (08/01/2026)

Sat, 01 Aug 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Each season, several hundred pounds of hardwood mulch are used at each of our backcountry privies to aid in proper composting. This work trip will focus on packing mulch to one or more of our backcountry privy locations less than 3 miles from the trailhead. Mulch is carried in 20-lb bags, and the club has extra backpacks if needed. The SMHC Newsletter will provide details on what to bring and where we will meet.

Club 1st Saturday Work Trip (09/12/2026)

Sat, 12 Sep 2026 04:00:00 GMT

This work trip will focus on treadway rehab in the section between Mt Cammerer Fire Tower and Camel Gap. Access to the work area will be via the 2.5 mile Low Gap Trail, starting at the Cosby Campground. Specific loca-tions of work will be based on prioritization of work needed. The SMHC Newsletter will provide details on what to bring and where we will meet.

Club 1st Saturday Work Trip (10/03/2026)

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 04:00:00 GMT

This work trip will focus on treadway rehab in the section between Newfound Gap to Sweat Heifer. This is our most heavily used section of trail and it sees a lot of wear each season. Specific locations of work will be based on prioritization of work needed. The SMHC Newsletter will provide details on what to bring and where we will meet.

Club 1st Saturday Work Trip: End-of-Year Tool Maintenance (11/07/2026)

Sat, 07 Nov 2026 05:00:00 GMT

November is the time to start winding down the trail maintenance season. This work trip will be focused on cleaning, sharpening, repairing, inventorying, and storing the club’s tools for the winter. The SMHC Newsletter will provide details on what to bring and where we will meet.