Great Smoky Mountains

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a United States National Park and UNESCO World Heritage Site that straddles the ridgeline of the Great Smoky Mountains, part of the Blue Ridge Mountains, which are a division of the larger Appalachian Mountain chain.

The border between Tennessee and North Carolina runs northeast to southwest through the centerline of the park. It is the most visited national park in the United States. Established in 1934, Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the largest national park East of the Rocky Mountains.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park encompasses approximately 244,000 acres in Tennessee and 276,000 acres in North Carolina for a total of 520,000 acres or more than 800 square miles. It open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

A 70-mile stretch of the 2,178-mile Appalachian Trail winds through Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

In addition to the Appalachian Trail, Great Smoky Mountains National Park features more than 850 miles of hiking trails.

Some of the most popular hiking trails in Great Smoky Mountain National Park include Abrams Falls Trail (5 miles round trip), Alum Cave Trail (11 miles round trip), Andrews Bald Trail (3.6 miles round trip), Boulevard Trail (16 miles round trip), Chasteen Creek Falls Trail (4 miles round trip), Chimney Tops Trail (4 miles round trip), Grotto Falls Trail (3 miles round trip), Hen Wallow Falls Trail (4 miles round trip), Indian Creek Falls Trail (2 miles round trip), Laurel Falls Trail (2.5 miles round trip), Ramsey Cascades Trail (8 miles round trip) and Sugarlands Valley Nature Trail (3,000-foot loop).

The Great Smoky Mountains are known as the “Salamander Capital of the World” since approximately 30 species of salamander can be found here.

Often called the “Crown Jewels of the Appalachian Mountains,” the Smokies were also referred to as the “ Land of Blue Mist” by the Cherokees.

Clingmans Dome Trail

Clingmans Dome Trail in Great Smoky Mountains :

Clingmans Dome Trail is a short but (steep!), 0.5-mile hike along a paved walkway takes visitors up to Clingmans Dome’s 54-foot-tall observation tower for spectacular views of the Great Smoky Mountains.

At 6,643 feet, Clingmans Dome is the highest point in the Great Smoky Mountains, followed by Mount Guyot (6,621 feet) and Mount LeConte (6,593 feet).

For more info & images related to Clingmans Dome’s Check the below Link :

Clingmans Dome

Directions: Turn off Newfound Gap Road 0.1 mile south of Newfound Gap and follow the 7-mile-long Clingmans Dome Road to the large parking area at the end.

Clingmans Dome

Clingmans Dome in Great Smoky Mountains National Park :

At 6,643 feet, Clingmans Dome is the highest point in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It is the highest point in Tennessee, and the third highest mountain east of the Mississippi.

Only Mt. Mitchell (6,684 feet) and Mt. Craig (6,647), both located in Mt. Mitchell State Park in western North Carolina, rise higher. The observation tower on the summit of Clingmans Dome offers spectacular 360° views of the Smokies and beyond for visitors willing to climb the steep half-mile walk to the tower at the top.

Clingmans Dome was named in honor of North Carolina Senator Thomas Lanier Clingman, who helped measure it in 1858.

The Appalachian Trail crosses Clingmans Dome, marking the highest point along its 2,178-mile journey from Georgia to Maine.

For more info & images related to Clingmans Dome’s Trail, Check the below Link :

Clingmans Dome Trail

Directions: Turn off Newfound Gap Road 0.1 mile south of Newfound Gap and follow the 7-mile-long Clingmans Dome Road to the large parking area at the end.

Mingo Falls

Mingo Falls in Smoky Mountains 

Mingo Falls is on the Cherokee Indian Reservation (Qualla Boundary), just outside Great Smoky Mountains National Park. No special permits are required for access to the reservation. At 120 feet tall, the waterfall is one of the tallest and most spectacular in the southern Appalachians. 

 The hike to the waterfall is only 0.4 miles in length, but is considered moderate in difficulty. The trail name is Pigeon Creek Trail.

Access Trail: Pigeon Creek Trail

Trailhead: From Oconaluftee Visitor Center, drive south (toward Cherokee) on US-441 and take the second left onto Big Cove Road. At the first stop sign turn left and drive 4.5 miles to Mingo Falls Campground, where the trail begins. The trail to the falls is only 0.4 mile, but heads up about 150 stairs, levels off and ends at a small wooden bridge that crosses Mingo Creek in front of the falls.

BAPS SFO

BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in SFO : 

Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha, often abbreviated as BAPS (formerly Bochasan Swaminarayan Sanstha or BSS), is a worldwide religious and civic organization within the Swaminarayan branch of Hinduism. BAPS was established as a formal organization on 5 June 1907 by Shastriji Maharaj.

BAPS is located in the heart of the SFO downtown ,

Murtis in BAPS SFO :

Ø Shri Akshar Purushottam Maharaj

Ø Shri Radha-Krishna Dev

Ø Shri Sitha-Ram Dev and Shri Hanumanji

Ø Shri Shiva-Parvathi and Shri Ganeshji

Address:

BAPS SFO

950 Avalon Ave, San Francisco, CA 94112

Phone:(415) 469-9121

Covered bridges

A covered bridge is a timber-truss bridge with a roof and siding which, in most covered bridges, create an almost complete enclosure. The purpose of the covering is to protect the wooden structural members from the weather.

Covered bridges or Lattice bridges were common throughout the eastern U.S. during the 19th century. This bridge formerly spanned the North Fork of the Oconee River in the city of Athens, Ga. connecting College Avenue and Hobson Avenue.

Stone Mountain Covered Bridge length is 151 feet (46 m) long 

Location : Stone Mountain Park Lake

Cherokee Trail

Stone Mountain Nature Trails - Cherokee Trail

Stone Mountain Park features 15 miles of hiking and walking trails, including the 1 mile trail to the top of the mountain which starts at the Confederate Hall Historical & Environmental Education Center.

ü White path: Cherokee Trail

ü Orange paths: Connecting trails 

ü Green path: Nature Garden Trail

ü Black paths: Unofficial shortcut trails

ü Blue path: Railroad

The Cherokee Trail is a 5 mile historic and National Recreation Trail which explores much of the Natural District around the base of Stone Mountain. It is an easy to moderate trail that traverses wooded areas, lakeshores, and granite slopes of the mountain.The trail is primarily used for hiking & road biking and is accessible year-round.

The Cherokee Trail is marked with white blazes and with knee-high granite posts. Blazes can be painted on trees or on stone.

The summit is a great place to watch the sunrise and sunset, so try to include this in your plans. If you arrive at Stone Mountain before sunrise, consider walking to the top, watching the sunrise, and then walking back down far enough to reach the Cherokee Trail. Then you can walk around the Cherokee Trail back to the Walk-up Trail, and continue down from there. This is the best plan during summer months as it allows you to hike before the hottest part of the day. You can also do the opposite: Walk up the Walk-up Trail to the Cherokee Trail, walk around the Cherokee Trail, and then continue up the Walk-up Trail to the summit and watch the sunset. This is the best plan during winter since the summit can be very cold and windy on a winter morning.

The Cherokee Trail can be hiked in a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction. This trail guide will be based on walking counter-clockwise beginning at the Walk-up Trail. The trail can be hiked in about two hours walking at a moderate, steady pace.

Note : All Images in the post show the PST time zone

For More Info on Stone Mountain Park check the below Links : 

• Stone Mountain Facts