2 - Naturalist Adventure Outings - Just Get Outdoors Adventure Travel 865-977-HIKE(4453) provides Naturalist Guide Service, Customized Guided Hikes, Interpretive Walks, Hiking Vacations, Backpacking Trips, and Adventure Travel in the Smoky Mountains and other Nature Destinations throughout the United States, Environmental Education, Family Programs, Birdwatching, and Nature Photography Workshops.

Naturalist Adventure Outings in The Smokies

Just Get Outdoors with Liz for a Two-Day Adventure in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Just Get Outdoors is authorized by the National Park Service to provide guided
trips in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Are you having difficulty trying to find enough time to join a week-long JGO Naturalist Adventure Tour? If so, I believe I have the perfect solution….a 2-day Naturalist Adventure Outing. I am now offering, 2- to 4-day trips to suit those of you who just can’t swing a full week. Join me spring, summer and fall to experience Great Smoky Mountains National Park. During each Outing, we’ll hike a different trail each day with trails chosen specifically to highlight the most current natural event(s) in the park. Our hikes will lead us through the most awesome carpets of wildflowers in the spring, the most spectacular azaleas seen anywhere and the incredible beauty and grandeur of fall colors in the Smokies. Photography weekends will highlight a variety of subjects for all of you who enjoy nature photography. Great Smoky Mountains National Park is simply fantastic! For more information or to register for an Outing, please contact Liz.

Spring Wildflowers, Fall Colors, Salamanders, Nature Photography, Day Hikes, Fireflies, Naturalist Interpretation, Smoky Mountain Scenery, Azaleas, Explore the Smokies With an Expert!

Spring in the Smokies

The Smokies offers the most spectacular spring wildflower display in the Appalachian Mountains. We will be in the park during peak spring wildflower bloom. The mountains and hollows are springing to life as wildflowers grace the forest floor with their incredible displays of whites, purples, blues, yellows and reds. This is enhanced by the many hues of spring green from a great variety of plants sprouting their new leaves. Incredible! Birds are very visible as they flood the forests and fields, filling the air with their vibrant songs. These are some of the sights and sounds to be experienced and absorbed during a Smoky Mountain spring. To experience this most wonderful time in the Smokies, Just Get Outdoors with Liz for her Nature Photography workshop or her wildflower outings!

April 15 and 16, 2012 Wildflower Outings in the Smokies

Don’t miss the most diverse and incredible wildflower display in the Appalachians! I am offering two levels of hiking to provide opportunities for more of you to enjoy the peak spring wildflower season! For those of you who prefer shorter distances (5 miles or less), join me on April 8 and 9. This will provide us with plenty of time to “stop and smell the flowers.” For those of you who enjoy longer hikes, join me on April 10 and 11. We’ll hike two trails with our mileage being at least 5 miles each. We will still take the time to enjoy the wildflowers and other wonders along the trail, but we’ll be covering more miles too. It’s all good!

Or, if you are like me and can’t get enough of the exceptional beauty of spring in the Smokies, join me for all four days. We will hike a different trail each day, making new discoveries along the way and investigating anything that crosses our path and catches our interest.

**Trails will be selected just prior to each trip, dependent on where the best wildflower displays are occurring at the time.

Costs and Inclusions for Naturalist Adventure Outings

May 19 and 20, 2012 Nature Photography Workshop Photographing wildflowers and more…

If you would like to improve your basic photography skills and learn more about nature photography, this workshop is for you! You will learn to compose pictures of beautiful landscapes, wildflowers, and wildlife (as opportunities arise) while enhancing your skills of observation and your enjoyment of the natural world. You will also learn about the various plants and animals that we photograph. As time and desire permits, we will spend some time discussing and critiquing your images as well. Please join me for a two-day workshop to learn the basic techniques and skills of being a nature photographer, to enhance and build upon your current skills, and for the pure enjoyment of participating in this creative outlet. This will be a hands-on experience with our time spent outdoors seeking photographic and learning opportunities in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Depending on interest and skill level(s) of the group, possible topics might include:

Equipment discussion and caring for your gear
Lighting/Exposure
Composition
Nature photography ethics, being respectful of your subject
Learning how to see, as a photographer
Knowing your subject
Habitats, flora and fauna

Costs and Inclusions for Naturalist Adventure Outings

June 10, 2012 Just Get Outdoors by Day & Night Naturalist’s Ramble and Synchronous Fireflies

By day we will hike a Smokies trail and investigate whatever crosses our path and catches our interest. This will include anything from birds, salamanders and other wildlife to wildflowers and other plants, as well as animal tracks and traces. By Night we will spend an evening with Synchronous Fireflies! This is a sight to see because these special fireflies light up in synchrony and they are found only in the Smokies and in Thailand – the Smokies is a lot closer for most of us.

This also will be a special opportunity for kids to enjoy learning about the natural world and have a safe, fun experience in the park at night. We will even call for Barred Owls while we enjoy the light show. Maybe we will get one or two owls to respond and come in for a closer look to check us out.

You can join me for my Naturalist’s Ramble and the Synchronous Fireflies, or you can come for one or the other, the choice is yours.

Naturalist’s Ramble (full day) and Synchronous Fireflies - $105

Naturalist’s Ramble only - $80

Synchronous Fireflies only - $35

As always, I offer special discounted rates for families and for groups with 4 or more people. Total group size for this program is limited to 15 (maximum) and a minimum of 4 Firefly Watchers is required for the evening outing.

Costs and Inclusions for Naturalist Adventure Outings

June 16, 2012 Azaleas and Scenic Grassy Balds

Join me for Naturalist Ramble to Andrew’s Bald, one of the most scenic grassy balds in the Smokies! There is no better place to see the abundance of azalea blooms than on Andrew's Bald where you'll see an awesome display of color and Smoky Mountain beauty.

We will hike 1.8 miles (3.6 mi roundtrip) to Andrew's Bald to see the display of the many shades of our native Flame Azaleas. The azaleas should be at their peak bloom and Catawba Rhododendron may still be in bloom as well. Wow! As a most special bonus, Andrew's Bald offers a fantastic mountain view.

Costs and Inclusions for Naturalist Adventure Outings

October 20 and 21, 2012 Smoky Mountain Autumn Splendor

Although there is much to see, absorb, and enjoy in the Smokies year-round, autumn is a special time because of the chance to experience the incredible fall color display. Because the climate at higher elevations is similar to those found in New England, the leaves can begin to change color as early as mid-September. From October 1-15, fall colors typically reach their peak above 4000 feet in elevation. The most spectacular and more colorful display occurs at the mid and lower elevations where fall colors peak between October 15 and November 5. This is also the time of year when black bear and other animals are busily preparing for winter, making them easier to view. Although there are no guarantees with nature, we should have a good chance of sighting wildlife and an excellent chance of seeing fall color during our hikes.

Join me for two or four days of naturalist guided hikes in the Smokies this fall. Experience the beauty of this very special place during the colorful autumn season. We will hike a different trail each day, making new discoveries along the way and investigating anything that crosses our path and catches our interest.

**Trails will be selected just prior to each trip, dependent on where the best fall color displays are occurring at the time.

These are going to be pleasant Outings spent enjoying and learning about the natural world. Sure hope you can join me.

Costs and Inclusions for Naturalist Adventure Outings


				Just Get Outdoors! 2198 Oakwood Road, Walland TN 37886-3105 865-977-HIKE (4453) Email All images and photographs herein are original and/or property of Liz Domingue.