Tennessee Valley Chapter of Wild Ones
Members' Trip to Roan Mountain State Park
Join other Wild Ones members for a weekend trip to Roan Mountain State Park to see the Catawba rhododendrons and other unique plants and geography of this Southern Appalachian Mountain area. The park is located approximately four and one-half hours from Chattanooga and thirty minutes from Elizabethton, Tennessee. A description of what the park offers can be found at:
https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5366102.pdf
We will meet up at Roan Mountain State Park on Friday for a ranger-led walk at the Park, followed by dinner and an opportunity to socialize around a campfire.
On Saturday, we will carpool up to Carvers Gap on Roan Mountain where we will see the world’s largest natural rhododendron garden, spruce fir forests and breathtaking views of both Tennessee and North Carolina.
Current plans have us leaving the gardens after a sack lunch, to hike up the grassy balds east of Carvers Gap along a piece of the Appalachian Trail. Balds are a type of highland meadow characterized by thick grass and sparse tree coverage and are a rare and beautiful ecosystem. There we should be able to see wild azaleas, rhododendrons, wildflowers and both sedges and grasses.
Sunday morning, prior to leaving for a trip home, we will visit Miller Homestead located on the Park property. The Miller house was built in 1908 and is now preserved as a reminder of the way folks used to live in these mountains. The grounds are kept in such a way as to provide food for a variety of wildlife and we expect to hear and see a variety of birds, bees, flowers and butterflies. A curator should be on-site to answer our questions.
This trip is being organized by the Membership Committee. Please direct any questions you may have to membership@tnvalleywildones.org.
Participants will be responsible for the cost of their own lodging, meals and car transportation. The group will meet at Roan Mountain State Park on Friday afternoon, June 7 and return on Sunday afternoon, June 9. The trip is free and available for Wild Ones members only. Details regarding suggested lodging will be provided upon registration.
NOTE NOTE NOTE: Early commitment is recommended since Park cabins/camping will be filling up in the coming weeks due to bloom time for the rhododendrons. Limit: 20 participants.