Sierra Club

Saturday, November 4th. Time TBD. We'll take on the Mountain Challenge program at Maryville College.

Lost Sea adventure begins with a guided tour of the caverns (https://thelostsea.com/groups/). This involves a ¾ mile round-trip walk on wide sloping pathways. We will be taking the Flashlight Tour that takes us into one of the darker corners of the cave for a real caving experience (please bring flashlights.). Along the way, we will learn cool history about the cave!

Join us at Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies! Everyone will meet at the ticket entrance at 12:15, finalize our group tickets, and get inside in time to experience the Penguin Parade at 1:15. We will then have plenty of time to tour the many parts of the aquarium – Ocean Realm, Shark Lagoon, Touch a Ray Bay, Tropical Forest, Coral Reef, Discovery Center, and Penguin Playhouse – and to take in the live shows.

The visit will start with a special zoo encounter provided by the Zoo Knoxville Education Team. After that, the matches are free to take in the various zoo exhibits at their own pace.

We will start the day at the Appalachian Bear Rescue Visitor and Education Center located in Townsend. Here we will learn about black bears and how we can co-exist with them. Then we will travel to the nearby Little Greenbrier Schoolhouse in the Great Smoky Mountains where we will eat lunch and see what it was like to attend a one-room schoolhouse nearly 100 years ago. We will take a 1-mile walk (2 mile round trip) to the Walker Sister's home. https://www.nps.gov/grsm/learn/historyculture/walker-sister

We will start the afternoon with a “Pond Party” where we will use dip nets and other collection tools to discover what lives in the several ponds around Ijams. We will also take a short hike to see what is blooming and leafing out during the springtime renewal of life in the forest.

With nearly-continuous Class II-IV rapids like Lost Guide and Accelerator and views into Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Upper Pigeon delivers. More info here: https://noc.com/trips/pigeon-river-rafting-upper-pigeon. The NOC requires youth to be at least 8 years old and weigh over 70 pounds. The Sierra Club will pay the rafting fee for the youth and all adults will pay their fee of $50. RSVP for more details. Saturday, July 20th at 10am-5pm

Sat. August 17th, 11am-2pm Let’s get a little exercise - a hike to a waterfall in the Smokies. This is one of the least well-kept secrets in the Smokies. This 2 mile-round trip hike to a beautiful waterfall begins at the Great Smoky Mountain Institute at Tremont and passes by places of historical and geological interest. We travel through several forest types to eat lunch by a 60-foot waterfall. We return by the same route. There are several pools of water for those that want to take a dip in the co

We’ll spend a relaxing afternoon in the open fields of Cades Cove, one of the most beautiful spots in the Smokies. On this outing join butterfly experts from the Great Smoky Mountain Institute at Tremont to learn about Monarch Butterfly migration. We will catch and tag butterflies that are migrating through the area. It is a very unique experience! RSVP for more details.

The Maryville College Mountain Challenge is an outdoor experience through a low ropes course that enables groups to learn to cooperate, to communicate, and to challenge themselves– and to have fun doing so. Comparable to a giant obstacle course, the Low Ropes Course is designed to challenge its participants to think and act creatively. Each activity serves a different component of group dynamics and will be customized to suit the needs of the participants. Know-before-you-go will be sent out the week of the event. Click here to RSVP

On Saturday, January 25th, from 1-4 pm, Matches can experience the Lost Sea Adventure! This will begin with a guided tour of the caverns. This involves a 3⁄4 mile round-trip walk on wide sloping pathways. We will be taking the Flashlight Tour that takes us into one of the darker corners of the cave for a real caving experience (please bring flashlights). Along the way we will learn cool history about the cave! This experience is no cost to you!

Saturday, March 29th from 10am - whenever! Enjoy a free day at the zoo! The visit will start with a special zoo encounter provided by the Zoo Knoxville Education Team. After that, matches are free to take in the various zoo exhibits at your own pace. Space is very limited, so be sure to RSVP!