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August – September 

 

August 7- August 25

Leave No Trace Trainer Course & Weekend Retreat – 7 p.m. – 3 p.m. – Meet at the Roan Mountain State Park Group Camp. Price is  $0 / Roan Mountain State Park Regular Service Volunteer,  $0 / Tennessee State Parks Staff, $160 / Participant, $194.95 / Participant + Educator’s Toolkit

Leave No Trace is a set of outdoor ethics that help us make decisions about how we enjoy and protect the outdoors. Becoming a Leave No Trace Trainer is a great way to build your confidence as an outdoor enthusiast and prepare you to teach Leave No Trace awareness workshops in your own community. 

This hybrid online and in-person trainer course and weekend retreat is designed to provide participants with the knowledge, skill and experience to offer Leave No Trace Awareness training to the public in both formal and informal settings. Along with our Leave No Trace curriculum, we’ll enjoy outdoor recreational activities, and learn about the natural and cultural history of Roan Mountain. 

We’ll begin our course with two virtual sessions, where we’ll cover basic program concepts and prepare for in-person instruction. We’ll continue with a weekend workshop at Roan Mountain State Park, where we’ll put our knowledge into practical experience.

Participants who attend all sessions will fulfill all requirements for the 16-hour Leave No Trace Trainer course and enjoy a weekend at beautiful Roan Mountain State Park.

$160 Registration Fee includes:

• Frontcountry camping in the Roan Mountain State Park group camp.
• 16 hour trainer course meeting Leave No Trace national training standards.  
• Trainer Course Participant Packet (optional Educator’s Toolkit w/Additional Fee)
• Daily ranger-led recreational activities to enjoy the beauty & history of Roan Mountain

Course Schedule:

Wednesday, Aug. 7, at 7-9 p.m. EDT (Virtual Session)

Wednesday, Aug. 14, at 7-9 p.m. EDT (Virtual Session)

Friday, Aug. 23: 

• 3 p.m. Group Camp check-in and setup
• 5 p.m. Session Starts
• 6 p.m. Supper Break
• 9 p.m. End of Day

Saturday, Aug. 24:

• 8 a.m. Session Starts
• 11:30 a.m. Lunch Break
• 5 p.m. End of Day
• Optional evening activity

Sunday, August 25 –

• 8 a.m. Session Starts
• 11:30 a.m. Lunch Break
• 3 p.m. Workshop Conclusion
• Participants may also camp Sunday night with a noon checkout time on Monday, Aug. 26

Cancellation Deadline/Refund Policy:

Participants may cancel no later than Wednesday, Aug. 7, at 5 p.m. with a 50% refund. After Wednesday, Aug. 7, at 5 p.m. there will be no refunds for participant cancellation.

Camping Details:

• All camping will follow Leave No Trace recommended best practices.
• Participants will be responsible for providing their own camping equipment and should be prepared to spend time outdoors in forecasted weather conditions. A recommended packing list will be provided.
• Meals will not be provided. Participants will be responsible for their own food and cooking gear. 
• The group camp sites are located adjacent to the individual tent-only camping area of the Roan Mountain State Park campground. Sites include large gravel tent pads, picnic tables, fire rings, grills, and water spigots at each site. There is no electricity, camping is only allowed on the gravel pads (not in the surrounding grassy areas), and it is approximately a 1/4 mile walk to the nearest bathrooms/shower houses. 
• Camping is recommended, but not required. While this is not a camping skills course, this is a great opportunity for newer campers to develop confidence in group of mixed experience.
• Cell service is unavailable and unreliable throughout most of the park. A Verizon hotspot is located in the Conference Center and also at the Camp Store. 
• The Roan Mountain group camp is a great place to disconnect, as Wi-Fi is generally unreliable. Wi-fi is available at the conference center, visitor center, and throughout the rest of the campground.
• For additional campground details, visit: https://tnstateparks.com/parks/campground/roan-mountain

 

August 9 – September 6

Friday Night Concert Series – 7 p.m. – 8 p.m. Join us Friday nights at the amphitheater throughout this summer for live music. Bring a picnic blanket or lawn chair, or enjoy our bench seating. Concerts are free, but cash tips for the artists are always appreciated.

8/9 – The Corklickers

8/16 – Marshall Ballew

8/23 – Fern Hollow

8/30 – Stemwinder

9/6 – Bandwagon Fallacy

August 10

Peg Leg Mine GeoVenture – 10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Meet at Roan Mountain State Park Visitor Center Porch. Price is $10. Register for the event. ​​Join Park Ranger Phil Hylen from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at the Roan Mountain State Park Visitor Center porch to take part in a unique iron mining history and geology tour of the Peg Leg Mine. Located on the edge of the Cranberry iron ore vein, the Peg Leg Mine offers participants a 1.2-mile hike through Southern Appalachian Cove forest to see how iron mining in the mountains was conducted at the turn of the 20th century. While exploring, participants will take on the role of iron miners in the late 1800s, test iron deposits for quality, and open your very own iron ore and geodes. This guided experience is limited to 20 participants with a ticket fee of $10.00 per person. This program will begin and end at the Visitor Center porch. Be sure to dress for the weather and bring a camera!

 

Tomahawk Toss – 3 p.m. Price is $5 and you can register for the event. ​​Learn to throw a tomahawk! Join Ranger Holland as we have fun learning a popular frontier pastime.

Tomahawks provided. No previous Tomahawk-throwing experience is required to enjoy this fun program. Meet at Shed #3.

August 17

Doe River Snorkeling Excursion – 1 – 3 p.m. Meet at Roan Mountain State Park Visitor Center Porch. Price is $15 and you can register for the event. Join in a high-elevation snorkeling adventure with Park Ranger Phil Hylen along the Doe River from 1 to 3 p.m. Starting with an intro snorkeling lesson at the Visitor Center Porch, the excursion will take place at the Cates Hole section of the Doe River where we will explore local fish, crawfish, insects, salamander, and more! Your findings will help determine the health of the Doe River and any new species will be recorded. Be sure to bring close-toed water shoes to protect your feet. Wetsuits are not required, but average water temperatures can be below 70 degrees F.

This adventure is limited to 15 people ages 12+. The cost per person is $15. Masks and snorkels will be provided to participants, but you are welcome to bring your own. Meet at the front porch of the Visitor Center to begin.

August 18

Raptors of the Roan – 2 – 3 p.m. Meet at the Park Office Aviary. Join Roan Mountain State Park at the aviary (located at the park headquarters building) to meet our owl ambassadors and aviary staff. Participants will become familiar with the rich and unique diversity of birds of prey (raptors) found in the park and surrounding area of Roan Mountain. This is a great way to learn of many local raptor birding destinations and events! Of course, meeting our live education owls is an experience all its own!

Pets are not allowed in the vicinity of the aviary unless in the case of service animals at a distance set by the program staff. This is a free program and does not require registration.  

August 31

Firecraft Wilderness Survival/Bushcraft Skill – 2 p.m. Price is $5/children 12 and under, $8/person. Register for the event. Join Ranger James Holland to learn various methods of lighting a fire without matches using a variety of tinder. Instruction will include using a ferro rod, fire from batteries, traditional flint and steel, burning lens, fire piston.

Program requires registration due to limited group size. Meet at Park Headquarters prior to going to the program area.