Cost: $75 Student | $85 Guest 

Depart: Thursday, October 10 @ 8:00 am 

Return: Sunday, October 13 @ 5:00 pm 

Drive time: 5 hours 

Pre-trip meeting: Tuesday, October 8 @ 8:00 PM 

Included:

As the most biodiverse park of all the national parks in the US, Great Smoky Mountain National Park is home to an extremely wide variety of plants and animals. With over 800 square miles of land in the Appalachian Mountains, the Smokies are famously covered in trees whose colors change dramatically with the changing of the seasons. Come with us to see the wide variety of trees and colors that cover the mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina in the fall!

Included in your fee is the cost for covering all camping gear needed, with the exception of food. We will be camping at Cades Cove, an isolated valley located in the Tennessee section of the park. All you need to bring is your cozy fall clothes and your toothbrush! (Well, maybe a couple more things than that)

Day 1:

1. Wake up and drive to Great Smoky Mountain National Park
2. Visit our campsite in Cades Cove to set up our basecamp
3. Hike Gregory Bald
4. Take awesome photos for Instagram
5. Head back to camp to relax
6. Go to sleep by all the pretty trees!

Day 2:

1. Wake up in the Smoky's
2. Get ready to hike to Charlies Bunion!!
3. Relax at the end of the trail to enjoy lunch with a view
4. Head back to the van
5. Explore one of the visitor centers
6. Enjoy downtime at camp
7. Catch the sunset at Clingmans Dome (6,643 ft.)
8. Get a great night sleep

Day 3:

1. Wake up in the Smoky's (again...)
2. Hike to Chimney Tops
3. Enjoy the views
4. Hike to Middle Prong waterfall
5. Enjoy lunch along the way
6. Stop by the "sinks" before heading to camp
7. Enjoy s'mores over a warm fire

Day 4:

1. Last day in the Smoky's!
2. Enjoy one last short hike
3. Head to Gatlinburg to explore the town
4. Stop for lunch
5. Head back to campus

*All trips are subject to change due to weather, permitting and staffing

Sign up & attend this trip to receive a special discount to College Outside

REGISTER ONLINE TODAY!

Follow the instructions below

1. Go to https://online.spectrumng.net/wku (it will open a new window!) 
2. Click "Do not have login" (you will need to make an account!) 
3. Enter your 800# (or 500# if a Preston Only Member) for the Member Number (even if you do not have a current membership!)
4. Choose a username and password for your online account with us. 
5. Once you have an account set up, click the Home Icon in the top left (the picture, not the actual home letters)
6. Click on Program Registration in the middle of the page!
7. Select ‘ORAC’ 
8. Select the trip or skill clinic you want! 
9. Add to Cart 
10. Continue to Cart 
11. This should take you to the Payment Summary Screen. Enter your payment info and hit Submit Payment. 
12. BAMM You're registered for a trip 

Cost: $90 Student | $110 Guest 

Depart: Thursday, October 10 @ 6:00 AM 

Return: Sunday, October 13 @ 8:00 PM 

Drive time: 6 hours 20 minutes

Pre-trip meeting: Tuesday, October 8 @ 8:00 PM 

Included: Transportation, gear, permits & loads of fun! 

Spend 5 days hiking along one of the most famous thru-hiking trails in the world. The Appalachian Trail runs over 2,000 miles across 14 states from Georgia to Maine, but don’t worry we’re not hiking the whole thing on this trip.  Start your journey on a section of the A.T in either Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, or Virginia.  On this trip we’ll plan on hiking anywhere from 25-40 miles total, so while previous experience isn’t required, it is encouraged.

Bring a friend or come alone and become close to a group of total strangers.  We promise the memories made on this trail will last longer than four days as you hike through rhododendron groves and view panoramic landscapes of the Appalachian Trail.  Each night we’ll camp in primitive sites so it’s only us and the wilderness surrounding us.  Come experience one of the most stunning areas in the U.S. on fall break.

ORAC will provide all transportation, backpacking equipment, camping fees, route planning, guiding, and fireside games.  All you need to worry about is planning out your meals and wearing the right kind of clothes, and we can help with that if you’re new to this!

Day 1: 

1. Leave the Preston Center after classes in the afternoon/evening
2. Arrive at Camp, unload van, sleep

Day 2: 

1. Start hike
2. Realize you want to be a thru-hiker
3. Eat lunch
4. Reconsider thoughts of being a thru-hiker
5. Question whether or not you enjoy backpacking
6. Arrive at camp, eat dinner
7. Awkward fireside conversations more than likely

Day 3: 

1. Wake up, flawless
2. Eat breakfast and realize that every part of your body is sore
3. Start hiking
4. Eat lunch
5. Continue hiking, ask leaders how long till camp
6. Arrive at camp
7. Muster last remaining bit of energy to steal the best tent spot
8. Eat dinner
9. Find perfect location to start journaling … take a picture of it
10. Less awkward conversations around fire

Day 4: 

1. Wake up, dirty
2. Eat breakfast semi-conscious trance as you prepare yourself for the coming miles
3. Start hiking
4. Eat lunch
5. This day actually hurts less
6. Realize you kind of enjoy backpacking
7. See a beautiful view and realize its all worth it
8. Arrive at camp, eat dinner
9. Bond with peers over common soreness and distrust of trip leaders who are always happy for whatever reason

Day 5:

1. Wake up, realize it’s the last morning you’ll wake up in a tent
2. Start hiking
3. Eat Lunch
4. Arrive at van, reminisce fondly over past four days of backpacking
5. Depart for Preston Center, van smells weird

*All trips are subject to change due to weather, permitting and staffing

Sign up & attend this trip to receive a special discount to College Outside

REGISTER ONLINE TODAY!

Follow the instructions below

1. Go to https://online.spectrumng.net/wku (it will open a new window!) 
2. Click "Do not have login" (you will need to make an account!) 
3. Enter your 800# (or 500# if a Preston Only Member) for the Member Number (even if you do not have a current membership!)
4. Choose a username and password for your online account with us. 
5. Once you have an account set up, click the Home Icon in the top left (the picture, not the actual home letters)
6. Click on Program Registration in the middle of the page!
7. Select ‘ORAC’ 
8. Select the trip or skill clinic you want! 
9. Add to Cart 
10. Continue to Cart 
11. This should take you to the Payment Summary Screen. Enter your payment info and hit Submit Payment. 
12. BAMM You're registered for a trip