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COVID-19 has had effects on our events. For more information, please visit our Keeping Visitors Healthy page.
Please note that all programs, events and tours require masks for all participants.

Support Our Wildlife Ambassadors

ROAN MOUNTAIN STATE PARK

June 1 – June 30

Support Our Wildlife Ambassadors

ROAN MOUNTAIN STATE PARK

All Month

Price:

– $10.00 / Feeds one bird a day
– $20.00 / Feeds two birds a day
– $30.00 / Feeds three birds a day
– $40.00 / Feeds four birds a day
– $50.00 / Feeds five birds a day
At Roan Mountain, we house, care for, and educate the public on a variety of native animals. We work under an educational permit from TWRA. Currently, we care for three birds of prey and several snakes! As you can imagine, caring for these animals is costly, as their food and health care are a specialty!
All of our animals are non-releasable for a variety of reasons. We frequently program with these animals and never charge for educational programs when using them. Here is your opportunity to support our educational wildlife program and help us care for these animals! 
All donations will go to purchase food, pay vet bills, purchase gloves, tethers, falconry equipment, aquarium bedding, and to improve and build more housing facilities for our non-releasable birds of prey.
To donate click the green “Register for Event” button at the right. Your donation is a one-time payment. If you wish to cover more than one day, update the “ quantity” you wish to donate, or simply return to this page in future months.  
Thank you for supporting our Wildlife Ambassadors at Roan Mountain State Park! 

Sunday, June 19 
Fern “Frondling” – 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. – Meet at Shelter 3. Make friends with some of the local ferns and their relatives! Join Marco with plenty of water, long pants, and sturdy shoes for this adventure along the 0.5- mile Tom Gray Trail. 
As we are going along the trail we will discuss the habitats and secrets that lie with the ferns. Tag along on this hike for some prehistoric plant fun!

Old Time Games – 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. – Meet at Miller Farmstead. Join Marco for some “good-old fun!” Try some games from early settlement days of East Tennessee. Early times at the Miller Farmstead called for a break from the constant hardwork of upkeeping the farm, and a need for some good old fashioned fun! Bring lots of water, long pants, and close-toed shoes for this activity.

Meet the Snakes – 3 p.m. – 4 p.m. – Meet at Visitor Center. They’re not the fearsome creatures you’ve been led to believe! Come out and learn the facts about these helpful creatures with Marco. Get up close and personal with these slithery snakes as they educate us on their important role in the ecosystem!

Sunday, June 20
Life Under Logs – 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. – Meet at Visitor Center. Join Marco for a short hike to find some creatures that rely on rocks and logs for a home! Be prepared to hike by wearing long pants, closed toe shoes, and bring lots of water. This will be a 0.5 mile hike around the Peg Leg Mine Trail.
Get your hands dirty as we dive into the wonderful world of habitats. Big or small these homes are all around us, and it is our job to protect even the littlest of homes.

Insect Art – 12 p.m. – 1 p.m. – Meet at Conference Center. Join Marco to create some critters that won’t “bug you” or fly away! Take home a keepsake of your very own creation from the park! 
By creating our own critters to take home, we can practice Leave No Trace and ensure a safe home for all our native insects here at the park! During our creations we will discuss how invasive insects can impact the ecosystems around them.

Mushroom March – 2 p.m. – 3 p.m. – Meet at Shelter 3. These mysterious organisms hold amazing secrets. Discover the hidden world of mushrooms along this 0.5 mile hike. Make sure to bring sturdy hiking shoes, long pants, and plenty of water.
Mushrooms are the great citizens of the forest! Along this hike we will discuss just how these mysterious mushrooms interact with the environment around them. If we listen to their stories close enough, we may learn a thing or two!

Saturday, June 26
Roan Mountain TN Promise Saturday – 12:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Meet at Visitor Center Porch. Register for the event. Join Roan Mountain State Park from 12:30-4:30PM on Saturday, June 26th as we offer a volunteer opportunity as a part of Tennessee Promise Saturday.   This event will also offer 4 TN Promise hours to Tennessee college students registered in the TN Promise Program.  The event is also open to any willing volunteers in the community.  This Saturday will focus on the clearing and improvement of the Cloudland Nature Trail and Peg Leg Section of the Doe River.  Particular activities will include bench cutting trail, removing tripping hazards, clearing trash from the river, and adding trail improvements (stairs, climbing turns, etc.). 
Participants will meet at the Visitor Center Porch.  We encourage guests to bring water, snacks, proper footwear for trails, masks, and any other personal items needed for the outdoors.  Tools and materials will be provided by the park.  Guests wanting to assist with river clean-up are encouraged to bring waders or clothes they don’t mind getting wet.  Register today by following the registration link on this page.  

Wild Edibles Woodland Stroll – 3 p.m. – Price is $5.00. Register for the event. Join Ranger Holland for a woodland stroll as we learn about wild edibles in the forest.  This program involves light to moderate hiking and will be an interactive learning experience. We will meet at the park headquarters prior to going to the program area. 

Sunday, June 27
Tomahawk Toss – 2 p.m. – Price is $5.00. Register for the event. Tomahawks provided. No previous Tomahawk-throwing experience is required to enjoy this fun program.
$5 per person
Meet at park headquarters prior to going to the program area.

Monday, June 28
Moonshiner’s Run Hike – 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. Meet at Moonshiner’s Run Trailhead. Join Marco for a 2-mile hike around the Moonshiners Run trail to see some of our slimy friends! Be sure to wear long pants, close toed shoes, and bring lots of water.
On this hike we will be exploring through some of our favorite slimy friends’ homes! Under a log or under some moss, on this hike there are never-ending oppurtunities for adventure. Come along as we discuss the important jobs these critters do for us while understanding our role in their protection.

Mushroom March – 2 p.m. – 3 p.m. – Meet at Visitor Center. Meet Marco for a 0.5-mile hike around the Cloudland Trail to see explore the mysterious world of mushrooms! Be sure to wear long pants, close toed shoes, and bring lots of water.
From recycling energy to providing shelter to many, mushrooms are the model citizens of the forest. Join us for this hike as we discover some more of the mysteries that these fungal friends are hiding and debunk some common myths regarding them.
  
Wednesday, June 30
Fiddle for the Absolute Beginner – 10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. –  Meet at Contact Instructor for details. Price is $25.00. Register for the event. Workshop participants will learn the basics of playing the fiddle, including instrument care, tuning, posture, bow hold, fingering, scales, active listening, learning by ear, and more. No matter what kind of fiddle music you’re interested in, the fundamentals are the same!
No previous experience is required. All you need is a playable fiddle, a recording device, and a desire to learn. If you’d like some advice on finding a starter fiddle, contact the instructor. This workshop is aimed at the adult learner’s attention span, but teenagers 15 and older are welcome.
The workshop will be taught by Park Ranger Marcianne O’Day. Marcianne learned to fiddle from her grandfather, starting at the age of seven. She has a minor in Bluegrass, Old-Time, and Country Music from ETSU, was a founding member of the ETSU Celtic Band, has toured Scotland and Ireland, and has been teaching for over ten years. She performs across the Southeast with Irish Traditional Band Sigean and enjoys traditional music in many forms.

Friday, July 2
Spores and More – 9 a.m. – 10 a.m. – Join Marco to experience a blast from the past as we take a closer look at spores in nature! Be sure to wear long pants, closed-toe shoes, and bring plenty of water for this 0.5-mile hike.
On this hike we will have the oppurtunity to see how these resilient plants have taken back this once destroyed forests to its lush state today! Come join us for this exploration of moss, mushrooms, and more as we learn some of their many secrets.

Designs of Nature – 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. – Meet at Visitor Center. Meet Marco to explore how nature has a plan for everything along this 0.5-mile hike. Be sure to wear long pants, closed-toe shoes, and bring plenty of water.
Nature is full of odd and beautiful shapes and sizes all around us. Bring those observant eyes with you as we explore all of the interesting, yet functional, designs in nature! Plants and animals in nature all have a job, and their specific design helps them achieve that.

10 Essentials – 3:30 p.m. – 4 p.m. – Meet at Conference Center. Meet Marco to learn more about what you need when planning your next adventure!
Whether you are hiking through a lush forest or snow capped mountain, the 10 essentials are crucial to ensuring a succesful trip! Walk through the process of building our pack and the importance of knowing what you need.

Saturday, July 3
Life Under Logs – 9 a.m. – 10 a.m. – Meet at Park Headquarters. Meet Marco to discover some of the hidden homes of Roan Mountain! Be sure to wear long pants, closed-toe shoes, and bring plenty of water.
From rocks to logs, from big to small, homes are all around us if we know how to look. On this short hike we will learn how to properly look at these habitats while practicing Leave No Trace and leaving these homes as we found them.

Partially Preserved – 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. – Meet at Visitor Center. Meet Marco to discover what the Peg Leg Mine trail can tell us about the power of preservation! Be sure to wear long pants, closed-toe shoes, and bring plenty of water for this 0.5-mile hike.
Along this trail we will have the oppurtunity to see the destruction left behind uncontrolled mining, but we will also get the chance to see the power that good preservation has. Mother nature is resilient, and with the help of hikers like us, we can help to preserve these natural resources for future generations!

Old Time Games – 4 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. – Meet at Shelter 3. Meet Marco for some “good old fun!” Be sure to wear long pants, closed-toe shoes, and bring plenty of water.
Let’s have some FUN reliving history from early East Tennesee settlers by playing some of their favorite games! With no TV or computer laying around the house, these old time games are the ideal way for family and friends to pass their history on.

Monday, July 5 – Friday, July 9
2021 Junior Ranger Camp, Ages 11-14 – Register for the event.
Price:
– $50.00 / Age 11-14, L shirt size
– $50.00 / Age 11-14, M shirt size
– $50.00 / Age 11-14, S shirt size
– $50.00 / Age 11-14, XL shirt size
– $50.00 / Age 11-14, XS shirt size
Learn about safety, plants, animals, bugs, astronomy, environmental responsibility, history and more! At the conclusion of the week each participant will be sworn in as an official Junior Ranger for Tennessee State Parks at our graduation ceremony and banquet. 

Junior Rangers ages of 11-14 will enjoy many features of our regular Junior Ranger program, plus special advanced adventure programs and instruction designed to engage older kids. 

Camp begins daily at 8:30 am and ends by noon, with drop-off and pickup at the park amphitheater. An optional star party will be offered Thursday night (families welcome). Our graduation ceremony and party will take place Friday night from 6-8:30 pm at the Miller Farmstead. Families are welcome to join us for hotdogs, s’mores and a night of festive celebration.

Registration fee of $50 includes a t-shirt, daily snacks, and a fun awards celebration on Friday night.  Registrants will receive additional paperwork via email including a liability waiver, medical history form, and information forms for each child.

Registration open to youth between the ages of 11-14. Kids ages 8-10 may register online: https://tnstateparks.com/prks/event_details/roan-mountain/#/?event=Junior-Ranger-2021-8-11

Monday, July 5 – Friday, July 9

2021 Junior Ranger Camp, Ages 8-10 – Register for the event.

Price:

1. $50.00 / Age 8-10, L shirt size
2. $50.00 / Age 8-10, M shirt size
3. $50.00 / Age 8-10, S shirt size
4. $50.00 / Age 8-10, XL shirt size
5. $50.00 / Age 8-10, XS shirt size
Learn about safety, plants, animals, bugs, astronomy, environmental responsibility, history and more! At the conclusion of the week each participant will be sworn in as an official Junior Ranger for Tennessee State Parks at our graduation ceremony and banquet. 

Camp begins daily at 8:30 am and ends by noon, with drop-off and pickup at the park amphitheater. An optional star party will be offered Thursday night (families welcome). Our graduation ceremony and party will take place Friday night from 6-8:30 pm at the Miller Farmstead. Families are welcome to join us for hotdogs, s’mores and a night of festive celebration.

Registration fee of $50 includes a t-shirt, daily snacks, and a fun awards celebration on Friday night.  Registrants will receive additional paperwork via email including a liability waiver, medical history form, and information forms for each child.

Registration open to kids ages 8-10. Kids between the ages of 11-14 may register for our advanced program online at: https://reserve.tnstateparks.com/register/Junior-Ranger-2021-advanced