ROAN MOUNTAIN CALENDAR

Published 8:53 am Wednesday, May 17, 2023

May 1-31

All Month

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 is 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 come back to this page in future months.

Thank you for supporting our Wildlife Ambassadors at Roan Mountain State Park!

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

Bushcraft Soup and Salad – 2 p.m. Meet at Shed #3. Price is $10. Register for the event. Wild Soup and Salad made from the finest (or whatever we can find) outdoor ingredients. Hone your culinary skills using a bouillon base combined with quality ingredients such as ants, cattail root, tree bark or other wild edibles for a tasty soup. Don’t forget the salad as we explore the various green options available from  the forest and field to make a refreshing (or hopefully refreshing) companion to our wild comfort soup.

Participants may bring their backpacking stove and cookware for preparing an individual meal and/or can choose to be creative with the group. Participants will meet at the Shed 3 parking area.

Night Wildlife of Roan Mountain  (SOLD OUT)– 8 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. – Meet at Visitor Center Porch. Price is $ 10/Participant + $10 Donation, $20/Participant + $20 Donation. Register for the event. Join Park Ranger Phil Hylen from 8-9:30 p.m. at the Roan Mountain State Park Visitor Center for a walk in the dark on our new Peg Leg Mine Loop Trail in search of the incredible wildlife living it up after dark. This evening walk will be a moderate difficulty 0.5-mile walk on natural terrain trail. Participants will be treated to views of unique salamanders, fireflies, and other critters that do their business in the night.

This free hike is limited to 20 individuals, so be sure to register your spot today on this page or by calling our park office at (423) 547-3900. Meet your host on the porch and be sure to bring a flashlight.

Fly-tying for Beginners – 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. Meet at Visitor Center Porch. Price is $10. Register for the event. Have you ever wanted to learn to make your own flies for fishing the streams of the Appalachian Mountains? Join Park Ranger Phil Hylen for our Fly-tying for Beginners class. In this 2-hour class, participants will learn the basics of the art of fly-tying and make their very first fly they can immediately go fish with. This class will also introduce you to some of our more common aquatic critters that flies model by turning over a few rocks and leaves in the Doe River and getting a close-up look at the dinner menu our local trout enjoy. This 101 class is limited to 10 fly-tyers at a fee of $10/person with registration available by using the registration link on this event or at a park office. If you are registering a youth, parents are asked to stay and assist the minor during the class (assisting adults are not required to register unless you are making your own fly as well). This class will take place at the Roan Mountain State Park Visitor Center – meet your host on the porch.

Friday Night Concert Series: The Bog Blossoms – 7 p.m. – 8 p.m. Meet at the Amphitheater. Join us Friday night at the park amphitheater for an evening of Irish Traditional Fiddle Music with the Bog Blossoms. Amanda and Marcianne work here at the park, and both play fiddle with regional Irish band Sigean. They’ll be presenting an assortment of their favorite jigs and reels! Artists who participate in our series are not paid by the park, and tips are appreciated. In case of inclement weather, the concert will be canceled and the artist will be rebooked for a future date.

2023 Junior Ranger Camp Ages 8 -11 (Save the Date) — Registration opens May 1. Learn about safety, plants, animals, bugs, astronomy, environmental stewardship, 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 at 8:30 a.m. and ends by noon, Monday through Thursday. Our graduation ceremony and party will take place Friday night from 6-8:30 p.m. at the park Conference Center. An optional night hike will be offered Friday Night after the banquet (families welcome).

Registration fee of $60 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, as well as agenda details and pickup & drop off locations for each day.

***Cloudland students may register at a discounted rate of $45 by contacting the park office at 423-547-3900.

Summer Céilí at Roan Mountain State Park – 7 p.m. – 9 p.m. Price is $2/kids 17 and under, $5/adults. Register for the event.

An Irish céilí (or cèilidh if you’re Scottish!) is a traditional social gathering that often includes traditional dance, music, storytelling and all kinds of good fun. In honor of our region’s Scots-Irish heritage we’ll be hosting our spring dance céilí at the Roan Mountain State Park Conference Center.

Highlights include:

Dress comfortably with good shoes and come well-hydrated! Don’t be afraid to wear festive attire!

This is a ticketed event! Adults 18 and older $5 each, kids 17 and younger $2. Volunteers attend free (contact Ranger O’Day for volunteer opportunities).