Encountering Nature While Trail Hiking
Hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains is definitely something that almost everyone does when they are in Gatlinburg. Now, one aspect that can really shock a lot of people is the amount of nature they are going to encounter when they are hiking on the trails. I know this just by reading through some of the groups on Facebook that are covering the hiking in the Smokies or even in the Gatlinburg groups. So a common theme that I have seen is what do you do when you see the animals on the trails?
Identify The Animal
Okay, this is one aspect that you may want to take into account and that is figuring out what you are looking at. Some of the most obvious would be a bear, snake, or even deer. However, if you are a true nature lover and want to learn more about the region then you need to identify what kind of snake or other animal you are looking at. This way you can accurately report what you are seeing to other people when you return.
Now, if you are unsure of what you are looking at, then take pictures of it! This will allow you to research it later or even post on social media to see if anyone else knows what you are looking at.
Take Pictures
Taking pictures will go hand in hand with the part that I mentioned earlier for animal identification. However, I think taking the pictures for this aspect is more along the memory of the animals you got to see out in the Great Smoky Mountains. I mean seriously, if you are able to take a picture it allows you to record the memory.
With most of the modern cameras they even geomark where you took the picture at. This makes it easier for you to go back to the same location at a later time and date. It also make it quite a bit easier for you to point out a specific location to your friends in the park if they want to see the animal or the spot as well.
Avoid Getting Close To Animals
Animals are definitely a part of the natural beauty in the Great Smoky Mountains. However, one thing that you need to make sure you do is avoid getting too close to the animals. Yes, it may sound insane, but their are people that will walk right up next to the bears and other animals. This is not only a little bit on the crazy side as the animals are wild, but also because some of these animals will attack humans.
In most cases it is recommended to stay quite a bit back from the animals. This is to prevent the animals from interacting with humans, but also to keep the animals from having the temptation to attack us as a human being that is inside of the animals turf.
Encountering nature is one aspect of trail hiking that happens in the Great Smoky Mountains. When you do encounter nature on any of the trails, from the well maintained to the slightly overgrown trails, it is important for you to know what to do when you see the animals. Once you know what to do it is easier for you to hike on the trails in the Great Smoky Mountains and know you are having a trip of a lifetime.
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