AT lay-over, Fontana Dam knighted as official trail town
Hiker Haze Weekend will welcome the season’s first Appalachian Trail thru-hikers at Fontana Village Resort March 25-26, along with a ceremony honoring the town of Fontana Dam as an official trail community.
The two-day Hiker Haze events will include presentations on native plants and Native American artifacts, karaoke for hikers, disc golf, a corn hole competition, guitar jamming and a campfire. Trail fans and local hikers are welcome to join the fun, as well as bona fide AT thru-hikers.
A program at noon Thursday, March 26, will recognize Fontana Dam as the newest Appalachian Trail Community, under the auspice of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. A short guided hike will follow at 2:30 p.m.
Representatives from a spectrum of organizations will attend and speak, including the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, U.S. Forest Service, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Appalachian National Scenic Trail, Fontana Dam town council and the offices of U.S. Congressman Mark Meadows and U.S. Senator Richard Burr.
More AT celebrations to come
Thru-hiking season is nearly here, and towns along the Appalachian Trail in Western North Carolina are gearing up for their annual offerings of festivals and outdoor-related programs to help thru-hikers and townies alike celebrate the trail. With festivals in Franklin, Nantahala Outdoor Center, Fontana Dam and Hot Springs — as well as a month-long lineup of programs at the Macon County Public Library — there will be plenty going on. Trail volunteers have been at work getting the trail and shelters ready in anticipation of an uptick in AT hikers, following the movies “Wild” and A Walk in the Woods,” which chronicle long-distance hiking journeys.
Be sure to pick up next week’s issue of The Smoky Mountain News for a full roundup of AT-related programs and events in the area.
