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You May Want to Know
ABOUT TREMONT & GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK
Walker Valley is located in a beautiful river valley about nine miles from Cades Cove near the Townsend entrance to the Park. Institute programs are conducted in cooperation with the National Park Service. Our programs are designed to give the visitor an extended, in-depth look at a true national treasure: the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This booklet should give you plenty of information about Tremont’s facilities and the surrounding area.
HOW TO GET HERE
Tremont is located on the northwestern side of the Park, near Townsend, Tennessee. Please refer to the map and directions to guide you to our location. Once in the Park, be sure to follow the signs to the Institute. Once here, signs will be posted showing you where to park upon your arrival.
ABOUT HOUSING
You and the other participants will be staying in Caylor Lodge. This comfortable, rustic facility is centrally heated and cooled (an important consideration in our humid climate). It is an open dormitory that does not have the privacy of individual rooms. Each of the two stories is divided into two sections. Each section of the dorm is basically one large room with a few dividers and about 30 beds, some of which are bunks. There is one large bathroom with private showers in each section. There are no closets or drawer space, although there will be a few bookcases and may possibly be extra beds that can be used for your luggage. Small shelves with coat hooks beneath them are located throughout the dorm. Tent platforms are available on a first come, first served basis. Please contact us if you are interested in using our tents. They are available first come, first served.
ABOUT OUR VISITORS CENTER & GIFT SHOP
Our bookstore offers a great variety of T-shirts, books, tapes, postcards, etc. It will be open during some portion of your stay. Adjacent to the shop we have our library which may be available during certain hours as well, and we encourage you to visit and borrow a book if you so desire.
GSMIT PHONE AND ADDRESS
If someone needs to reach you, a message may be left at the office number, (865) 448-6709. Our mailing address is: Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont, 9275 Tremont Road, Townsend, TN 37882. Our e-mail address is: Mail@gsmit.org. For after hours emergencies, call the National Park Service at (865) 436-1294.
CELL PHONE AND EMAIL ACCESS
We do not get cell phone receiption in Walker Valley. There is a phone in the Mountain Room for local calls or calls made with a phone card. Wireless internet access is available in the Activity Center for participants who bring their own laptop computer. Please ask a staff member about the access code.
WHAT TO EXPECT
We will be outside for most of our sessions and will be doing some walking on and off trails. Be aware that some of the trails are steep. Please come prepared with comfortable clothes and hiking boots or good walking shoes. Please be sure to bring along rain gear as rain can be expected at any time of year. Refer to the following information for specific needs.