Did you know that there are 65 mammal species in The Great Smoky Mountains National Park? The most famous, of course, is the black bear, but we also have elk, red and grey foxes, raccoons, river otters, raccoons, and more. We are extremely blessed to have the experts on southern Appalachian mammals, Dr. Michael Pelton … Read More
Condé Nast Traveler recently announced their 2018 Top Resorts in the South based on their Readers’ Choice Survey, and we were honored to be named to The Top 10 List (#7). Thank you to all of our wonderful guests who voted for The Swag! Earlier this year, Travel + Leisure ranked The Swag as the … Read More
Annie and I are proud to be partnering with Cataloochee Valley Tours to offer an incredible experience to our guests. On June 3 and June 6, Esther Blakely and the team at CVT will lead 12 guests each night to a secret location just outside of the National Park to witness the synchronous fireflies. As a … Read More
We are pleased to announce that Steve Yocom has agreed to serve as an Event Leader this fall to lead guided hikes and photography lessons at The Swag, an award-winning mountain hideaway in the Smoky Mountains. Whether you take photos on your iPhone or with a professional camera, Steve will share lessons that will help … Read More
Did you know what mammal was most recently reintroduced in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park? If you said, “elk,” you are right. Elk were once widespread in Southern Appalachia but were losing ground to loss of habitat and overhunting. According to the National Park Service, the last elk in North Carolina was killed in … Read More
