Kids wanting to earn their badge will have plenty of chances with a full slate of junior ranger programs offered this summer in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. 

Aspiring rangers 5-12 can pick up a Junior Ranger booklet for $2.50 at any park visitor center, and after completing the activities outlined there they’ll be able to get a bona fide Junior Ranger badge. 

  • Learn about the history of the Smokies elk through show-and-tell activities during “Smoky Mountain Elk,” a 45-minute program about the connection and balance in nature that ensures survival for elk and the species living alongside them. Offered at 5:30 p.m. Sundays at the Palmer House in Cataloochee Valley, with a chance to stay late to watch the elk come into the fields. ADA accessible. 
  • Help a ranger feed the pigs at the Mountain Farm Museum during a 30-minute program offered at 6:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday at the Davis Queen House near the Oconaluftee Visitor Center. 
  • Explore the Smokies by night during an easy one-hour hike of the Bradley Fork Trail at 8:45 p.m. Sundays. The trailhead is located at the end of Smokemont Campground’s D-Loop. Hikers should bring a flashlight and call 828.497.1904 up to four days in advance to reserve a spot. 
  • Join a ranger for a walk through the Mountain Farm Museum to learn about a furry, four-legged weather forecaster during a one-hour program offered at 10:30 a.m. on Mondays, starting from the Davis Queen House near the Oconaluftee Visitor Center. 
  • Learn how to use an identification key and clues to name some of the common trees in the park during a one-hour program offered at 2 p.m. Tuesdays, starting from the Oconaluftee River Trailhead adjacent to the Oconaluftee Visitor Center. 
  • Experience some of the incredible ways animals have adapted to survive during a 45-minute program called “Gourmet Dining on Four Feet,” offered at 11 a.m. Wednesdays on the porch of Oconaluftee Visitor Center. ADA accessible. 
  • Become a blacksmith and create an item to take home during a 30-minute program offered at 10, 10:30, 11 and 11:30 a.m. on Fridays at the Mountain Farm Museum near the Oconaluftee Visitor Center. Ages 10 to 12. 
  • Learn a mix of historic games and modern takes on board games during “Batteries Not Included,” a 30-minute program offered at 10, 10:30, 11 and 11:30 a.m. Fridays at the Davis Queen House in the Mountain Farm Museum beside the Oconaluftee Visitor Center. Each session features a different game and is open to all ages. ADA accessible. 
  • Roll up your pants and wade through a mountain stream to look for mayflies, stoneflies, dragonflies and other aquatic creatures during a two-hour program offered at 10 a.m. Saturdays in the Deep Creek Picnic Area. Close-toed shoes and clothing that can get wet recommended. 
  • Learn how to use a map to venture into the wild with “How Do I Get There From Here,” a one-hour program offered at 1 p.m. Saturdays in the Oconaluftee Multipurpose Room adjacent to the visitor center. ADA accessible.