Archived Outdoors
Prescribed burn planned near Cataloochee
A 600-acre prescribed burn near Cataloochee Valley in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park will start soon, perhaps as early as next week, and continue intermittently through early November.
The goal of the project is to improve forage and habitat for elk by increasing vegetation on the forest floor. A series of low-intensity burns are planned over a period of years to restore oak woodlands on the area’s upper slopes and ridges, a project funded in part by the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.
The burn area is adjacent to Cataloochee on Bald Top and Jesse Ridge. Roads and trails will remain open, though smoke will be visible and some temporary closures of Little Cataloochee Trail will be possible.
