KNOXVILLE — Did you ever wonder what it would be like to stay overnight at the highest elevation lodge in the Eastern United States? How about doing so with a guided hike up one of Mt. Le Conte’s most scenic trails? Join Discover Life in America for all this and more on its annual Biodiversity Hike to Mt. Le Conte, August 23 and 24, 2014.

Discover Life in America (DLIA) works with scientists and volunteers from around the world to coordinate the All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory (ATBI) for Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP). The ATBI is one of the world’s most ambitious efforts to document and understand every living species in GSMNP, and it is through events like our annual hike to Mt. Le Conte that they hope to educate anybody interested in the importance of biodiversity to both this great park and the greater humankind.

The trip begins with a guided hike up Alum Cave Bluff Trail with an experienced guide providing natural history, local human history, biodiversity lessons and much more along the way. There will be a picnic lunch on the way up, an evening sunset program about the ATBI at Clifftops, and a chance to meet some new friends while learning a thing or two. You’ll be presented with handmade note cards from DLIA, and lodging with dinner and breakfast. All this for the price of $275 per person – and you will be supporting both DLIA and the Smokies ATBI program.

Reserve your reservation now while spots are still open. For reservations or more information, e-mail Todd at todd@dlia.org or call (865) 430-4757. The lodge will house two guests to a bed, so bring a friend or share a bed with another program participant.