The Great Smokies Experience is a credit-bearing introductory college experience that is coordinated by expert instructors from Maryville College, The Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont, and Mountain Challenge.  Students will get a hands-on experience learning about environmental issues while kayaking down the Little River, living in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, hiking to the summit of Mount Le Conte, and much more!

Participants who successfully complete this program will earn credit for a three-hour Introduction to Environmental Issues and Sustainability Studies (ENV/SUS 101) class from Maryville College in Tennessee, a student-centered, four-year college just 30 minutes from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Students will spend most of this class living at Tremont in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, with the remaining time taking place on campus at Maryville College and at other important sites in Southern Appalachia. Students will go on breathtaking hikes, take a canoe trip to the Tellico Reservoir, take scientific species surveys, explore the National Park at night, climb up Mt. LeConte, investigate the Maryville College Woods, and spend time in a classroom tackling big questions about the environment and our relationship to the earth.

The cost per student for the entire 10-day program is $1,999 and includes tuition, fees, room and board, all special events, and transportation to and from the Park. Students will spend the majority of the course living in the national park at Tremont, and the remainder will take place on the Maryville College campus and other important Southern Appalachia sites. Tennessee residents may be eligible for a dual enrollment application from the State of Tennessee for up to $500 off GSE.

The application for Great Smokies Experience will be posted in January of 2026, but if you have any questions, or would like to be notified when the application goes live, please contact the Great Smokies Experience coordinator, Dr. Andrew Gunnoe at [email protected].