Hiking in the
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About the Authors Newfound Gap Road reopens – mid-April, 2013 Porters Creek wildflowers prime – April
17, 2013 Backcountry Permits now available on-line February 13, 2013 Wildflower Hikes in the Smokies Trail closings for spring 2013 |
"Day
Hiker’s Guide to all the Trails in the Smoky Mountains" By Elizabeth L. Etnier Graphics
by Michael Etnier Want to hike all the trails
in the Smoky Mountains? The Smoky Mountains
National Park contains 522,000 acres of forested land that traverses the Blue
Ridge mountains between Tennessee and North Carolina and may be accessed from
either state. There are approximately 800 miles of trails in the Great Smoky
Mountains (GRSM) that are officially maintained by the Park Service and may
be used for horseback riding or hiking. I have hiked all 800 miles
of trails in the Smokies, and have written the Day Hiker’s Guide to all the Trails in the
Smoky Mountains to assist
others who aspire to hike all the trails in the GRSM. Currently, there are 151 maintained trails
in the Smokies and I have laid them out in 75 easy
to follow day hikes ranging from just a few miles to over 20 miles in length.
I provide you with an approach to hiking all of these trails that minimizes
duplication of miles hiked while ensuring that no trail segments, or spurs,
are left behind. Indeed, if you follow my approach, you can hike all the
maintained trails in the Smokies in a total of only
1060 miles! Although intended for the experienced hiker, this guide is
helpful for the hiker who wants to go to a
particular section of the Smokies and plan out a
shorter hike that suits his level of endurance. This guide
has color-coded maps showing the hikes for each area and tables that list the
trail sequence and total mileages for each hike. Included are a list of
available car or boat shuttle services for the more remote hikes, a handy
checklist of all trails, and over 30 color photographs of the Smoky
Mountains, wildflowers, and historic structures in the Park. To download a
working Excel file that will total your miles hiked as you complete and input
them, click on this link. Map and
example of corresponding table for Cataloochee Area
Paperback,
Third Edition, 6 x 9, Spiral-bound, 136 pages ISBN
978-0-65-36764-4, $19.95 plus tax (where applicable) and S&H |
