Hiking Trails of the Great Smoky Mountains [With Map]

"Hiking Trails of the Great Smoky Mountains" is an essential guide to one of America's most

breathtaking and rugged national parks. The second edition of this compellingly readable

and useful book is completely updated, giving outdoor enthusiasts the most current

information they need to explore this world-renowned wilderness.

Included here are facts on more than 125 official trails recognized by the Park Service.

Each one has its own setting, purpose, style, and theme, and author Kenneth Wise

describes them in rich and vivid detail. For every route, he includes a set of driving directions

to the trailhead, major points of interest, a schedule of distances to each one, a

comprehensive outline of the trail's course, specifics about where it begins and ends, references

to the U.S. Geological Survey's quadrangle maps, and, when available, historical

anecdotes relating to the trail. His colorful descriptions of the area's awe-inspiring beauty

are sure to captivate even armchair travelers.

Organized by sections that roughly correspond to the seventeen major watersheds

in the Smokies, Wise starts in Tennessee and moves south into North Carolina, with

two major trails--the Lakeshore and the Appalachian--that traverse several watersheds

treated independently. Further enhancing the utility of this volume is the inclusion of the

Great Smoky Mountains' official trail map as well as an informative introduction filled

with details about the geology, climate, vegetation, wildlife, human history, and environmental

concerns of the region.

A seasoned outdoorsman with more than thirty years of experience in the area and

codirector of the Great Smoky Mountains Regional Project at the University of Tennessee,

Knoxville, Wise brings an exceptional depth of knowledge to this guide. Both experienced

hikers and novices will find this newly revised edition an invaluable resource for trekking in

the splendor of the Smokies.