Exploring The Smokies

Vacations are too short! Don't waste any of your precious time getting lost or trying to decide where to go and what to do. This colorful, expertly-written guidebook fits conveniently in your glove compartment. It covers all the park's major and off-the-beaten-path destinations: Cades Cove, Clingmans Dome, Deep Creek, Cataloochee, Abrams Creek, Newfound Gap, and more. Included are tips on weather, the seasons, safety, educational opportunities, waterfalls, and good reads. A separate section covers all your favorite activities: photography, hiking, fishing, camping, horseback riding and more. A final section covers suggested full day and half day trips. Features photographs, charts, illustrations, and lots of maps, plus special foldout map.

One of the most accessible of the country’s national parks, Great Smoky Mountains NP is by far the most visited--averaging some 10 million visitors each year (for comparison, Grand Canyon NP averages 5.5 million annually). It covers 814 square miles in Tennessee and North Carolina. The park offers a wide variety of outdoor activities for the visitor: great hiking and camping, scenic driving routes, wildlife watching, stunning photography opportunities, paddling, fishing, climbing, and streamside rambling, as well as a number of historic sites. Highlights of a visit to the park include: Climbing Clingmans Dome Fabulous Vistas at Cades Cove Wildlife Watching at Roaring Fork Photographing Grotto Falls Rafting Pigeon River Exploring Elkmont Ghost Town Camping at Cataloochee Picnicking at the Chimneys Fishing Little River Solitude of Upper Tremont Road Biking the Loop Road

Discover the 82 greatest hikes within Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Everyone from the avid trekker to family day-hiker will find a new trail to enjoy in the Smokies. Each hike is covered by concise descriptions, detailed maps, and turn-by-turn directions. Set out confidently, and enjoy glorious views and peaceful wilderness.

In 1925, Paul Adams was appointed custodian of Mount Le Conte, the third-highest peak of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. His job was to welcome tourists, give guided tours, and establish a camp that would become known as LeConte Lodge, which still stands in what has become America's most popular national park. Adams had everything he needed for the job: a passion for the outdoors, a love of hiking, a desire to preserve the native habitat while welcoming visitors, and the companionship of a remarkable dog. During his time on the mountains, Adams trained Smoky Jack to be a pack-dog--not just carrying supplies but actually making the four-hour trip to a store in Gatlinburg and back alone. Over the next nine months, Adams and his dog would become inseperable. Smoky Jack became his assistant, bodyguard, and best friend. Throughout Smoky Jack, readers will also gain a unique glimpse into the early days of the Great Smoky Mountains region during the decade before it was name a national park in 1934. Adams describes the trials and triumphs he and the indomitable German sherpherd faced as they exemplified the ancient relationship between man and dog on Mount Le Conte, building trails, guiding visitors, and making a life in nature. Paul Adams's faithful Smoky Jack stays by his side until the end.

A hiking memoir by “a man whose soul is held in thrall by remote places in the Smokies where . . . rising trout and fog-laden valleys rule supreme” (Jim Casada, The Literature of Hiking in the Smokies). Bill Hart has hiked, camped and fished in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park for more than forty years. In over three thousand miles of walking, he has recorded experiences and impressions that will delight readers of all ages. Whether exploring some of the most remote sections of the Smokies, angling for trout, meeting mountain folk, or marveling at the flora and fauna around him, Bill has a gift for heartfelt storytelling and a wealth of knowledge to share about the park. Join him for an unforgettable journey through a beloved national treasure. Includes photos “[A] collection of essays and journal entries of over 40 years of hiking, camping and exploring in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.” —Go Knoxville “A compilation of thoughts and reminiscences of his wonderful days and nights there.” —Smoky Scout’s Hiking Adventures