"Day Hiker’s Guide to all the Trails
in the Smoky Mountains"
Hiking in the Great Smoky
Mountains National Park
|
22,500 copies sold – 2nd
printing of 4th edition now available - About the Authors Note that
there is now a daily $5 parking fee for the Park. $15/week and $40 season
parking passes are also available. Energy
Mile Theory and NRG Equivalent Calculations Book Reviews |
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 157 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 1090 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. Additionally, there is a section listing 26
family-oriented hikes. Click on link to see a list of
major revisions that have been added to the earlier 4th Edition
(2015), and updated 4th Edition (Publication date August, 2020). 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,
Updated Fourth Edition, 6 x 9, Spiral-bound, 132 pages ISBN
9780980-0742-77, $22.95 plus tax (where applicable) and S&H 2nd
Update of 4th edition now available |