Illustrated Guide to Great Smoky Mountains National Park includes information about various sections of the park, history, caves, waterfalls, streams, trails, the Cherokee, museums, synchronous fireflies, railroads, bicycle riding, water-powered mills, cabins, animal life including salamanders, plant life including wildflowers, moonshine, camping, fishing, horseback riding, and other topics illustrated with photographs and poster art.
Johnny Molloy, who has spent more than 800 nights backpacking in the Smokies, has updated his classic guide Top Trails: Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This revised edition has been completely updated, including the new backcountry reservation system implemented in the park. He has also added some excellent hikes, some of them well off the beaten path. For example, the hike to Baskins Creek Falls takes you past a pioneer homesite and to a scenic cascade overshadowed by more popular waterfalls nearby, making it an ideal destination for those who want to escape the crowds. A longer trek traverses the regal pine-oak forests of the western part of the park, making a stop at Abrams Falls, mixing solitude with a must-visit waterfall on every Smokies bucket list. Johnny also explores early park history on a hike up Kephart Prong. Here, you can see the remains of a fish hatchery constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps, as well as a trail shelter erected by the CCC when the park was just coming to be. Backpackers will enjoy the new loop incorporating Walnut Bottoms along cascading Big Creek, coupled with a stop by historic Mount Cammerer tower, replete with stellar views, before overnighting at Davenport Shelter on the Appalachian Trail. Additionally, Johnny--who considers the Smokies his home stomping ground--makes sure that all the necessary information to help you execute a hike from directions to maps are correct. New photos add flair to the book.
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.
“A plethora of spectacular new photographs of the natural landscapes, wildlife, and beauty found in this remarkable National Park.” —BeautifulNow The Great Smoky Mountains have inspired, challenged, and entertained millions of visitors for hundreds of years. To preserve the splendor of the mountains and valleys for all to enjoy, Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicated this beautiful area as a protected area and National Park in 1940. In this breathtaking book, the husband-and-wife photography team captures a new vision of the Great Smoky Mountains including both popular attractions and spectacular sites off the beaten path. Stunning photos represent all four seasons, including colorful fall foliage, spring’s wildflower riches, intense summer sunsets, and serene winter snowfalls. Majestic views of mountains from Clingman’s Dome to Morton Overlook along Newfound Gap Road will entice new visitors, while regulars will cherish the book as a memory album of their own, enjoying images of Cades Cove, Roaring Fork Motor Trail and the wildlife of the area. This book of new and remarkable photographs is a necessity for everyone who appreciates natural landscapes, wildlife, and beauty in an area rich with history and culture. “Offers readers—make that viewers—page after page of exquisite photographs of the Smokies . . . The photographers visited the Smokies in all four seasons, taking pictures of wildlife, deserted cabins, churches and mills, long panoramic shots of valleys and mountains, close-ups of butterflies, and trillium. Some of the winter photographs—turkeys in the snow, icy stalactites clinging to a rock cliff on Laurel Road, a rusting antique pickup at Ely’s Mill—are especially striking.” —Smoky Mountain Living Magazine
Seeking a taste of unspoiled wilderness, more than eight million people visit the Great Smoky Mountains National Park each year. Yet few probably realize what makes the park unusual: it was the result of efforts to reclaim wilderness rather than to protect undeveloped land. The Smokies have, in fact, been a human habitat for 8,000 years, and that contact has molded the landscape as surely as natural forces have. In this book, Daniel S. Pierce examines land use in the Smokies over the centuries, describing the pageant of peoples who have inhabited these mountains and then focusing on the twentieth-century movement to create a national park. Drawing on previously unexplored archival materials, Pierce presents the most balanced account available of the development of the park. He tells how park supporters set about raising money to buy the land--often from resistant timber companies--and describes the fierce infighting between wilderness advocates and tourism boosters over the shape the park would take. He also discloses the unfortunate human cost of the park's creation: the displacement of the area's inhabitants. Pierce is especially insightful regarding the often-neglected history of the park since 1945. He looks at the problems caused by roadbuilding, tree blight, and air pollution that becomes trapped in the mountains' natural haze. He also provides astute assessments of the Cades Cove restoration, the Fontana Lake road construction, and other recent developments involving the park. Full of outstanding photographs and boasting a breadth of coverage unmatched in other books of its kind, The Great Smokies will help visitors better appreciate the wilderness experience they have sought. Pierce's account makes us more aware of humanity's long interaction with the land while capturing the spirit of those idealistic environmentalists who realized their vision to protect it. The Author: Daniel S. Pierce teaches in the department of history and the humanities program at the University of North Carolina, Asheville, and is a contributor to The Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture.
Before she went missing, Susan Clements was hiking with her daughter on one of the most popular trails in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, less than a mile from Clingmans Dome. When Nancy East’s search and rescue team joined the effort to find her, she learned Susan was a mother to three children who adored her. What Nancy didn’t know then was how much the search for Susan would impact and influence her own life’s path afterward. Two years later, Nancy and her good friend, Chris Ford, set out to improve the speed record of hiking all 801 miles of trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park while raising funds for hiker safety and preparedness. While chasing the record, the duo faced tropical storm rains, swollen, unbridged creek crossings, injuries, night hiking, and wildlife encounters. Their arduous journey also became intertwined in one of the most rare human-bear tragedies in the park’s history. Maintaining a positive mental attitude was their superpower through it all. The enormous feat of endurance was one of the most grueling endeavors that Nancy, a mother and everyday athlete, had ever faced. However, the hardest things she had endured were in her past. The strength she gained from those experiences was now moving her forward, one difficult step at a time. Chasing the Smokies Moon is a story of grief, hope, empowerment, and love, and the thread that binds them all. ADVANCE PRAISE FOR CHASING THE SMOKIES MOON "If you think that setting trail records is about speed and hubris, Nancy East will prove you wrong. It is not her success, but her vulnerability that will encourage you to keep moving forward when the next step feels impossible. It is not her impressive miles, but rather her insightful reflections that allow you to recognize feelings of gratitude and connectedness in the midst of pain and loss. And it is not her attributes as a hiker, but her roles as a mother, spouse, and friend that make this book a valuable resource for anyone who is trying to navigate through relationships - and adventure." --Jennifer Pharr Davis, author of The Pursuit of Endurance: Harnessing the Record-Breaking Power of Strength and Resilience “I have always thought of Nancy East as somewhat of a real life superhero -- this harrowing and transparent account of her FKT attempt and SAR fundraising effort has certainly solidified that sentiment!” --Steven Reinhold, Backpacker Magazine, Brand Ambassador “Chasing the Smokies Moon is a deep dive into the depths of a Fastest Known Time record attempt. East relays with humor, profundity, and humility the highs and lows of an intense journey through the Great Smoky Mountains and human connection." --Heather Anderson, author of Mud, Rocks, Blazes: Letting Go on the Appalachian Trail “This story is more than just a recounting of an incredible feat of endurance and perseverance, it is an insightful and revealing look into the mind and soul of multi faceted adventurous woman.” --Kevin Fitzgerald, former Deputy Superintendent of Great Smoky Mountains National Park
A guide to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and vicinity. Includes mountain peak identifications, using panoramic photographs, for views in and around the park in North Carolina and Tennessee. This guidebook includes articles on activities and attractions in the Smokies and the national park.
In the Great Smoky Mountains, moonshine making was a world unto itself. On the one hand, moonshining was about dynamite-totting lookouts, fast cars, snitching, quick cash, hidden stills, "revenuers," and deadly gunplay. On the other, it was a story of earnest farm families living in remote mountain valleys and practicing their traditional craft of moonshining so they could buy shoes for their children. Yet perhaps the most fascinating aspect of this book is the sudden resurgence of making moonshine in the Southern mountains today. Join author and noted historian Dr. Daniel S. Pierce to learn about the traditions, foibles, and dangers of mountain "blockading" from the early 19th century to tomorrow.
Moon Travel Guides: Find Your Adventure From majestic mountaintops to lush forests and untouched wilderness, take in the best of the Smokies with Moon Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Moon Great Smoky Mountains National Park features: Itineraries for every timeline and budget, ranging from one day in the park to a week-long trip, including: Best of the Smokies, Family Fun, Escape the Crowds, and Best Hikes Strategies for getting around the Great Smoky Mountains, avoiding crowds, and exploring the less-visited areas of the park In-depth coverage of gateway cities and towns in both Tennessee and North Carolina, including Gatlinburg, Asheville, Pigeon Forge, and Knoxville, as well as worthwhile stops like Cherokee, Bryson City, and Maggie Valley Full-color, vibrant photos and detailed maps throughout Expert tips for travelers looking to go hiking, biking, zip-lining, rafting, and more, plus essential packing and health and safety information The top activities and unique ideas for exploring the park: Cruise along Newfound Gap Road for epic views and scenic overlooks, try your hand at fly-fishing, and enjoy the refreshing solitude of a night camping under the stars. Hike to beautiful waterfalls, catch a glimpse of the buzzing fireflies, and sample a little local moonshine. Visit remnants of the region's historic settlements, spot local wildlife, or explore the bustling nearby cities Valuable insight from nature lover and Smoky Mountains aficionado Jason Frye Honest advice on where to stay inside and outside the park, including the best spots to pitch a tent, park your RV, or relax at an upscale resort Up-to-date information on park fees, passes, and reservations Recommendations for families, LGBTQ+ travelers, seniors, international visitors, travelers with disabilities, and traveling with pets Thorough background on the wildlife, terrain, culture, and history Staying in Tennessee? Try Moon Tennessee, Moon Nashville, or Moon Memphis. Making a road trip out of it? Try Moon Nashville to New Orleans Road Trip. For full coverage of America's national parks, check out Moon USA National Parks: The Complete Guide to All 59 National Parks.
The Smoky Mountains Book One takes the reader on an adventure exploring park trails and off-trail within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Written by an avid hiker and local mountain historian Mike Maples. Book One covers mostly the northern section of the park, from the Sugarland Visitor Center to Cosby. A hiking guide and history book of those who once lived here and called the Smokies their home. Book contains historical information, maps, old and new photos, along with passed down old mountain folks stories. A must have hiking guide for those who love to explore the backwoods of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
