On January 1 of 2016, Stefanie Payne, a creative professional working at NASA Headquarters, and Jonathan Irish, a photographer with National Geographic, left their lives in Washington, D.C. and hit the open road on an expedition to explore and document all 59 of America's national parks during the centennial celebration of the U.S. National Park Service - 59 parks in 52 weeks - the Greatest American Road Trip. Captured in more than 300,000 digital photographs, written stories, and videos shared by the national and international media, their project resulted in an incredible view of America's National Park System seen in its 100th year. 'A Year in the National Parks, The Greatest American Road Trip' is a gorgeous visual journey through our cherished public lands, detailing a rich tapestry of what makes each park special, as seen along an epic journey to visit them all within one special celebratory year.
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.
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.
This special expanded third edition of Horace Kephart's classic work on the people of Southern Appalachia has been completely re-typeset and includes a new introduction by writer George Ellison. This edition also includes eight articles written by Horace Kephart and published after the previous edition on such topics as moonshiners, rifle-making, mountain culture, and the proposed Great Smoky Mountains National Park. All told, readers will find over 100 pages of new material not included in any of the book's previous editions.
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
This is it! The ultimate pocket-sized day hike guide to the Great Smoky Mountains. Written by esteemed Smokies sage Carson Brewer it covers 34 of the best day hikes, from easy to strenuous, in the national park plus all the self-guiding nature trails. It includes individual, beautifully-detailed shaded relief maps for each hike, plus highly-accurate elevation profile charts, and 26 photographs. It features all the best: Chimney Tops, Rich Mtn. loop, Rainbow Falls, Andrews Bald, Old Settlers, Laurel Falls, Albright Grove, Mt. Cammerer, Boogerman Loop, Charlies Bunion, Mt. Le Conte, Grotto Falls, Smokemont loop, and more.
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.
In 1974, Paul M. Fink published Backpacking Was the Only Way, a memoir of exploration in the Smoky Mountain backcountry that is long out of print. The basis of the book was a journal kept from 1914 to 1938, combined with evocative photographs that Fink compiled into a manuscript he called Mountain Days. The manuscript is now considered to be a unique and insightful first-person account of the region. Containing rare historical accounts of the manways, camps, and cabins once used by adventurers exploring the mountains before the advent of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, this is the first widely-accessible publication of Mountain Days. This edition features a new foreword by Ken Wise, professor and director of the Great Smoky Mountain Regional Project at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville's John C. Hodges Library. An open access edition of Mountains Days is available from the Hunter Library at Western Carolina University.
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.
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.
