| Welcome to HikingintheSmokys.com |
HikingintheSmokys.com is the most comprehensive site on the internet for hiking trail information in the Great Smoky Mountains. We provide detailed information on more than 70 hikes in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, including trail descriptions, photographs, key features, difficulty ratings, maps and elevation profiles. Unlike the national trail websites, we've personally hiked every trail covered on this website to give you a consistent overview of each hike. Whether you're looking for an easy stroll near Gatlinburg, or an epic hike deep into the Smokies backcountry, we provide all the tools you'll need to make your hiking trip as enjoyable as possible.
To begin your next hiking adventure in the Smokies, simply click on one of the trail directories below:
| About Great Smoky Mountains National Park |
Straddling along the rugged border of Tennessee and North Carolina are the Great Smoky Mountains, one of the oldest mountain ranges in the
world. As a result of its exceptional natural beauty, old-growth forests, diversity of wildlife and plant life, including more than 1500 species of flowering plants, the Smokies were designated as one of the first UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1983. With more than 800 miles of trails meandering throughout the park, including 71 miles of the Appalachian Trail, the Smokies are also widely recognized as one of the top hiking destinations in the east. To learn more about hiking in the Smokies and what the park has to offer, including our list of the top 10 hikes in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, as well as many other hiking and travel related articles, tips and recommendations, please visit our About GSMNP page.
If planning an overnight stay, be sure to visit our Accommodations page to find a wide variety of lodging options in Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, Townsend and the North Carolina side of the Smokies.
| "Ramble On: A History of Hiking" is available on Amazon |
I’m very excited to announce the release of my new
book on the rich history of hiking. Ramble On: A History of Hiking is the first broad historical overview of hiking in one volume. The book chronicles hiking’s roots in alpinism and mountaineering, the societal trends that fostered its growth, some of the early hikers from the nineteenth century, the first trails built specifically for recreational hiking, the formation of the first hiking clubs, as well as the evolution of hiking gear and apparel. The book also includes anecdotal stories of trail development in some of America's oldest and most iconic national parks, including the Great Smoky Mountains. You can order your copy from Amazon by clicking here. You can also read a short excerpt from the book, or read a review from the Appalachian Mountain Club (on page 6).
| What Else Is New? |
HikingintheSmokys.com continues to add new trails and information to the website. You can also visit our sister websites for Rocky Mountain National Park, Glacier National Park and Grand Teton National Park.