Smoky Mountain Hiking Blog – Hiking Blog for the Smoky Mountains

Featured Articles:

The 7 Best Hikes in the Smoky Mountains
After many years of hiking in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, I decided to compile a list of what I consider to be the best hikes in the Smokies.

The Top 6 Survival Stories of All Time
Incredible stories of survival from the Himalayas, Antarctica, the Andes and World War II.

Best Fall Hikes in the Smokies: When and where to go
Suggestions for the best fall color hikes in the Great Smoky Mountains.

Best Wildflower Hikes in the Smoky Mountains
List of the best hikes in the Smokies for wildflower viewing during the spring season.

Origins of the Hiking Trails in the Smoky Mountains
There are roughly 900 miles of hiking trails in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. There’s also a lot of history underneath the trails we walk along today. How were these trails established? Who blazed them, and why?

Place Names in the Smoky Mountains
A list of more than 45 place names and regional terms to help explain the meaning and historical origins of many areas and places in the Great Smoky Mountains.

15 Loop Hikes in the Smoky Mountains
15 loop hike options of varying length, and in different areas of the Smokies.

Bicycling in the Smoky Mountains
Suggested road cycling and mountain biking routes and trails in and around the Smoky Mountains.

Top 10 Items to have in your backpack on a Day Hike
Ten things you should keep in your backpack on any day hike.

Smoky Mountains: Extreme Ecological Diversity
So far, the ATBI has found 6129 species new to the park, and 890 species new to science!

Trail Tested: Garmin GPSMAP 60CSx
The Garmin GPSMAP 60CSx is the GPS unit I use for all of my hikes.

Rocky Mountain National Park Trip Pictures
Hiking trip report for Rocky Mountain National Park and Mt. Bierstadt

Colorado Hiking Trip Pictures
Hiking pictures from Huron Peak, Gilpin Lake, the Devil's Causeway and Rabbit Ears Peak.

Adventure Travel in a Tough Economy
With a sluggish economy and high gas prices, traveling to Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a great way to stretch your entertainment dollar.

Training for the Big Hike
There’s nothing worse than getting half-way through a hike and feeling like you’ve already gone 10 rounds with Mike Tyson..

Attack of the Woollys
Widespread loss of hemlocks will undoubtedly bring about significant changes to the Smoky Mountains.

Smokies Life Magazine Review
I’m not into fishing, nor do I care for snakes, so why would I want to read anything about two subjects I really have no interest in?

Bobcat on the Appalachian Trail
....not bad for someone hiking her first long distance trail, especially for someone who was forced off the trail for two weeks after tearing a ligament in her foot.

Summer Hiking: How to Beat the Heat
Summer hiking season is already upon us. Anyone who has ever been to the Smoky Mountains during the summer knows how hot and humid it can get in the Southern Appalachians.

Bear Grylls: Egomaniac vs Wild
If the average weekend warrior followed all of Grylls advice, he/she will probably end up doing some stupid things in certain survival situations.

Best of Wildflower Photographs
I've created a gallery of my best wildflower photographs from this spring in the Smoky Mountains. In all, there are four pages of photographs in this gallery.

New Additions For HikingintheSmokys.com
We’ve added a 6 minute video showing highlights from our hike up Mount LeConte. You can check out the video, a few pictures, as well as the complete report by clicking here.

Where are all the Buses Going?
If you’re anywhere near the Smoky Mountains, those buses are likely taking passengers to the gambling casinos in Cherokee, North Carolina.