February 11, 2023 Abrams Creek Ranger Station is a wonderful area. Nestled below Happy Valley and the Chilhowee Mountain plateau, it is isolated and unique. Departing on foot from the parking area, wisps of 1970’s nostalgia waft in the air. The signs have moss on them, and I half expected to see a placard with … More Hatcher Mountain Trail, Little Bottoms Trail
January 28, 2023 After hiking Twentymile Loop Trail, I decided to drive to Tennessee via Deals Gap and the Foothills Parkway to hike the Goldmine and Cane Creek Trail. The ice above 3,500 ft. was still too much, but it was a good time to grab some trails on the lower elevations. Per other blog … More Goldmine Trail, Cane Creek Trail
January 28, 2023 This is a delightful trail; the type of hike that you revisit in various seasons just to experience it. Stepping onto the loop, you feel as if you’re being greeted by a wise old friend. One that is kind, desirous to instruct and show you things of old. At only 2.9 miles, … More Twentymile Loop Trail
January 19, 2023 I really like this trail. Huskey Gap starts off Newfound Gap Road, not too far from Gatlinburg. As you climb the first part of the trail, look back and you will have some splendid views of Bull Head, which is just one of best-looking mountains in the region. The first two miles … More Huskey Gap Trail
January 15, 2023 Twentymile Ranger Station is tucked away, well out of cell phone range near Fontana Dam and Lake Cheoah. The Benton Mackaye Trail did run through this area, before a reroute that now sends hikers over Yellow Creek Mountains. If it is solitude you seek, this is the place. I started at the … More Twentymile Trail
September 4, 2022 I continued my exploration and hiking of the Smoky trails surrounding Mt. LeConte and Greenbrier, but this time hiked with my good friend Perry. Initially, we planned to hike Old Settlers Trail, but instead opted for Baskins and Grapeyard. In July of this year, flooding closed some trails and campsites at Greenbrier, … More Baskins Creek Trail, Grapeyard Ridge Trail
July 12, 2020 In undergrad one of my favorite subjects was phonetics, the study of speech and sounds. So many of the names in the mountains are simplistic in their genesis; deep gap, because the gap is deep; blue mountains, because in low light they are blue, etc. Once in a while, you will happen … More Boogerman Trail
May 28, 2017 “There are no words that can tell the hidden spirit of the wilderness, that can reveal its mystery, its melancholy and its charm.” – Theodore Roosevelt When I was very young, I heard people talk about the Smoky’s in terms that is usually reserved for far-distant destinations of allure and mystery. When … More Big Creek Trail, Swallow Fork Trail, Baxter Creek Trail
February 4-5, 2017 “It is one of the blessings of wilderness life that it shows us how few things we need in order to be perfectly happy.” -Horace Kephart I’m often amazed at the reluctance of some to go camping. “What about _______ [insert any deathly fear, i.e. bears, snakes]?” they will ask. “Aren’t you … More Porters Creek Trail
November 27, 2016 Hiking all the trails for a particular area can take one to obscure places they would normally not even think about visiting. Cooper Creek Trail is located on a sliver of North Carolina, abutted on three sides by different jurisdictions: the Cherokee Indian Reservation, N.C., and the National Park. The trail is … More Cooper Creek Trail
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