The mountains of western North Carolina and upstate South Carolina are a hikers paradise--rich with human history and home to some of the greatest biological diversity in the world. This guide includes 57 day hikes ranging in length from 2 to 13 miles, with destinations including the waterfalls of DuPont State forest; the Blue Ridge Parkway's beautiful Craggy Gardens; the ruins of George Vanderbilt's palatial Buck Spring hunting lodge on Mt. Pisgah; the summit of Cold Mountain, and more. Each entry covers everything you need to know to enjoy your hike: maps and detailed directions, mileage, elevation gain, trail highlights, fees and hiking regulations, films and novels set in each location, and more.

Western North Carolina's Blue Ridge Mountains are some of the oldest on earth, boasting old-growth forests, pristine streams, and ancient heath balds with stunning views. This guide includes 72 great day hikes ranging from 1 to 13 miles, with destinations like the stone tower of Hanging Rock State Park, Max Patch on the Appalachian Trail, the "Opera Box" at Chimney Rock State Park, the Blue Ridge Parkway's Craggy Gardens, the waterfalls of Linville Gorge, and Gregory Bald in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Each entry includes complete driving and hiking directions, maps, trailhead GPS coordinates, elevation gain, trail highlights, and related historical anecdotes, plus books and movies set in each locale.

If you love waterfalls, here are some of the best hikes in the Southern Appalachians. And if you love plants--or simply would like to learn more about them--you will be in hiking heaven: naturalist Tim Spira's guidebook links waterfalls and wildflowers in a spectacularly beautiful region famous for both. Leading you to gorgeous waterfalls in Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, South Carolina, and Georgia, the book includes many hikes in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and along the Blue Ridge Parkway. As he surveys one of America's most biologically diverse regions, Spira introduces hikers to the "natural communities" approach for identifying and understanding plants within the context of the habitats they occupy--equipping hikers to see and interpret landscapes in a new way. Each of the 30 hikes includes: * a detailed map and GPS coordinates * a lively trail description highlighting the plants you are most likely to see, as well as birds and other animals along the way * an associated plant species list Also featured: * beautiful color photographs of 30 destination waterfalls, 125 plants, and more * detailed descriptions of 125 key plant species * 22 drawings to help identify plant structures * a glossary of botanical terms

God only knows what possessed Bill Bryson, a reluctant adventurer if ever there was one, to undertake a gruelling hike along the world's longest continuous footpath—The Appalachian Trail. The 2,000-plus-mile trail winds through 14 states, stretching along the east coast of the United States, from Georgia to Maine. It snakes through some of the wildest and most spectacular landscapes in North America, as well as through some of its most poverty-stricken and primitive backwoods areas. With his offbeat sensibility, his eye for the absurd, and his laugh-out-loud sense of humour, Bryson recounts his confrontations with nature at its most uncompromising over his five-month journey. An instant classic, riotously funny, A Walk in the Woods will add a whole new audience to the legions of Bill Bryson fans.

250 of the best waterfalls found in North Carolina with full descriptions, comprehensive directions, and four-color photographs.

A guide to over 200 waterfalls. Over 80 black-and-white and color photographs are included.

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

This guidebook covers 40 family-friendly hikes within 100 miles or about 1 hour from the Asheville, North Carolina area. Colorful and full of easy and moderate hikes, it’s perfect for families and novice hikers. Detailed hike descriptions, at-a-glance specs, and GPS coordinates for every trailhead make this a go-to guide for the area.

Second edition of Blue Ridge Parkway Vistas book

North Carolina's fire lookout towers once stood watch over the mountain forests. Today, they risk becoming forgotten monuments to the value of our wild lands. Hiking North Carolina's Lookout Towers restores glory to these historic forest sentinels. It proves the lookouts to be scenic treasures accessible to anyone who enjoys a vigorous walk in the outdoors and the view from the top of a mountain. Including among the 26 towers covered in the book are Shuckstack Lookout, a steel tower in Great Smoky Mountains National Park overlooking Fontana Dam and Fontana Lake Wayah Bald Lookout, a stone structure built by the CCC that has been converted into an observation tower offering breathtaking views of Nantahala National Forest Mount Mitchell Lookout, a new observation tower that has followed several previous lookouts atop the highest peak in the eastern United States Mount Cammerer Lookout, a historic tower once in disrepair that now represents a landmark effort in lookout restoration Green Knob Lookout, a former live-in tower that offers stunning views of Pisgah National Forest and the Black Mountains The tower chapters contain detailed hiking routes of varying difficulty, historical information, descriptions of the views, photos, and maps. Information on lookout tower organizations, towers with restricted access, removed towers, and lookouts just outside the state is also included. Hikers and outdoor enthusiasts alike will find North Carolina's lookout towers to be the perfect hiking destinations. Book jacket.