- Paperback: 304 pages
- Publisher: Falcon Press Publishing (April 2003)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0762711108
- ISBN-13: 978-0762711109
- Product Dimensions: 23.1 x 15.4 x 1.8 cm
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,404,518 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
Hiking Great Smoky Mountains National Park
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19 reviews
29 of 29 people found the following review helpful
A Great Hiking Guide
27 Jun 2008
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
My family and I just returned from our vacation in the Smoky Mts. This was one of the two guides we used during our stay and it was very helpful. As parents of two smaller children, ages 5 and 8, we needed a guide that included shorter day hikes and not just the overnight type. This guide did just that. Here's what I liked and didn't like about the book:
Things I liked: The way it broke down each hike with acurate descriptions of the trail, what you can expect to see while hiking it (the highlights), where to find the trail head, a topicgraphical-type picture showing where the hills are on the hike, personal information about the trail and its history as well as beautiful pictures. The trails are organized by location within the park so when you're at a particular part of the park, you can zero-in on those hikes in that area. There are also maps to show you where the trail meets up with other trails in the area.
Things I didn't like about the book: Though the maps are helpful for showing the specific location, I found myself having to check our park map to be able to pinpoint exactly where the trail was located. I wish the book would include a more "overview" park map as well. Also, since we were looking for trails which were around 6 miles round trip or less, the author had a habit of running two or more trails together to form one big hike. Many of these hikes were ten-plus miles long. He did this to form a loop rather then having to back-track, but it would have been nice if he could have given the shorter version as an option.
Overall, I would certainly recommend this book to anyone. For those seeking to take 8-10 mile hikes or some over night hikes, this book is ideal.
We also purchased at the park visitor center, two maps - Water Falls and Day Hikes ($1 each) - which were actually VERY helpful! The dayhikes were about 5 miles round trip or less with a very brief description. At the visitor center, we also purchased a book called Smokies Road Guide which gave some background information about each section of the park and has beautiful colored pictures. For those who like to plan ahead, the maps and book can be ordered off the internet at the park's website.
Things I liked: The way it broke down each hike with acurate descriptions of the trail, what you can expect to see while hiking it (the highlights), where to find the trail head, a topicgraphical-type picture showing where the hills are on the hike, personal information about the trail and its history as well as beautiful pictures. The trails are organized by location within the park so when you're at a particular part of the park, you can zero-in on those hikes in that area. There are also maps to show you where the trail meets up with other trails in the area.
Things I didn't like about the book: Though the maps are helpful for showing the specific location, I found myself having to check our park map to be able to pinpoint exactly where the trail was located. I wish the book would include a more "overview" park map as well. Also, since we were looking for trails which were around 6 miles round trip or less, the author had a habit of running two or more trails together to form one big hike. Many of these hikes were ten-plus miles long. He did this to form a loop rather then having to back-track, but it would have been nice if he could have given the shorter version as an option.
Overall, I would certainly recommend this book to anyone. For those seeking to take 8-10 mile hikes or some over night hikes, this book is ideal.
We also purchased at the park visitor center, two maps - Water Falls and Day Hikes ($1 each) - which were actually VERY helpful! The dayhikes were about 5 miles round trip or less with a very brief description. At the visitor center, we also purchased a book called Smokies Road Guide which gave some background information about each section of the park and has beautiful colored pictures. For those who like to plan ahead, the maps and book can be ordered off the internet at the park's website.
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
The Clingmans Dome of Smoky Mountain Hiking Guides
5 Jan 2009
Format:Paperback
Anyone in the market for Smoky Mountain hiking guides has plenty to choose from. In my view, this one comes in at the very top.
This guide describes 82 hikes in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The hikes range greatly in difficulty from flat 0.5 mile nature trail strolls to challenging 30+ mile multi-day backpack treks. The hikes are located almost uniformly throughout the park with 45 hikes in Tennessee and the rest either on the state line or in North Carolina. Not every trail in the park is described, but enough quantity and variety will be found here to keep most hikers busy for a long time.
Each hike contains a nice grey-scale map, directions to the trailhead, a detailed elevation diagram (drawn to scale) showing the trail's ups and downs, and an excellent trail description. I guess it would have been nice to have the elevations on the map (like a USGS topo map), but the method used here seems to work fine. The trail descriptions give good guidance on the trail without getting bogged down in excessive details or overly mechanical measurements. A few obvious examples of cut and paste can be found among the descriptions, but these cases are the exception.
With regards to the Appalachian Trail, Adams does commit a section to describe the Smoky Mountain section of the AT. However, this section comes at the end, and since many parts of the AT are covered in earlier hikes, the AT section often mounts to a list of references to earlier sections. Thus, those looking for dayhikes on the AT will find plenty to like here, while those looking for a complete, self-contained description of the Smoky Mountain AT will need to look elsewhere.
In summary, I have several Smoky Mountain hiking guides on my shelf, and this one is the best of the lot. If you absolutely require that every trail in the park be described, then you should buy "Hiking Trails of the Great Smoky Mountains" by Kenneth Wise in addition to this book. However, Wise's book has some significant flaws, as I have detailed in my review of that book. Most people will find all they need in Adams' book, and I highly recommend it.
This guide describes 82 hikes in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The hikes range greatly in difficulty from flat 0.5 mile nature trail strolls to challenging 30+ mile multi-day backpack treks. The hikes are located almost uniformly throughout the park with 45 hikes in Tennessee and the rest either on the state line or in North Carolina. Not every trail in the park is described, but enough quantity and variety will be found here to keep most hikers busy for a long time.
Each hike contains a nice grey-scale map, directions to the trailhead, a detailed elevation diagram (drawn to scale) showing the trail's ups and downs, and an excellent trail description. I guess it would have been nice to have the elevations on the map (like a USGS topo map), but the method used here seems to work fine. The trail descriptions give good guidance on the trail without getting bogged down in excessive details or overly mechanical measurements. A few obvious examples of cut and paste can be found among the descriptions, but these cases are the exception.
With regards to the Appalachian Trail, Adams does commit a section to describe the Smoky Mountain section of the AT. However, this section comes at the end, and since many parts of the AT are covered in earlier hikes, the AT section often mounts to a list of references to earlier sections. Thus, those looking for dayhikes on the AT will find plenty to like here, while those looking for a complete, self-contained description of the Smoky Mountain AT will need to look elsewhere.
In summary, I have several Smoky Mountain hiking guides on my shelf, and this one is the best of the lot. If you absolutely require that every trail in the park be described, then you should buy "Hiking Trails of the Great Smoky Mountains" by Kenneth Wise in addition to this book. However, Wise's book has some significant flaws, as I have detailed in my review of that book. Most people will find all they need in Adams' book, and I highly recommend it.
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
High Quality Guide
23 Feb 2006
Format:Paperback
This guide is typical for Falcon - First Rate. It has good trail descriptions, a mix of historical information, and the handy guide to get you to the right trails quickly. The only thing I'd like to see is a page dedicated to small scale reference maps at the beginning of each section. The trail maps are fine, but too close in to see the relative placement of the trails. Besides that, and a few typos, this is everything most folks would need for the park. This book is a definite buy.
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