Sample a classic stretch of the Appalachian Trail on this 11.5-mile route around a 1,000-foot gorge, with overlooks and eye-candy vistas of the Smokies.

In the shadow of Mount Mitchell, this 5.6-mile ridgeline hike climbs through hemlock and chestnut oak to a watchtower overlook of Blue Ridge and Pisgah peaks.

This ridge-country classic swings from the Blue Ridge Parkway through the Graveyard Fields en route to Black Balsam Knob and Tennent Mountain. Tackle the 9.8-mile lollipop loop in a day or stretch it into a leisurely overnight with one of the many prime campsites around Ivestor Gap.

Navigate rocky crags, snaking switchbacks, and wooden ladders on this 6.5-mile trek that crests Calloway Peak, the highest summit in the Blue Ridge.

Climbing granite slickrock to a highpoint above DuPont State Forest, this 4.4-mile loop jogs back down into a dense forest toward a trailside swimming hole.

Big views. Quiet streams. A forest paradise. This 8-mile hike to a Hollywood-made-famous summit still offers plenty of solitude, plus fine campsites for a wilderness overnight.

Disappear into deciduous forest outside Asheville on this 7.5-mile bird-watching loop that wanders past a Civil War-era cemetery and hidden cascades.

En route to four 6,000-foot summits, this 7.8-mile bushwhack travels the crest of wooded ridgeline above the Blue Ridge Parkway.

This 4.6-mile loop gets two thumbs up for its rushing cascades, sweet campsites, and two fine viewpoints overlooking Pisgah National Forest.

On this 5.6-miler, see the rare granite domes and lively waterfalls that earned this Nantahala National Forest valley the nickname "Yosemite of the East."