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.

This 6.2-miler offers a quick overnight getaway. Connect scenic outcrops with views to nearby mountains and camp at Silver Bald Shelter.

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.

Challenge the family with a 1.5-mile roundtrip that climbs nearly 1,000 feet to a craggy summit and far-reaching views of Linville Gorge and Pisgah National Forest.

A super-sampler of the southern half of Linville Gorge, this 3-day backpack showcases some of the best sweeping cliff-top views and raging waterfalls that the "Grand Canyon of the East" has to offer.

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."

Hike a 6.9-mile loop past raging waterfalls to the lonely ridges of North Carolina's Upper Piedmont for sky-high views in South Mountains State Park.

Climb Mt. Sterling and hike through history on this 16.4-mile loop through the eastern Smokies.

This 13.2-mile loop is classic Smokies: free-flowing creeks, wide valley views, and hardwood forests peppered with long-abandoned homesites.