Go the whole 18.6 miles or shorten your hike by staying at one of the three shelters planted along this leg. Highlights: Civil War markers and panoramic views on Firescald Knob.

This 18.7-mile weekend trip starts with a 2,700-foot climb up Snowbird Mountain then descends and climbs again to Max Patch, an old homestead and logging camp.

Grab a photogenic lunch spot at Laura Creek Falls, or sleep over at a nearby shelter on this 8.2-mile segment.

Cross farmlands and woods then climb 1,500 feet to Lick Rock. Bonus: Look closely for an old barbed wire fence that once separated North Carolina and Tennessee.

Switchback 1,000 feet to poster-worthy views of Lovers Leap Rock, an aptly-named perch made famous by a suicidal Cherokee maiden.

Enjoy panoramic Smokies views on blueberry- and rhododendron-lined trails on the way to French Broad River, where relaxing hot springs await.

Top-of-the-world vistas, fields of wildflowers and sun-dappled hardwood forests are nothing compared to David Greer, an insane murderer who once lived on Bald Mountain from 1802 to 1834.

Cruise 8.1 miles into wooded creek valleys and up Rich Mountain where an old fire tower is accessible by a short spur trail.

This 23.3-mile stretch of the AT passes beneath waterfalls and young hardwoods in Cherokee National Forest. Don't miss the short hike to Jones Falls.

This relatively flat 20.2-mile section runs through rhododendron tunnels, quiet woodlands, and past three AT shelters.