Check out the steepest trail, the best swimming hole, and the wildest vista in America's most popular national park.
A peakbagger's dream, this 31-mile Smokies backpack loops across forested ridgelines, offering the opportunity to tag eight 6,000-foot summits along the way.
Free Print & Go PDFs give you turn-by-turn trail instructions and photos embedded on a usable topo map. Also: Gear checklists, driving directions, and geo-references for finding the nearest campground, restaurant, gas station, and grocery store.
Can a place that sees 9 million visitors a year really have any surprises? You bet. We found three hikes full of unexpected history, scenery, and solitude.
Mellow temperatures, low water and autumn colors make for a perfect time in the Smokies
For guaranteed solitude in the park's southwest reaches, explore this quiet loop during the off-season.
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.
Get away for a night or three on this 12.8-mile lasso loop that delivers you to the high reaches of the Great Smoky Mountains.
