The forest is to me the sweetest college... wisdom doth here in all its branches grow... - Edward, Second Baron Thurlow (1781-1829) English poet We all have a special place we go to in order to escape. Whenever possible, I take to the woods. I'm truly fortunate to live and work in the southern Appalachian Mountains... that's also where I do most of my hiking. In surfing other outdoor interest sites, especially here in the Yosemite neighborhood of Geocities, I've noticed the number of people that hike the backcountry of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. I hope those of you that live nearby or travel to the Smokies will be able to get ideas for new day hikes. It's so easy to hike your favorite trail over and over again, never realizing that you may be missing something unique just a few miles away. In this section of Memoirs you'll find the dayhikes listed with respect to trailhead location, difficulty, and distance. In each individual trail description, I've tried to list the mileage, location of the trailhead, an indication of the hike's difficulty, trail highlights, and the route. Difficulty ratings are based on the assumption that you have some hiking experience and are in decent, though not perfect, shape. I haven't listed the time necessary to complete these hikes, but a person of decent health can usually hike 2.0 to 2.5 miles per hour and still have plenty of time to enjoy the scenery. Before taking any of the hikes listed here, please plan ahead. Get a good trail map (I recommend the Earthwalk Press version of the Park's map, though it can be hard to come by these days). I don't have room to go into much detail here, so it also never hurts to read a trail guide (I highly recommend the publication Hiking Trails of the Smokies). Always be aware of the Park's rules and regulations (generally found on the back of any trail map). A great source for all this information can be found by visiting the Great Smoky Mountains National Park or through the online catalog for the Great Smoky Mountains Natural History Association. I suppose it goes without saying that I claim no responsibility for your failure to plan ahead! J Access to many of the trails mentioned may be restricted during the winter months. All hikes which depart from Clingmans Dome Road, Straight Fork Road, or the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail have restricted access during the winter. Other hikes may or may not be available, as weather conditions permit. If you are concerned about road conditions or trailhead access, contact the Park for more information. Remember that I've hiked every section of trail listed, some of them numerous times, so please feel free to contact me if you have any questions! At any rate, enough chatter... the hikes are broken down alphabetically for faster loading and are available through the links listed below. Happy hiking! Hikes A-G. Hikes H-L. Hikes M-R. Hikes S-W. Note: There are no hikes listed under X, Y, or Z!J HOME ~ STORIES ~ HIKING ~ LINKS ~ INFO ~ E-MAIL ~ GUESTBOOK