Southern Hiker
Trail guides to the Southern Appalachians: the Smokies, the Blue Ridge and north Georgia.
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North Georgia Mountains Where the Appalachian Trail Begins Quietly
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Blood Mountain on the Appalachian Trail in Georgia Requires a Bear Canister
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The Amicalola Falls Approach Trail Starts With 604 Stairs Before the AT Even Begins
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Southern Appalachian Food, From Trail Resupply to Meat-and-Three Plates
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Bear Safety and Backcountry Hazards in the Southern Appalachians
By region
Latest articles
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What a Southern Appalachians Hiking Week Costs at Three Budget Levels
Three budget tiers for a Southern Appalachians hiking week, from campgrounds and meat-and-threes to Blowing Rock inns and Biltmore tickets.
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Southern Appalachian Day Trips That Work From Every Base Town
Day-trip circuits from every Southern Appalachian base town, each with a wet-weather backup plan for when the mountains deliver sideways rain.
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Great Smoky Mountains Guide for the Range's Most Crowded Half
A Great Smoky Mountains guide focused on quiet gateways like Bryson City and Townsend, dawn wildlife viewing at Cades Cove, and avoiding Gatlinburg crowds.
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Alum Cave Trail Parking Fills By Sunrise Here Is What to Do Instead
The Alum Cave trailhead lot fills before sunrise most of the year—here is where to park legally, when the shuttle runs, and what the climb to Mount LeConte actually demands.
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Chimney Tops Trail Ends Before the Pinnacle Now What You Actually Get
The Chimney Tops Trail no longer reaches the rock pinnacles—the final scramble is closed permanently after the 2016 wildfire, and the trail ends at a lower observation deck.
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Charlies Bunion on the Appalachian Trail Is the Best Day Hike in the Smokies
Charlies Bunion delivers the best single-day Appalachian Trail experience in the Smokies—an 8-mile round-trip from Newfound Gap with ridgeline exposure and a rocky outcrop finish.
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Blue Ridge Parkway and Pisgah Side of the Southern Appalachians
The Asheville and Pisgah side of the Southern Appalachians along the Blue Ridge Parkway, with waterfall loops, craft breweries, and Mount Mitchell.
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Max Patch Rules Have Changed Because the Bald Was Loved to Death
Max Patch is now day-use only with no camping and no fires—the Forest Service closed it to overnight use after the iconic bald was trashed by overuse.
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Southern Appalachians Winter Hiking What Stays Open and What Ices Over
Which Southern Appalachian trails stay open in winter, which roads ice over and close without warning, and how to hike safely when the Parkway shuts down.
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Southern Appalachians Waterfall Hikes Worth the Drive and the Ones That Kill
The Southern Appalachian waterfall hikes that have killed people, the specific hazards on each trail, and safer nearby alternatives.