New hiking guide for Smokies by Johnny Molloy

Tennessee native and veteran hiker, Johnny Molloy, has just published a brand new hiking guide for the Smokies. Top Trails: Great Smoky Mountains National Park contains a comprehensive sampling of 50 "must-do hikes" in America�s most visited national park.

These "must-do" hikes represent every stunning feature of the area; from the park�s classic destinations to lesser-known jewels; from secluded mountain waterways to awe-inspiring views from grassy balds. The trails range from an easy family stroll to a soothing stream, from a 7 mile trek through spruce forest atop a peaceful ridge, to a panoramic 22 mile overnighter.

Additional information you'll find in this book includes:

* Ratings and rankings for each trail

* Clear and concise directions to the trailhead

* Detailed route map and elevation profile

* Distances and approximate times of each hike

* Easy-to-follow trail notes and permit information

* Overnight backpacking options


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Two New Books for Hikers

Hikers and lovers of the Southern Appalachians may be pleased to learn of two brand new books.

The first book, released last month by prolific hiking guide author, Johnny Molloy, is called Explorer's Guide 50 Hikes on Tennessee's Cumberland Plateau.

This new release details 50 hikes on the Cumberland Plateau, including the Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area near Kentucky, the fascinating Walls of Jericho astride the Alabama state line, the thousand-foot gorge cut by the Tennessee River near Chattanooga, Virgin Falls near Sparta, Great Stone Door, Cumberland Mountain State Park, and many other beautiful locations along the plateau.

The book also includes comprehensive maps for each hike, scenic photos, and a Hikes-at-a-Glance table that makes choosing your desired hike a breeze.


The second book, just released this past Monday, provides more than 200 vintage photographs Along the Appalachian Trail. This brand new release focuses on Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee, with photos that have been culled from the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, National Park Service, local trail maintaining clubs, state archives, and historical societies. They illustrate the sweat, toil, and dedication that went into building the trail over some of Eastern America's highest and most rugged terrain. Also chronicled are the people who lived along the trail's route, those who volunteered to physically build it or lobby for its creation, and the many relocations that have moved the pathway to optimal locations.

The author, Leonard M. Adkins, is no stranger to the Appalachian Trail. He's hiked the entire trail five times, and was a ridge runner for the Appalachian Trail Conservancy at one time.


Jeff
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Newly Released Books for Hikers

Below are four new hiking related books that you might be interested in. All have recently been published, or are due to be released shortly. Three of the titles are guides for trails within the Smoky Mountains region, while the fourth explains the ins and outs of hiking with children.

Tales From The Trails

Local hiker and author Barbara Davis relays her adventures in her brand new book, Tales From The Trails. In this 312-page book, Davis recounts the stories and some of her experiences during her quest to hike all of the trails in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and in the process, becoming a member of the prestigious 900 Club. The book also includes her experiences while hiking 362 miles of the Appalachian Trail, from Fontana, NC to Marion, VA.


Five Star Trails: Knoxville

Veteran hiker and prolific author, Johnny Molloy, has a brand new release called Five Star Trails: Knoxville. In this new hiking guide, Molloy presents 40 of the best day hikes in the Knoxville area. In addition to a couple of hikes in the Cherokee National Forest and Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Molloy covers trails in Frozen Head, Norris Dam, Big Ridge, and Panther Creek State Parks, as well as sections of the Cumberland Trail, a footpath that will eventually stretch 300 miles from Cumberland Gap to Chattanooga. He even covers a couple of hikes within the city of Knoxville itself.


Touring the Western North Carolina Backroads

Carolyn Sakowski's has just published her brand new third edition of Touring the Western North Carolina Backroads. The book offers 21 driving tours designed for those who wish to leave the interstate behind in favor of the peaceful two-lane highways that wind through the mountains of North Carolina. It's especially useful to those who want to see the leaves change colors in the countryside this fall, when the mountains come alive in a fiery display of red, orange, and gold. This new edition includes updated directions, new photographs, information about additional sites, and suggested spur trips, making it a truly comprehensive guide to North Carolina's mountain region and to the history and folklore that make the scenery come alive. Carolyn also provides information on some of the must-see hiking trails along her routes. Cyclists will also find this book useful as it can be used for trip planning as well.


Hikes with Tykes: A Practical Guide to Day Hiking with Kids

Finally, for parents wishing to hike with their children, avid hiker and longtime journalist, Rob Bignell, offers readers a no-nonsense, informative guide to taking children on day hikes. Loaded with personal anecdotes and tips, �Hikes with Tykes� provides a step-by-step guide to everything an adult needs to know about hiking with children, including how to find kid-appropriate trails, keeping kids properly dressed, figuring out how much water and food to bring, preventing children from getting bored on the trail, how to treat injuries from blisters to broken bones, and much more.


Jeff
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