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 TrailsLocal 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: KnoxvilleVeteran 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 BackroadsCarolyn 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 KidsFinally, 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
HikingintheSmokys.com 
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.
Hiking Tours