Hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains

This is a general article an overview of hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains.

It discusses hiking trip planning ideas and some of the wildlife a hiker could encounter.

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park offers some of the best hiking opportunities anywhere in the southeastern United States. Choices range from a short stroll to an extended back country hiking experience.

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park has an extensive trail system that is mapped and maintained. This means planning a hiking trip is very easy because of the wealth of information available on the trail system in the park. With a little research a hiker can know just what to expect from the trail before the hike takes place. Distance, elevation and difficulty ratings for each trail are readily accessible.

The variety of wildlife living in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is amazingly diverse. Within the 521,000 acres of the park, elk, black bear, wild boar, red wolves, white tailed deer all make their homes.

Many small mammals also live within the park boundaries. There are 27 species of snake including two poisonous species living here.