<DIV><I>Hiking Trails of the Great Smoky Mountains</I> is an essential guide to one of America’s most<BR> breathtaking and rugged national parks. The second edition of this compellingly readable<BR> and useful book is completely updated, giving outdoor enthusiasts the most current<BR> information they need to explore this world-renowned wilderness.<BR><br> Included here are facts on more than 125 official trails recognized by the Park Service.<BR> Each one has its own setting, purpose, style, and theme, and author Kenneth Wise<BR> describes them in rich and vivid detail. For every route, he includes a set of driving directions<BR> to the trailhead, major points of interest, a schedule of distances to each one, a<BR> comprehensive outline of the trail’s course, specifics about where it begins and ends, references<BR> to the U.S. Geological Survey’s quadrangle maps, and, when available, historical<BR> anecdotes relating to the trail. His colorful descriptions of the area’s awe-inspiring beauty<BR> are sure to captivate even armchair travelers.<BR><br> Organized by sections that roughly correspond to the seventeen major watersheds<BR> in the Smokies, Wise starts in Tennessee and moves south into North Carolina, with<BR> two major trails?the Lakeshore and the Appalachian?that traverse several watersheds<BR> treated independently. Further enhancing the utility of this volume is the inclusion of the<BR> Great Smoky Mountains’ official trail map as well as an informative introduction filled<BR> with details about the geology, climate, vegetation, wildlife, human history, and environmental<BR> concerns of the region.<BR><br> A seasoned outdoorsman with more than thirty years of experience in the area and<BR> codirector of the Great Smoky Mountains Regional Project at the University of Tennessee,<BR> Knoxville, Wise brings an exceptional depth of knowledge to this guide. Both experienced<BR> hikers and novices will find this newly revised edition an invaluable resource for trekking in<BR> the splendor of the Smokies.</DIV>