Hiking the Carolina Mountains

1. Mount Mitchell    
2. Black Mountain
3. Mountains-to-Sea Trail    
4. Dupont State Forest & Flat Rock
5. Upstate South Carolina    
6. Pisgah District-East
7. Pisgah District-West     
8. Great Smoky Mountains National Park
9. Nantahala National Forest     
10. Appalachian Trail

These hikes are excerpted from my book Hiking the Carolina Mountains, published in April 2007. Keep checking back for new hikes and go to the book for the full hike description.

In the meantime, let me know your favorite hikes in the Southern Appalachians with as much details as you have.

How difficult is the hike?
Length and elevation gain together determine how strenuous the hike is. Sometimes, the quality of the trail makes the hike more or less difficult.

What is the distance?
The total distance means just that: the total distance for the hike, whether it's a loop or an in/out hike. A few hikes are shuttle hikes - one way hikes requiring two cars,

How long should it take?
The standard for fit hikers is two miles an hour. A rocky trail, one with a lot of elevation gain or with many flowers will take longer. Don't rush the hike.