Smokies Chronicle
A Year of Hiking in Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Ben Anderson
A Year of Hiking in Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Ben Anderson
A Year of Hiking in Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Ben Anderson
Since its creation in 1934, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park has become the most heavily visited of all our national parks, with yearly visitation sometimes surpassing 10 million people. As the national park system celebrated its centennial in 2016, Ben Anderson decided to explore and closely observe, across the seasons, as much of the nation’s most popular national park as practicable during the year. On the three or four hikes he took each month, he revisited a number of trails familiar to him from previous excursions as a Smokies backcountry volunteer for more than 20 years.To many, the Smokies are among the loveliest and most interesting mountains anywhere, favored by a remarkable biodiversity. Anderson offers observations on natural and human history, mountain culture, geography, geology, flora and fauna. The book also deftly blends the personal with the universal in a compelling mix of entries from the backcountry. Although this book can be used as a helpful trail guide, it also provides a fresh look and an engaging narrative about our most heavily visited national park, through the eyes and ears of a lifelong devotee.