NORTH CAROLINA - TRAIL BOOKS
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North Carolina spans a mountains-to-sea spectrum of scenic beauty. From the
Great Smokies and the Blue Ridge Parkway to the Piedmont and the Outer Bands,
North Carolina ranks amount the nation's top outdoor
recreation
states. Hiking North Carolina is a comprehensive state-wide hiking guide,
featuring more than 200 hikes in all regions of the state-including the
Appalachian Trail, Grandfather Mountain, Linville Gorge and
Shining Rock wilderness areas, and Roan
Mountain, as well as the Charlotte, Durham, and
Raleigh greenways, and the coastal areas of Nags Head, Cape Lookout, and Cape
Hatteras. This guide includes mile-by-mile trail descriptions, evocative
black-and-white photos, detailed maps, and a listing of trail-related Internet
addresses to help you plan for and enjoy your next trip. Whether you are
interested in a challenging backpacking adventure deep in the heart of the
Appalachian Mountains or an easy day hike along a greenway or an ocean beach,
Hiking North Carolina is an indispensable part of your next outing.
Birdshooter's Take:
This book
is organized by geography with an index map showing you the exact location of
each hike. That's a major plus if you are looking for a day or overnight
trip in a particular region of the state. Hiking North Carolina also has a
trail map which shows major roads, trailheads, and the route of the hiking
trail. There are some pictures in this trail book and the material is
decent with data on trail difficulty, length, elevations, and special features
and attractions. There are 51 hikes in this book and it is geared to both
day and overnight hikers. My Recommendation:
If you do a lot of hiking all over the State of
North Carolina this is a good buy since it is one of the few books that covers
the entire state. It also has a section on the Appalachian Trail if that
is of interest (although there are much more detailed
books on the A.T. at this link.)
This is another of Tim Homan's
guidebooks that covers over twenty-five wilderness and wild-river trails in the
Southern Nantahalas of western North Carolina. In also includes the
Ellicott Wilderness and the Chattooga River in an area that joins the states of
North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. The guide is easy to follow
and includes both road and trail maps.
Birdshooter's Take:
Author Tim Homan has a
number of guidebooks for hikes in the Southeast and I have found his writings to
be among the best. There is detailed history on the Southern Nantahala,
Ellicott Rock and Chattooga River in this book with thorough directions to the trailheads, nature
notes, and a difficulty rating for both day hikers and backpackers.
My Recommendation:
This guide is currently the
best and only book available if you plan to hike in the Ellicott Rock/Chattooga
River area.
This revised edition of one of
Backcountry's bestselling hiking guides features several new trails and new and
improved maps. The Great Smokies and Blue Ridge mountains are the most visited
natural areas in the United States. The mountain ranges of North Carolina--from
the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains to the southern foothills--offer an
abundant variety of terrain, scenery, and wildlife to those who explore
them.
Distinguished by steep gorges, spectacular waterfalls, lush forests of
rhododendron and laurel, and the blue haze that hangs over distant views, North
Carolina's mountains are a popular hiking destination in every season of the
year. The authors of this guide have explored more than 350 miles of trails
through the mountains of their home state to choose 50 of their favorite day
hikes, ranging from 1 to 15 miles. The hikes vary in difficulty and offer
something for hikers of all abilities. Many trails are conveniently accessed
from the scenic Blue Ridge Parkway, and several are handicapped-accessible. Each
hike description includes directions to the trailhead, hiking distance, and
estimated hiking time; detailed trail descriptions, safety precautions, and
topographical maps; options for longer and shorter hikes on adjacent trails; and
folk stories, historical anecdotes, and natural history information. 50 black
and white photographs, 51 maps.
Birdshooter's Take:
50 Hikes In The Mountains Of North Carolina
is similar in design and scope to the book Hiking North Carolina which is
detailed above. The main difference is the amount of summarized details in
the overview of each hike (where Hiking North Carolina has the edge) and
in the trail maps. 50 Hikes In The Mountains Of North Carolina uses
actual topographical maps and overlays the hiking trail on a black and white
copy of the map. I find this feature particularly useful since I often use
topographical maps on the trail. My Recommendation:
If you do most of your hiking in the western part
of North Carolina, you get more for your money with this book and the maps are a
bit superior to those in Hiking North Carolina.
North Carolina's incredible variety of
hiking trails range from the sands of Cape Hatteras to the majestic Great Smoky
Mountains. Veteran hiker Allen de hart knows them all, and for many years
has
compiled the most comprehensive, authoritative trail information for the entire
state. This all-new third edition thoroughly updates de Hart's popular and
superlative guide - the best information on North Carolina hiking available.
This edition includes exhaustively revised and updated descriptions of more than
900 trails; trail length, difficulty, elevation changes, connecting trails,
landmarks, scenery, local wildlife, support facilities, precautions, and special
features of each trail; clear and concise directions to trailheads; four color
maps on two pull-out sheets showing the locations of all trails. Allen de Hart
has been hiking, designing, and constructing trails, and writing about hiking
for five decades. He has hiked more than 29,000 miles on 12,000 trails in the
U.S. and 18 foreign countries. Off the trail he is a professor emeritus of
history and special advisor to the president on cultural affairs at Louisburg
College in Lousiburg, North Carolina. (5' x 7', 512 pages)
Birdshooter's Take:
There are more than 900 hiking trails in this
book by Allen de Hart which is far more than any other guidebook on North
Carolina. If you can't find a trail on the Internet or in any other trail
book, chances are you will find it here. Although the sheer number of
trails can be overwhelming and difficult to keep current, this is a great
resource for trail data in the State. North Carolina Hiking Trails
is currently on it's third edition and it includes trails that are often
overlooked including those on municipal, university, private, and commercial
land. Don't expect trail or profile maps in this book, but except a wealth
of information. My Recommendation:
This book is not for beginners. Get
Hiking North Carolina (shown above) if you are just starting to hike in the
State. However, if you are a serious hiker or backpacker and spend a lot
of time on trails in North Carolina you
must have this book, especially if you are
looking for those lesser known spectacular sites in the State. Maps are
included with this book.
One of the richest expanses of
undeveloped land in the Southeast, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
attracts more than 9 million visitors a year. Even so, most people experience
only a few of the most
popular
trails in the area. Day and Overnight Hikes in the Great Smoky Mountains
National Park takes hikers off the beaten track to the
more secluded rambles, from highland meadows and open vistas to pristine
mountain streams and pioneer farms.
Each trail description offers precise commentary on what to expect along the way
and rates each hike for: scenery, trail condition, difficulty, accessibility for
children, and solitude.
Designed to fit easily into a back pocket, the revised and updated second
edition of Day and Overnight Hikes includes 10 new hikes that lead to even more
sites of exceptional beauty and solitude. The peace of mind found on these hikes
just can't be experienced from a climate-controlled automobile, so let Day and
Overnight Hikes help you discover the best the Smokies have to offer.
Birdshooter's Take:
There are quite a few books on hikes in the Great
Smoky Mountains. My personal favorite is Hiking Trails of the Smokies
by the Great Smoky Mountains Natural History Association. However since I
can't seem to find it listed anywhere with Amazon, the book above is a good
alternative. My Recommendation: Get
Hiking Trails of the Smokies if you can
find it. It has a U.S. National Park Service Map that comes with the book
and profiles of ascents and descents. There is also detailed trail
information and history for each hike. But if you can't find Hiking
Trails of the Smokies, go with the book shown here.
The
ultimate guide to paddling whitewater in the Carolinas, A Canoeing & Kayak
ing
Guide to the Carolinas (formerly Carolina Whitewater) has guided boaters to the
best water in the Tar Heel and Palmetto states for almost 30 years. Inside,
boaters will find expanded and updated information for the classic rivers, like
the Nolichucky, Nantahala, and French Broad, as well as for the extreme creeks,
including Green River, White Oak Creek, and Watauga. Also included is
information vital to all paddlers, beginner and expert alike: information on
clubs and organizations, state water trails, and national and scenic rivers.
Ratings and descriptions include topographic maps, county locations, gauges,
difficulty ratings, drop/distances, run times, water quality, and much more. (6
x 9, 224 pages, maps)
Chunky Gal/Fires Creek Rim Trail Guide.
Covers the Chunky Gal Trail (22 mi.) starting near
Deep Gap near Standing Indian Mtn. west of Franklin, NC
to its termination point on the Fires Creek Rim Trail on Tusquitee Bald
(5200 ft.). Also the Fires Creek Rim Trail (26 mi.) and open side
trails down into the Fires Creek Basin. The road
structure of the main roads in
the Basin are also shown to allow for day-hike explorations. Also the Old
Road Gap Trail which leads down from County Corners to Junaluska Gap is
included. Maps for the Appletree Trails but no detailed discussion is
given of the Appletree Trails that are used to connect
Fires Creek to the NC Bartram Trail and the
Appalachian Trail.
This
guide contains the maps and detailed discussion for the trail in
the Appletree Camp Area (26 mi.). The guides
have detailed trail descriptions along with GPS generated TOPO maps (made with
Terrain Navigator Pro from maptech.com) of the trail with the mileage denoted
along the trail. The mileage is obtained by rolling a wheel. Water sources,
campsites, and other features discussed in the guide are tied to the mileage
markers on the maps. The maps are on 8.5x11 sheets with between 5 to 10 mile
sections shown on each map. There is a set of overlapping maps to cover the
entire trail along with an overview map of the entire trail. Road access points
are described to allow for day hike shuttle arrangements. Elevation profiles of
the longer trails are included.
Birdshooter's Take:
These booklets by John Ray and Malcolm Skove (Chunky Gal
Trail/Fires Creek Rim Trail and Appletree Group Camp Trails) are the most detailed trail guides
available for these areas. They include trail mileage (in 0.1 mile
increments), profile and topographical maps, and detailed directions to many
trailheads along the route.
My Recommendation:
If you are going to hike these wilderness areas, don't do
them
without these books. Visit your nearest outfitter in the Southeastern
states or
email the authors via this link to get a
copy. They run around $5 for each booklet plus shipping and handling. A small discount is
available if you purchase both books. Note: These guides are only
available in select stores or via direct mail order from the author. Click
the link above to launch your email browser and
send an email to the author.
