Hiking in the Great Smokey Mountains can be a very fun and enjoyable experience. You need to think out your trip and be honest about your abilities. There are over 800 miles, 70 trails and 500,000 acres of land in the Great Smokey Mountains. The trails vary from easy to very hard, flat to steep but all are very beautiful and breathtaking.
You need to think about the weather before you start your hike. The Smokies get up to 90 inches of rain per year, so you need to bring along rain gear. Don’t make the mistake of starting your hike in sunny weather and thinking it will stay that way and then get caught in an afternoon storm. Also the temperature can drop as much as 10 degrees as you climb higher up the mountains. Another problem is footwear, tennis shoes may be fine for a short hike or even a hike around town but the mountain trails are uneven, wear boots, they support you ankles.
If you want to miss the hiking crowd start early in the morning, this will make it more likely to see wildlife too. Go during the week instead of on the weekend, and not on holidays, or you can plan your hiking trip for an off season.
Keep your hike safe by following some simple rules. Use the buddy system, carry a flashlight, take some water along, and always have a first aid kit. Tell someone where you are going and when you will be back. The biggest rule of all is don’t feed or harass the wildlife, it’s dangerous and illegal. Have fun and take lots of pictures.
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