In the early 1900s, more than 5,000 people lived on the land that would become the largest national park in the East—and the most visited in the country. They owned homes, gristmills, orchards, barns, stores, and hotels. Schools and churches dotted the valleys. Timber companies owned hundreds of miles of railway, sprawling lumber mills, and “company towns” with barbershops, pool halls, and movie theaters. History Hikes of the Smokies focuses on these communities, providing in-depth narratives of 20 historically significant trails in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The voices of the people who lived here and their tall tales bring long-gone mountain families to life. The book also describes the nature that lives here now, along trails that wind through lush, regrown forests.

Complementing the text are historic photographs that will startle anyone who has only known the once-again wild Smokies. Other features are profile charts of each trail, trail maps, and detailed directions to trailheads.

Author: Michael Strutin

Pages: 352

Format: Paperback