The Wildest Hikes You’ve Never Heard Of

Blue Ridge Outdoors Magazine recently published an article about several trails in the Southern Appalachians that hikers may not have heard of. Each of the trails falls within nationally designated Wilderness Areas.

According to the Wilderness Act of 1964, a wilderness is defined as an area of undeveloped Federal land retaining its primeval character and influence, without permanent improvements or human habitation, which is protected and managed so as to preserve its natural conditions.

The author breaks the article into two sections. The first section discusses some of the most popular trails in the most popular Wilderness Areas. But then the author offers recommendations on alternative hikes that are just as beautiful and wild.

The second section of the article discusses trails in some of the most recently designated Wilderness Areas.

The following are some of the trails on the list:

* Iron Mountain Trail in the Cohutta Ranger District in the Chattahoochee National Forest

* Grassy Branch Trail in the Citico Creek Wilderness in Cherokee National Forest

* Green Mountain Trail in the Middle Prong Wilderness in Pisgah National Forest

* Canyon Rim Trail in Roaring Plains West Wilderness

* Rowland’s Creek Falls and Jerry’s Creek Trail in Seng National Scenic Area in Jefferson National Forest

* Anthony Creek Trail in the Big Draft Wilderness in Monongahela National Forest

* North-South Trail in the Cranberry Wilderness Expansion in Monongahela National Forest

* Stone Mountain Trail in Stone Mountain Wilderness in Jefferson National Forest

* Dickey Knob Trail in the Raccoon Branch Wilderness in Mount Rogers National Recreation Area

For more information on these hikes and to see the full article, please click here.

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Amazon.com is offering visitors to their new Outdoor Recreation Store the opportunity to receive a FREE National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass - an $80 value!

To visit the new store, click here: Outdoor Recreation Store


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com

Video: Black Bear Cubs

Black Bear Cubs on the Blue Ridge Parkway:




Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, hiking gear store, and more.

American Trails Survey

American Trails, the only national, nonprofit organization working on behalf of all trail interests, would like your opinion. They are asking all trail users and trail professionals to take a few minutes to complete an anonymous survey. If you fall under both categories, they invite you to take both surveys. Each will take only 5-10 minutes of your time. Your responses will help guide the organization in better serving the needs of America's trails community and ensuring a brighter future for trails and greenways.

To thank you for your time, you’ll have an opportunity to enter your name in a drawing to win an America the Beautiful Annual Pass to National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands (one winner per survey). The annual pass covers entrance fees or standard amenity fees at sites managed by the National Park Service, USDA Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, US Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Bureau of Reclamation.

To access the surveys, please click here.


Visit Amazon.com's brand new Outdoor Recreation Store.


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com

Canon Photography in the Parks Photo Contest

This is your chance to win a trip to the National Park of your choice (in the lower 48 states).

Canon U.S.A. is currently holding its fourth annual Canon Photography In The Parks Photo Contest. The contest invites photography enthusiasts, from now to September 30th, 2009, to enter by submitting their "Inspirational Nature Images," the theme for this year's contest. Photos taken at any park or monument in America can be entered through the Canon Digital Learning Center website. New this year, Canon will have two contest divisions for photographers between the ages of 13 and 17, and a separate division for adults ages 18 and older. This will enhance the contest experience by allowing aspiring teen photographers to compete amongst their peers.

After entering their photos through the Canon Digital Learning Center, potential contest winners will have the opportunity to forward an e-postcard of their submitted images to friends and family as a fun way to share their photographs. Winning photographers from the contest will receive some of Canon's hottest photographic equipment. In addition to new camera equipment, the Grand Prize winner will also receive a trip to a National Park.

Also, a team of photographers is currently touring four National Parks from June through August. At each park, the Canon team is hosting free photography workshops and is providing Canon's top-of-the-line camera equipment for participants to use at no charge. Each class will teach various photography techniques and explore many of the camera functions as participants take a walking tour of the park. Click here for details and a schedule of workshops.








Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, hiking gear store, and more.

Trail maintenance volunteers needed at Grandfather Mountain

Due to the enthusiasm expressed by volunteers on National Trails day and the ever present maintenance needed to keep trails healthy, Grandfather Mountain will host a volunteer weekend July 18-19 to knock out a few more necessary trail projects.

“As Grandfather’s backcountry changes hands, volunteers are needed to help us fill in the gaps during our transitional summer. The volunteer work done in a day is a months worth of work for us,” said Grandfather Mountain Trails Manager Luke Appling.

There will be projects ranging from installing water bars to painting trail blazes. Sandwiches and free admission to the park on the days of service will be provided for all participants.

For more information about volunteering, call 737-0833.




Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, hiking gear store, and more.