US National Parks and Monuments Travel Guide: US-Parks.com

Great Smoky Mountains National Park - Books

Exploring the Appalahian Trail: Hikes in the Southern Appalachians - Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee
Doris Gove

From The Critics:
Ina Hughs - Knoxville News-Sentinel Gove is an experienced hiker, a wonderful writer, a curious and careful observer of people and events, but she is, above all, a naturalist.Bernard A. Drew - The Berkshire Eagle For those who have never experienced the Appalachian Trail, or for those who are interested in discovering new sections, this book is an eloquent, detailed and sprightly introduction.Keystone Association NewsletterWhen I first saw these books, my immediate reaction was, andquot;why has it taken so long for someone to come up with this?andquot; I think there’s been a real need for these books for quite a while. .these guides will add a lot to your hikes and to your planning. I highly recommend them.Jean LeBlanc - Appalachian Trailway News If you’re a walker who likes to stop and smell the roses, this is the Trail guide for you. An amazing amount of information is packed into this portable volume.Lorraine Lauzon - The Paper No matter the age, attitude or sense of adventure, for hikers this may be the perfect guidebook. A series of excellent maps is provided.ACCREDITATIONDoris Gove has a lifelong interest in biology and natural history. Her writing includes five books for children; trail narratives, nature trail brochures, and science journal articles for the Great Smoky Mountains Natural History Association; and magazine articles. She has directed two environmental education centers and taught high school, college, and adult programs such as Elderhostel. Gove grew up in Massachusetts, studied at Barnard College, earned a Ph.D. in biology at the University of Tennessee, and taught with the U.S. Peace Corps in Africa. She lives in Tennessee with her husband and daughter and prefers writing jobs that require hiking.

Our Price: $19.95

100 Hikes in The Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Russ Manning

From the Publisher:
The first edition of this guide was titled The Best of the Great Smoky Mountains (ISBN 0-9625122-2-2). The new, second edition is completely updated and redesigned, and features 80 bandw photos and 26 maps. Russ Manning is the author of a number of outdoor guides including The Best of Shenandoah National Park; Exploring the Big South Fork; Tennessee’s South Cumberland: A Hiker’s Guide to Trails and Attractions, and more. He lives with his wife and frequent co-author, Sondra Jamieson, in Norris, Tennessee.

From The Critics:
Knoxville News-SentinelIt is one of the most informative and easiest to use Smokies hiking guidebooks you’ll find.Tribune-ReviewManning has obviously done his homework. He knows the dips and typography of each trail and mountain the way Mark Twain knew the bends and eddies of the Mississippi River.— (Pittsburgh, PA)

Our Price: $14.95

Insiders’ Guide to the Great Smoky Mountains
Dick McHugh

From the Publisher:
Insiders’ Guide to the Great Smoky Mountains offers travelers, newcomers, and locals the best, most comprehensive information on what’s happening in the area. The Smokies have been a popular tourist destination for decades. A national park, beautiful scenery, and small cities brimming with things to see and do are just a few of the highlights of what this area has to offer. Use this guide to discover country entertainment as well as limitless opportunities for fun, dining, shopping, and adventure.

Our Price: $18.95

Backroad Bicycling in the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains: 27 Rides for Touring and Mountain Bikes from North Georgia to Southwest Virginia
Hiram Rogers

From the Publisher:
An all-new cycling guide to scenic back roads in the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains region of Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Southern Virginia.This all new cycling guide uncovers scenic back roads for both touring and mountain bikes through the heart of the Southern Appalachians: from North Georgia, Tennessee, and North Carolina to Southwest Virginia. Encompassing the Blue Ridge Parkway and Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the region offers scenic and historic tours along valley floors, exhilarating ridgetop rides, and challenging treks through rugged mountains. Rogers describes road bike rides at Georgia’s historic Chickamauga National Battlefield; high, wild vistas from the transmountain Cherohala Skyway; and a new greenway system spanning Maryville and Alcoa, Tennessee. Mountain bikers will love the classic tours on the Tsali and Bent Creek trails systems, as well as two new trail systems along Tennessee’s Ocoee River. Also included are Virginia’s popular Virginia Creeper and New River Trails. Routes range from the little known to the well traveled, from level road rides to challenging mountain trails. Each ride description will include mile-by-mile directions; a detailed map and mileage cue sheet; information on difficulty and terrain; and notes on the natural and historic features you’ll encounter along the way. 35 black and white photographs. About the Author:: Hiram Rogers has written about outdoor recreation and land conservation issues for Backpacker and Blue Ridge Country and for web sites such as Gorp.com and Backpacker.com. He is also the author of Exploring the Black Hills and Badlands and 50 Hikes in Kentucky. He lives in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Our Price: $17.95

Hiking Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Kevin Adams

From the Publisher:
This guide features 82 hikes within Great Smoky Mountains National Park. With over 800 miles of maintained trails within the park, author Kevin Adams guides hikers through the rugged landscape and dense vegetation of the Great Smokies so they can have an intimate experience and see everything they would want to see, right from an official trail. Clear and concise trail descriptions and brilliant photography will make this guide a requirement when heading into the backcountry of America’s most visited national park.

Our Price: $16.95

Blue Ridge Parkway Guide: Grandfather Mountain to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, 291.9-469 Miles, Vol. 2
William G. Lord

From the Publisher:
The Parkway extends 469 miles from its terminus in Rockfish Gap, Virginia, to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Cherokee, North Carolina. Each mile brings new surprises, as the traveler encounters forests, barrens, and breath-taking panoramas. Ranger and naturalist William Lord takes the interested reader through the Blue Ridge, mile by mile, mountain by mountain, as he describes the wonders of wildlife that abound in this National Park. From the Shenandoah Valley to the spectacular whitewater gorge of the Nantahala, this guide gives both the novice traveler and the experienced explorer another reason to travel the Blue Ridge Parkway once again. (4 3-4 x 9, 152 pages, bandw photos, illustrations)

Our Price: $8.95

Blue Ridge Parkway Guide Volume 1: Rockfish Gap to Grandfather Mountain
William G. Lord

AAA National Park Photography
Tim Fitzharris

From the Publisher:
Discover breathtaking views and how to photograph them with AAA’s National Park Photography guide, featuring the most popular wilderness parks in North America. Tips on how to find and photograph bugling elk in Rocky Mountain National Park, where to get the best scenic view of El Capitan in Yosemite, and how to take close-up photos of spring wildflowers in Great Smoky Mountains are included. Professional techniques are clearly explained and illustrated with 250 color photos by veteran nature photographer Tim Fitzharris . Hot spots for viewing or shooting are described and located with detailed maps of each park. With help from this book, you can find, view, and photograph the best of what our national parks have to offer. Author Tim Fitzharris is a monthly nature columnist for Popular Photography, the world’s largest imaging magazine. Fitzharris has authored 25 books on wilderness and wildlife including the award-winning Sierra Club Guide to 35 mm Landscape Photography, Nature Photography: National Audubon Society Guide , and most recently, Rocky Mountains.

Our Price: $24.95

Another Country: Journeying toward the Cherokee Mountains
Christopher Camuto

From the Publisher:
The southern Appalachians encompass one of the most beautiful, biologically diverse, and historically important regions of North America. In the widely acclaimed Another Country: Journeying toward the Cherokee Mountains, Christopher Camuto describes the tragic collision of natural and cultural history embedded in the region. In the spirit of Thoreau’s "Walking," Camuto explores the Appalachian summit country of the Great Smoky Mountains--the historical home of the Cherokee--searching for access to the nature, history, and spirit of a magnificent, if diminished, landscape. As the author takes the reader through old growth forests and ancient myths, he tells of the attempted restoration of Canis rufus, the controversial red wolf, to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. He details the impact of European occupation and his meditations on the enduring relevance of Cherokee language, thought, and mythology evoke an appreciation of what were once sacred rivers, forests, and mountains. Through this attempt "to catch glimpses of the Cherokee Mountains beyond the veil of the southern Appalachians," Camuto forges a new consciousness about the complex, conflicted past hidden there and leaves us with an important, thought-provoking book about a haunting American region.

Our Price: $16.95

Birds of the Blue Ridge Mountains: A Guide for the Blue Ridge Parkway, Great Smoky Mountains, Shenandoah National Park, and Neighboring Areas
Marcus B. Simpson

From the Publisher:
More than 300 species of birds have been reported from the Blue Ridge Mountain province, an area stretching from south-central Pennsylvania to northern Georgia. This book describes the region’s birds and tells birdwatchers where to go to find them. It is a valuable resource for vacationers and casual birders as well as for serious birdwatchers and professional zoologists. At the heart of the book is a detailed guide to the best birding localities in the region. Marc Simpson describes more than 300 sites, including recreation areas, overlooks, campgrounds, picnic areas, and hiking trails. For each site, he lists the species most likely to be seen there as well as rare or unusual birds that the persistent birder might find. He includes notes on the geography and plant life of each site and provides information on highway access and accommodations. Simpson also supplies a special list of sites accessible to those with handicaps. Finally, the book includes an annotated checklist describing in detail the seasonal occurrence, habitat selection, relative abundance, elevation ranges, and relevant history for each bird species reported from the region. Additional resources include a suggested reading and reference list, organized by state, and a list of phone numbers and addresses for the Blue Ridge Parkway districts, for National Forest offices, and for state and national parks. The book is illustrated with drawings by noted bird artist H. Douglas Pratt, and it includes detailed maps for most of the major birding sites.

Our Price: $22.50

Best Short Hike in the Smoky Mountains
Kenneth Wise

From the Publisher:
Located astride the Tennessee-North Carolina border, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park contains more than one hundred trails that trace eight hundred miles of rugged terrain. This fact is certain to bewilder any newcomer who might be eager to explore the Park’s backcountry but is unsure where to start. This book, intended as a beginner’s guide to hiking the Smokies, offers lively, informative descriptions of twenty-two trails that can be completed in a day or less.For anyone who has yet to discover the beauty of the Smokies, the highest North American mountains east of the Mississippi, the trails described here offer a splendid introduction. Scenic overlooks at Mount Le Conte, Clingmans Dome, Gregory Bald, and other peaks are included along these pathways, as are some of the well-known waterfalls of the Park, such as Laurel Falls, Rainbow Falls, and Ramsay Cascades. In addition to vital data about the length of the trail, its elevation gain, and "how to get there", each trail description is packed with interesting facts and Smoky Mountain lore. Detailed maps are also included. In their introduction, the authors provide a brief overview of the Park’s history as well as useful tips for novice hikers.

Our Price: $12.95

Insiders’ Guide to the Great Smoky Mountains
Dick McHugh

Day and Overnight Hikes in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Vol. 3
Johnny Molloy

From the Publisher:
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: 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. Designed to fit easily into a back pocket, the revised and updated third edition guides hikers to over 40 day and overnight hikes that lead to sites of exceptional beauty and solitude. So get outside, enjoy some peace of mind, and discover the best the Smokies has to offer.

Our Price: $12.95

Great Smoky Mountains National Park Topographic Map: Tennessee-North Carolina, USA (National Geographic Trails Illustrated Map Series #229)
Staff of National Geographic Maps

Our Price: $8.99

Memories of Old Smoky: Early Experiences in the Great Smoky Mountains
Carlos C. Campbell

List Price: ~~$$18.95~~ Our Price: $17.05

Our Southern Highlanders: A Narrative of Adventure in the Southern Appalachians and a Study of Life among the Mountaineers
Horace Kephart

From the Publisher:
Who is most responsible for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park? A gentleman by the name of Horace Kephart (1862-1931), the author of this book. A librarian in St. Louis around the turn of the 20th century, in 1904, he gave that up and moved to Western North Carolina, following his fascination with outdoor life and his interest in this mountainous region. Kephart’s fascination became his avocation -- he wrote numerous magazine articles for national periodicals of that day. A book from Kephart’s pen -- The Book of Camping and Woodcraft: A Guidebook for Those Who Travel in the Wilderness (Outing Publishing, 1906) -- also proved popular and is still a widely-used reference today. Yet, all of the above -- as significant as it was in the field of outdoor writing -- pales when compared to this book, Our Southern Highlanders: A Narrative of Adventure in the Southern Appalachians and a Study of Life Among the Mountaineers (Outing Publishing, 1913). By that year, having lived here in these great hills almost 10 years, Horace Kephart possessed journal after journal in which he had meticulously written first-hand observations of the mountains and people during his travels. The book itself was well received, even among the mountain folk themselves (and we are often a clannish lot). The mountaineers called it "that book," but it soon became the book about Appalachia.

Our Price: $18.50

The Photographer’s Travel Guide: Where and When to go to get the Shots you Want
William Manning

From the Publisher:
The Photographer’s Travel GuideWhere and When to Go to Get the Shots You Want By William Manning No other book on the market tells photographers when and where to go to get exactly the shots they want. William Manning calls upon 20 years of professional photography experience to guide readers on trip planning, selecting the best equipment for a given location, time-saving shortcuts and the best locations for taking stunning photographs of a variety of subjects. He covers dozens of places throughout the United States and Canada, including: Great Smoky Mountains National Park (Tennessee-North Carolina) Nova Scotia and the Maine coast Kentucky horse country and the Illinois prairies Canadian Rockies Paria Canyon-Vermillion Cliffs Wilderness Area (Arizona-Utah) Manning illustrates each location with his critically acclaimed travel and nature photography--more than 100 photos in all. William Manning is the owner and founder of Nature’s Light, a photographic tour company that combines trip planning, hands-on instruction and incredible photo opportunities on tours throughout the United States, Canada, Europe and Africa. He is represented by Stock Market photo agency and lives in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Our Price: $27.99

Field Guide to the Trees and Shrubs of the Southern Appalachians
Robert E. Swanson

From the Publisher:
Extending through the Carolinas, Georgia, and eastern Tennessee, the southern Appalachian Mountains are home to a rich diversity of plant life. This convenient and comprhensive field guide contains detailed information on 130 genera and 280 species of trees, shrubs, and woody vines-- all but thevery rarest species-- including those found along the popular Blue Ridge Parkway and in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

From The Critics:
BooknewsA comprehensive field guide with detailed information on 130 genera and 280 species of trees, shrubs, and woody vines--all but the rarest species--including those found along the popular Blue Ridge Parkway and in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. In addition to the plant descriptions, the guide contains illustrated keys to both summer and winter traits--i.e., twigs, bark, and winter buds as well as leaves--so that readers can collect and identify specimens at any time of year. Paper edition (unseen), $18.95. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

List Price: ~~$$22.95~~ Our Price: $21.80

Dorie: Woman of the Mountains
Florence Cope Bush

From the Publisher:
Before the Great Smoky Mountains became a national park, the region was a lush wilderness dotted with isolated farms. Into this land of unspoiled beauty, Dorie Woodruff Cope was born in 1899. In this evocative memoir, Dorie’s daughter, Florence Cope Bush, traces a life at once extraordinary and yet typical of the many Appalachian farm families forced to leave their simple mountain homes for the cities, abandoning traditional ways for those born of "progress." Dorie’s story begins with her childhood on an isolated mountain farm, where we see first-hand how her parents combined back-breaking labor with intense personal pride to produce everything their family needed--from food and clothing to tools and toys--from the land. Lumber companies began to invade the mountains, and Dorie’s family took advantage of the financial opportunities offered by the lumber industry, not realizing that in giving up their lands they were also letting go of a way of life. Along with their machinery, the lumber companies brought in many young men, one of whom, Fred Cope, became Dorie’s husband. After the lumber companies stripped the mountains of their timber, outsiders set the area aside as a national park, requiring Dorie, now married with a family of her own, to move outside of her beloved mountains. Through Dorie’s eyes, we see how the mountain farmers were forced to abandon their beloved rural life-style and customs and assimilate into cities like Knoxville, Tennessee. Her experiences were shared by hundreds of Appalachians during the early twentieth century. However, Dorie’s perseverance, strength of character, and deep love of the Smokies make this a unique and moving narrative.

Our Price: $13.95

Cherokee Americans: The Eastern Band of Cherokees in the Twentieth Century
John R. Finger

From the Publisher:
Much has been written about the forced removal of thousands of Cherokee Indians to present-day Oklahoma in the 1830s. Many of them died on the Trail of Tears. But until recently historians have largely ignored the tribal remnant that avoided removal and remained in North Carolina. John R. Finger shifts attention to the Eastern Band of Cherokees, descended from that remnant and now numbering almost ten thousand, most of whom live on a reservation adjacent to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Cherokee Americans is, ironically, the first comprehensive account of the twentieth-century experience of a band that is known to and photographed by millions of tourists.

From The Critics:
Library JournalThe Cherokee Reservation in North Carolina’s scenic Smoky Mountains has attracted millions of visitors in the 20th century. In the first comprehensive account of the Cherokee Band’s modern history, the author demonstrates how they have integrated the burgeoning tourist economy into their overall plans for economic development. Cherokee leaders, while often internally factionalized, have consistently manipulated federal and state policies to the overall advantage of the Band, keeping their tribal land base and federal services when threatened. This book complements the author’s The Eastern Band of Cherokees, 1819-1900 ( LJ 4-15-84). It is a valuable addition to modern Indian studies.-- Mary B. Davis, Huntington Free Lib., Bronx, New York

Our Price: $18.95

50 Hikes in the Tennessee Mountains: Hikes and Walks from the Blue Ridge to the Cumberland Plateau
Doris Gove

From the Publisher:
A new guide to the outstanding hiking opportunities to be found in the mountains, ridges, and valleys of eastern Tennessee. The mountains of eastern Tennessee, with their miles of rugged trails, spectacular waterfalls, and colorful wildflowers, offer some of the finest hiking in the Southeast. Doris Gove has hiked hundreds of miles throughout the region to choose 50 of its most appealing hikes—in the Smokies, the Blue Ridge, Cherokee National Forest, Big South Fork, and Cumberland Gap. Although Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most heavily used in the country, hundreds of miles of its trails receive little use and can provide a true wilderness experience. Many of these trails, plus remote trails of the Smokies and the Appalachian Trail and sections of the 220-mile Cumberland Trail linear state park, were selected to provide excellent hiking with minimal crowds. The routes range in length from less than a mile to 12 miles, offering rewarding trips for hikers of every ability—some trails are even accessible to strollers and wheelchairs. An overview chart at the beginning of the book provides information on the 50 hikes at a glance. Each hike description includes directions to the trailhead, a detailed account of the route, a map, and entertaining asides on natural and historical points of interest. 50 black and white photographs, 51 maps.

Our Price: $16.95

Smoky Mountains Trout Fishing Guide
Don Kirk

Annotation:
Takes the guesswork out of both the geography and the fishing in the beautiful Smoky Mountains.

From the Publisher:
The revised and updated edition of Smoky Mountains Trout fishing Guide covers all fishable streams within the boundaries of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This guide takes the guesswork out of both the geography and the fishing in the beautiful Smoky Mountains. This book is designed to help both experienced and novice anglers select waters that suit their tastes and abilities. You’ll find a chapter on each of the major streams in the Park. Listed with each stream is such valuable data as its location, fishing pressure, species of trout found in that particular watershed, both auto and trail access routes, campsite accommodations, and other information. Also included are chapters covering the early history of trout fishing in the Park, information on the aquatic insects that are most abundant in the streams, proven dry and wet nymph patterns, tips on gear, spinner fishing, etc. (6 x 9, 260 pages, bandw photos, charts)

Our Price: $11.95

Early Tourism in Western North Carolina (Images of America Series)
Steve C. Compton

From the Publisher:
At the beginning of the 20th century, many Americans moved from farm to town, changing from agricultural employment to jobs in factories and retail shops. Along with these new occupations came a new idea called "vacation." Ready access to automobiles made leisure travel, once reserved for affluent citizens, increasingly feasible and affordable for working class people. With its cool climate and outstanding scenery, the mountain region of North Carolina became a welcome refuge and ideal tourist destination for weary workers and their families. Western North Carolina, often touted in promotional materials as the "land of the sky," hosts Mount Mitchell -- the highest mountain east of the Mississippi River -- hundreds of waterfalls, some of the world’s oldest mountains and rivers, and abundant wildlife. The well-known Blue Ridge Parkway, numerous inns, loges, hotels, campgrounds, and restaurants were constructed to serve the region’s growing number of visitors. Early Tourism in Western North Carolina celebrates the rise of tourism from 1900 to 1950 in the Blue Ridge and Appalachian mountains of North Carolina. Sites featured include the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Blue Ridge Parkway, Grandfather Mountain, Blowing Rock, Asheville, Mount Mitchell, Chimney Rock, the Biltmore Estate, and the Cherokee Indian Reservation. The author, Stephen C. Compton, is an eighth-generation North Carolinian and a student of Western North Carolina history. He is an avid collector of North Carolina pottery, handicrafts, folk art, photographs, and ephemera. Mr. Compton is executive director of the Office of Congregational Development for the North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church.

Our Price: $19.99

Great Smoky Mountains National Park Postcard Book
Manufactured by Browntrout Publishers

Our Price: $7.95

Trial by Trail: Backpacking in the Smoky Mountains
Johnny Molloy

From the Publisher:
Nine million visitors come to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park each year, but few, unfortunately, have time to enjoy fully the challenges and pleasures, the opportunities for reflection and inner growth, that the park’s wild and beautiful backcountry offers. Trial by Trail chronicles the odyssey of one man who, over time, discovered the deeper riches to be found within the park’s boundaries. In fourteen lively personal essays, Johnny Molloy describes the adventures by which he came of age as a backpacker. Born a "flatlander" in Memphis, he first visited the Smokies while attending the University of Tennessee-Knoxville in the 1980s. Initially, he treated the park as a personal playground - a place to cut loose, break rules, and act irresponsibly. After many hiking excursions, however, he gained a more profound appreciation of the mountains, becoming an avid park volunteer intent on the protection and improvement of the area. He grew, as he puts it, both as an outdoor adventurer and as a human being. Interwoven throughout these pieces is a wealth of Smoky Mountains lore and history along with dozens of tips for novice backpackers. Molloy’s stories encompass backpacking during all four seasons as well as accounts of solo hiking, off-trail hiking, and whitewater canoeing.

From The Critics:
BooknewsResearchers from international institutions and industries offer 31 papers on COST actions, and aspects of networks and radio systems that can lead to everyone being accessible to everyone all the time anywhere in the world. Among the topics are flexible hybrid multiple access schemes for third-generation mobile radio systems, the status and prospects for personal communications in Japan, cell blocking performance for a dynamic channel allocation technique in future generation mobile satellite systems, decision-directed and non-decision-directed channels state estimators for a slowly fading channel, and a revised analog model for the land mobile satellite channel. No index. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Our Price: $14.95

America’s National Parks For Dummies
Kurt Repanshek

From the Publisher:
America’s National Parks For Dummies features 15 of the most popular national parks in the Lower 48, including Great Smoky Mountains, Grand Canyon, and Yellowstone National Parks. Author and self-styled parkie Kurt Repanshek hits all the highlights from the East Coast to the West. He’s checked out all the parks’ best lodgings and restaurants in person, and offers honest opinions that help you find the choices that suit your tastes and budget. He also gives you the rundown on the most worthwhile activities and tells you which trails to take to discover the parks’ natural treasures. The book also includes one-day itineraries for those with limited time and tips on activities for families, photographers, animal-watchers, and sports-minded travelers. Plus, excellent maps ensure that you won’t get lost along the way.

Synopsis:
This well-organized guide is easy to use and packed with great tips for avoiding crowds, saving money, and finding the best off-the-beaten-path attractions in each park. America’s National Parks for Dummies provides an in-depth look at 15 of the most scenic national parks, including Mammoth Cave, Great Smoky Mountains, Yellowstone, Yosemite, Grand Canyon, and Zion. Each park gets its own chapter, allowing room for plenty of essential details -- where to eat, sleep, and explore -- plus safety tips, and recommendations for the best spots to take pictures. Special chapters devoted to planning your trip, transportation, and getting the most out of your national park vacation make this guidebook an excellent resource.

Our Price: $19.99

Our Southern Highlanders: A Narrative of Adventure in the Southern Appalachians and a Study of Life among the Mountaineers
Horace Kephart

National Parks Coloring Book
Peter F. Copeland

From the Publisher:
Treasury of detailed, ready-to-color illustrations depicting typical scenes from 50 United States national parks: Grand Canyon, Everglades, Great Smoky Mountains, Mammoth Cave, Petrified Forest and 45 more. Informative captions describe distinguishing features of each park, flora and fauna, visitor activities available, more. Useful guide to major attractions of these splendid preserves. 50 black-and-white illustrations. 4 in color on covers.

Our Price: $3.95

Great Smoky Mountains Folklife
Michael Ann Williams

Our Price: $20.00

A Naturalist’s Blue Ridge Parkway
David T. Catlin

From the Publisher:
Winding over the crests and through the valleys of the southern Appalachian highlands between Shenandoah and Great Smoky Mountains National Parks, the Blue Ridge Parkway offers the traveler a natural spectacle unsurpassed for complexity and grandeur. This book is a lively and compact on-the-spot guide to the region’s features, geological history, and natural inhabitants--from its plants, insects, and fish to its reptiles, amphibians, birds, and mammals.

Our Price: $15.95

Great Smoky Mountains: A Vistor’s Companion
George Wuerthner

From the Publisher:
-The most complete guide to Great Smoky Mountain National Park-Stunning photographs and drawings of the park’s flora and faunaNatural history and a handy field guideThe ecosystems within Great Smoky Mountain National Park—from old growth forests to balds—support a wide variety of birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, mammals, and plants. This new addition to the Visitor’s Companion series describes and illustrates in full color dozens of these plant and animal species. It also explores the park’s geology, climate, and history—at once a traveler’s guide, field guide, and natural history of one of America’s most popular national parks.George Wuerthner has written more than 20 books, including other National Parks Visitor’s Companions. He lives in Eugene, Oregon. Natural science illustrator Douglas W. Moore lives in Tucson, Arizona.

Our Price: $19.95

The Fly Fisherman’s Guide to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
H. Lea Lawrence

Our Price: $18.95

Hiking the Big South Fork
Brenda G. Deaver

From the Publisher:
Hiking the Big South Fork combines natural history with folk culture and legend to provide an interpretive guide to the trails of this relatively new National Park Service area. The authors walked, measured, and rated every hiking trail, and, in this second edition, they include information about new trails. In addition, trail descriptions are updated with geological and historical information, a wildflower checklist, and a chart designed for backpackers to combine trails for longer hikes. The guide includes advice on safety, park rules and regulations, and accommodations. Trailhead locations, features of each trail, and difficulty ratings are included in an easy-to-read chart allowing hikers to select trails suited to their interests and abilities. Maps are supplemented by detailed mileage logs to keep hikers informed of their progress and to clarify points of confusion. Strollers, hikers, and backpackers looking for a less-crowded alternative to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park will enjoy discovering the beautiful, rugged Big South Fork of the Cumberland River in Tennessee and Kentucky. Only a ninety-minute drive northwest of Knoxville, the big South Fork National River and Recreation Area is easily reached in half a day or less from Louisville, Nashville, Chattanooga, and Atlanta.

Our Price: $14.95

A Roadside Guide to the Geology of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Harry L. Moore

From the Publisher:
’In this informative, readable, altogether useful guide, Harry Moore adds another dimension to our understanding and appreciation of the Great Smoky Mountains. He acquaints us skillfully with the geologist’s terminology and shows us how to read for ourselves the ancient language of the rocks.’ -Wilma Dykeman

From The Critics:
Library Journal$8.95. earth sci Among the many titles on regions, states, and parks, this guide by a geologist follows the usual pattern: a couple of introductory chapters on geologic terms, history, etc., with the bulk of the work devoted to the main roads in the park. An unusual quality of this guide is the inclusion of a few hiking trails, ranging from a half-mile to four miles. Descriptions of features, distant and along roads and trails, are clear. There is a decent glossary. U.S. Geological Survey publications are more detailed in analyzing geological structures and history, but less detailed on roadside outcrops and other features. Walter C. Allen, formerly with GSLIS, Univ. of Illinois, Urbana

Our Price: $11.95

Amphibians of Great Smoky Mountains National Park
C. Kenneth Dodd

Our Price: $24.95

Dorie: Woman of the Mountains
Florence C. Bush

Birds of the Blue Ridge Mountains: A Guide for the Blue Ridge Parkway, Great Smoky Mountains, Shenandoah National Park, and Neighboring Areas
Marcus B. Simpson

Bicycling the Blue Ridge, 3rd
Elizabeth and Charlie Skinner

From the Publisher:
The Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Parkway are arguably the two most quintessential scenic roads east of the Mississippi. This 575-mile strip of continuous road flows between Front Royal, Virginia, and Cherokee, North Carolina, traverses the Shenandoah National Park, and connects to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park along the eastern rampart of the Appalachian Mountains. Bicycling the Blue Ridge is the definitive guide to this ribbon of highway and is ready to help you plan the perfect trip. Open these pages and you will find detailed, mile-by-mile descriptions that provide information on restaurants, stores, lodging, and bike shops on or near these united roads, Newly designed maps and elevation profiles are also included. Whether your interest is recreational cycling, touring, or racing, or whether you are out for the day or a month, Bicycling the Blue Ridge is an indispensable tool for anyone interested in bicycling this incredible highway. (6 x 9, 176 pages, bandw photos, charts, maps)

Our Price: $12.95

Trees, Shrubs, and Woody Vines of Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Arthur Stupka

From the Publisher:
With Trees, Shrubs, and Woody Vines in hand, visitors to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park are able to see the trees instead of just the forest. The location of various stands of virgin forest, the elevations at which certain trees and shrubs are found, and other pertinent flora data are contained in this handy guide by Arthur Stupka.

Our Price: $12.95

Frommer’s Family Vacations In The National Parks 1999
Frommer’s

From the Publisher:
A complete family vacation guide to America’s most popular national parks: -A coast-to-coast selection of our favorite parks, seashores, and recreation areas for families, from Cape Cod and the Great Smoky Mountains to the Grand Canyon and Yosemite--with gorgeous color photos and detailed maps! -Candid, no-nonsense reviews of campgrounds and other family-friendly lodging, with insider tips on navigating the National Park Service reservation system -Activities and adventures for the whole family: biking, canoeing, fishing, easy nature walks, horseback riding, swimming, exploring tide pools, whale watching, and more

Our Price: $18.95

Great Smoky Mountains National Park: The Range of Life
Rose Houk

Our Price: $8.50

It Happened in the Great Smokies (It Happened In Series)
Michael R. Bradley

From the Publisher:
You’ve seen the mountains, hiked the trails, and marveled at the plentiful wildlife in the most visited national park in the eastern United States. Now read the stories from the history of the Great Smoky Mountains region. From the first friendly encounter between a British explorer and the Cherokee in 1761 to Dolly Parton’s founding of Dollywood and the Dollywood Foundation, It Happened in the Great Smokies provides a quick tour through the history of this amazing area. Twenty-nine stories give a behind-the-scenes look at some of the events that took place in these mountains.

Our Price: $9.95

Society of Wolves: National Parks and the Battle over the Wolf
Rick McIntyre

From the Publisher:
McIntyre offers the most current details on the plight of wolves in the U.S. This revised edition includes a new chapter with text and exclusive photos capturing the first year of the reintroduced Yellowstone National Park wolves. In addition, readers learn about the current wolf recolonization in Glacier National Park, the red wolf reintroduction programs in Great Smoky Mountains National Park and in the Southeast, and hoped-for wolf restoration in the Northeast and Southwest.

From The Critics:
Outdoor and Travel PhotographyExcellent photographs . . . . McIntyre’s devotion to educating people about wolves . . . is reflected in the quality and content of this fascinating book.Publishers WeeklyIn 1915 the federal government employed 300 full-time hunters and trappers to kill predators, mainly wolves. By the 1950s, except for isolated populations in the upper Midwest, the grey wolf had been exterminated in the continental U.S. As a park ranger for 15 years, McIntyre observed wolves in Denali and Glacier National Parks. While following one Denali Park wolf pack through the seasons, he examines in grisly detail the federal, state and local policies between 1870 and 1930. He notes that Adolph Murie’s study of wolves from 1937 to 1944 changed park managers’ perception of predators. Since the mid-’80s, grey wolves have been reintroduced to Glacier National Park, and red wolves to a reservation in North Carolina. Currently, there are controversal plans to reintroduce wolves in other parks. A group called Defenders of Wildlife supports a program that rewards landowners for allowing a wolf den on their property. McIntyre’s photographs will captivate readers, but his narrative, interrupted throughout by extraneous digressions, is choppy. Photos. (Nov.) BooknewsAn excellent compilation of photographs and text capturing various types of wolves living in national parks and documenting their life cycles. This new revised edition explores the reintroduction of wolves into Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks, discussing possible wolf restoration in the Northeast and Southwest. Two introductions by Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell and Jay D. Hair, President of the National Wildlife Federation, attest to the significance of this excellent resource volume. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Our Price: $19.95

The Great Smokies: From Natural Habitat to National Park
Daniel S. Pierce

From the Publisher:
In this book, Daniel S. Pierce examines land use in the Smokies over the centuries, describing the pageant of peoples who have inhabited these mountains and then focusing on the twentieth-century movement to create a national park." "Drawing on previously unexplored archival materials, Pierce presents the most balanced account available of the development of the park. He tells how park supporters set about raising money to buy the land - often from resistant timber companies - and describes the fierce infighting between wilderness advocates and tourism boosters over the shape the park would take. He also discloses the unfortunate human cost of the park’s creation: the displacement of the area’s inhabitants.

Our Price: $18.95

National Geographic Park Profiles: Blue Ridge Range
National Geographic Society

From the Publisher:
Welcome to the ancient, rumpled realm of the Blue Ridge Mountains.Writer Ron Fisher and photographer Rik Cooke guides you through the gentle mountains that rise in a sky-wash haze from Pensylvania to northern Georgia. The New River, America’s oldest stream, flows across the entire range while a 470-mile continuous span of skyline road leads from Shenandoah National Park to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Seven national forests harbor 130 species of trees and an astonishing diversity of mosses, fungi, flowering plants, and wildlife. Meet Cherokee Indians who continue the artistic traditions of their ancestors as well as descendants of European settlers who developed their own lasting heritage of folk crafts.

Our Price: $15.00

Airtight Case
Beverly Connor

From the Publisher:
When Forensic archaeologist and an-thropologist Dr. Lindsay Chamberlain disappears after attending a conference, her friends and family immediately raise the alarm. Their prayers are answered when she is found by the side of the road, dirty, disheveled and confused. At first Lindsay can’t remember who she is; however, shortly thereafter the horrible memories return and Lindsay realizes that someone tried to bury her alive. Unfortunately, Lindsay never saw her kidnappers, so they remain at large. Lindsay’s boss, Francisco Lewis thinks sending Lindsay on a "vacation" dig will do her good. The dig at Helget Pond should be straightforward and simple enough, but a local family has accused the dig’s leader of being responsible for a wrongful death. Initially the claim of wrongful death looks ludicrous, but as Lindsay starts digging—both figuratively and literally—certain elements don’t add up. When menacing messages arrive, Lindsay fears that her kidnappers intend to complete their work.

From The Critics:
Jill M. Smith - Romantic TimesBeverly Connor is unquestionably one of the premier voices in suspense today. Her knack for combining technical archaeological details with gripping mystery is unmatched!

Our Price: $22.95

Wilderness Trails of Tennessee’s Cherokee National Forest
William H. Skelton (Editor)

From the Publisher:
This is the first comprehensive hiking guide to the Cherokee National Forest. Comprised of 625,565 acres along the Tennessee-North Carolina state line, this forest includes much of the western slopes of the southern Appalachian Mountains, north and south of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The area encompasses a tremendous diversity of wildlife, vegetation, and scenic vistas of high mountain peaks and beautiful creeks, waterfalls, and valleys. Over one hundred trails and footpaths wind throughout this wildlife haven, inviting everyone who loves the outdoors -- hikers, backpackers, hunters, anglers, horseback riders -- to explore its natural beauty. The Harvey Broome Group of the Sierra Club’s Tennessee Chapter has carefully charted these trails, providing specific directions along with a wealth of general information on the forest’s present and past wildlife, vegetation, and geology, as well as a history of the forest’s human inhabitants -- including the political battles that have been waged to protect the forest.

Our Price: $32.00

Wilderness Trails of Tennessee’s Cherokee National Forest
William H. Skelton (Editor)

Mayday! Mayday!: Aircraft Crashes in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, 1920-2000
Jeff Wadley

From The Critics:
BooknewsAbout 50 aircraft have crashed in the Great Smoky Mountains. This book details all known incidents and rescue efforts from 1920 to 2000, including those that occurred within the area before the establishment of the park in 1934. Stories are based on official documents, newspaper archives, and interviews with survivors, family members, and eyewitnesses. Bandw photos are included. Wadley is a lieutenant colonel in the Tennessee Civil Air Patrol who serves as a mission coordinator and trainer in the Smoky Mountains. McCarter served as a backcountry ranger in Great Smoky National Park for 20 years. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Our Price: $15.95

Song of the Winter Wren: A LeConte Lodge Journal
David Witherspoon

From the Publisher:
From journals of three seasons and two winters at the highest hostel in the east, Song of the Winter Wren affords an inside view of the survival of a wilderness lodge, its crew and its bears and the mountain they loved.Author Biography: David Witherspoon worked four seasons and two winters at LeConte Lodge in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. He holds a BA in English from UCLA and an MFA in Flute Performance from California Institute of the Arts, and has performed with bands as diverse as the Los Angeles Philharmonic New Music Group, the Aspen Festival Orchestra, The Four Seasons, the Delphonics, his own jazz trio and the infamous Berea Castoffs(http:--www.mclains.com-castoffs). His writings, including chapters from Song of the Winter Wren, appear in many obscure literary magazines.

Our Price: $21.99

Appalachian Trail Guide to Tennessee - North Carolina
Appalachian Trail Conference (Editor)

From the Publisher:
Eleventh Edition, 1995. Covers 294 miles from Damascus, Virginia, near the Tennessee line to the southern end of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park at Fontana Dam. North Carolina, including parts of the Cherokee and Pisgah national forests and the park. Includes three four-color topographic maps on two sheets, with elevation profiles (scale, 1:100,000), plus the five-color topographic map of the park (1:62,500) published by Trails Illustrated. 275 pages.

Our Price: $24.95

Birth of a National Park in the Great Smoky Mountains
Carlos C. Campbell

From the Publisher:
Annually millions of people admire the Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s primeval beauty - towering peaks, sparkling cascades, virgin forests, and remarkable variety of wildflowers and shrubs. One of the nation’s most popular national parks did not just "come to be" a logical and natural development on federally-owned land. Instead, it was the first national park to be acquired from private owners and given by the people to the federal government. Establishment of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park climaxed an unprecedented crusade that is a story of almost fanatic dedication to a cause, as well as one of frustration, despair, political bias, and even physical violence.

Our Price: $14.95

Great Smoky Mountains National Park
David Petersen

From the Publisher:
Children’s Press is pleased to introduce True Books for a new generation!Completely redesigned for today’s young, investigative reader, True Books are an indispensable addition to any collection. Each book guides the reader through the facts that nurture their need to know.The new, dynamic True Books design features: -- an inviting and interactive page format-- a readable and attractive typeface-- large, bold, and brilliant full-color photographsThe True Books series takes the young reader beyond the standard, fact-filled text by adding avenues for further discovery. Each book includes a variety of sidebars, highlighting extra facts that will fascinate children. In the Important Words section, young readers will find a glossary of words that will both challenge and expand their vocabulary. Each book includes a To Find Out More section, where every curious reader can find a list of related books to read and organizations to contact.True Books also point readers to the vast electronic universe of information on the Internet. Each book will list: -- e-mail addresses to help the reader contact individuals and organizations-- appropriate newsgroups and mailing lists-- FTP sites to download fun and useful softwareBegun in the 1950s, True Books are universally embraced as the definitive nonfiction series for young readers. Now in its third incarnation, the True Books series has once again evolved to meet the needs and tastes of modern readers and educators.

List Price: ~~$$20.00~~ Our Price: $10.00

Lonely Planet Great Smoky Mountains and Shenandoah National Parks
Lonely Planet

List Price: ~~$$21.99~~ Our Price: $17.59

Our North Carolina
Kevin Adams

From the Publisher:
What is it about North Carolina that makes our state so special? See for yourself in "Our North Carolina", a stunning pictorial tour through every beautiful corner of our popular state-a tour that captures our unique character and landscape. From the Great Smoky Mountains to the sandy Atlantic beaches and the Outer Banks; from Civil War battle sites and vivid hues of autumn foliage along the Blue Ridge Parkway to cities, farmland, and much more, renowned local photographer Kevin Adams showcases the people and places that make North Carolina such a splendid state in which to live and visit. Kevin Adams is the photographer of "North Carolina Waterfalls," "Wildflowers of the Southern Appalachians," "Waterfalls of Virginia and West Virginia," "Hiking Great Smoky Mountains National Park," and "North Carolina’s Best Wildflower Hikes." A member of the North American Nature Photography Association, Adams has received many awards, including one from the North Carolina Zoological Park, 1998; the North Carolina Year of the Coast Award, 1995; and the North Carolina Year of the Mountains Award, 1996.

List Price: ~~$$19.95~~ Our Price: $15.96

Preserving Nature in the National Parks: A History
Richard West Sellars

From the Publisher:
This book traces the epic clash of values between traditional scenery-and-tourism management and emerging ecological concepts in the national parks, America’s most treasured landscapes. It spans the period from the creation of Yellowstone National Park in 1872 to near the present, analyzing the management of fires, predators, elk, bear, and other natural phenomena in parks such as Yellowstone, Yosemite, Grand Canyon, and Great Smoky Mountains.

From The Critics:
BooknewsA historian with the National Park Service traces the clash of values between traditional scenery management for tourists and environmental concerns from the creation of Yellowstone National Parks in 1872 to the present. Drawing largely on original documents, he analyzes the management of fires, predators, elk, bear, and other natural phenomena in such parks as the Grand Canyon, Yosemite Valley, the Teton Mountains, and of course Yellowstone itself. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or. Kirkus ReviewsA dry but useful academic study of misguided federal resource management and ecological experimentation."Nature preservation—especially that requiring a thorough scientific understanding of the resources intended for preservation—is an aspect of park operations in which the [National Park] Service has advanced in a reluctant, vacillating way," writes Sellars, a historian with the Park Service. More directly put, his study shows how the Park Service has throughout its existence allowed the preservation of endangered species and habitats to be governed by changes in administrations and political styles. Charged with the divided mission of maximizing "recreational tourism and public enjoyment of majestic landscapes" on the one hand, and keeping undisturbed large sections of wild land on the other, the service has generally favored the first, putting science in the backseat. Among Sellars’s cases in point is a scientific survey in Yellowstone National Park that involved marking grizzly bears’ ears with colored tags, a survey halted in part because tourists complained about the bears’ odd appearance. He goes on to charge that as the Park Service grows in size, its ranks are increasingly filled with part-timers and "technicians," not with dedicated scientists who can train the government’s resources on analyzing the ecosystems under its charge. Regrettably, many of his most interesting observations are buried in his endnotes, in which he tells, among other tidbits, the story of the Park Service’s transferring a mountain in Colorado to the Forest Service after a rock slide altered its face and, presumably, obliterated its scenic grandeur. Sellars does not make the reader’s task an easy or pleasant one—a shame, because he has much to say to those interested in the way national resources are managed.

Our Price: $45.00

Song of the Winter Wren: A LeConte Lodge Journal
David Witherspoon