A scenic, 70-mile portion of the 2,178-mile Appalachian Trail, which stretches from Springer Mountain in Georgia to Mount Katahdin in Maine, meanders through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Visitors to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park can enjoy the perfect day hike along the Appalachian Trail, which is the longest marked trail in the world. The Appalachian Trail winds through 14 states, 8 national forests, 6 national parks and more than 60 state parks. Rustic cabins are located throughout the trail (spaced about a day's hike apart).
For more information about the Appalachian Trail, write the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, P.O. Box 807, Harpers Ferry, West Virginia 25425-0807, or visit www.atconf.org.
APPALACHIAN TRAIL TRIVIA: The brainchild of forester Benton MacKaye, the Appalachian Trail was completed in 1937.