Hiking Guide

During the hot, hazy days of August this is a perfect short and shady hike along a happily flowing river and its tributaries.

There's a lot to see, and at the trailhead is one of the park's nicest picnic grounds.

The hike starts out along a wide, graveled jeep road that runs parallel to the Metcalf Bottoms picnic area. As I hiked there were children laughing and splashing in Little River, happy welcoming sounds that took me back to sweet summertime memories.

For most of the year Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail is just as its name suggests -- an idyllic route for windshield sightseers who hesitate to leave their cars for more than a brief stroll.

For this reason, you won't find it in most hiking guides. Nevertheless, it's a great 51/2-mile walk in winter when the road is gated by the national park.

With Labor Day behind us, most of the tourists who clogged the roads into and out of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park all summer have departed. They will be back in October, so take advantage of September by taking a hike to Ramsay Cascades.

This trail offers many attractions, including rushing water along much of its length, abundant wildflowers, glimpses of rare old-growth forest and, at its end, one of the park's most stunning waterfalls. Actually, I'm told it's not a waterfall but a cascade. I personally can't tell the difference.

The newly revised "Hiking Trails of the Smokies," published by the Great Smoky Mountains Natural History Association, describes the Road Prong Trail as "wet, rocky, steep and beautiful" - a succinct but apt description. This is almost certainly the most historic trail in these mountains. I might add that it's slippery and includes a number of challenging stream crossings that require good balance, the help of a walking stick and, if possible, a strong hand to help you across.

Autumn's colors have come unusually late this fall, so even if you missed hiking in October you can still get more than a glimpse of nature's glory in the Smokies.

The West Prong Trail leads to one of the nicest back country campgrounds and picnicking spots in the national park and is ideal for late fall and winter hiking.