As I look out the window now, it is snowing and very cold. But in the Southern Appalachians, spring will be here very soon. Time to make some hiking plans.

Sign up for the first of many Friends of the Smokies Classic Hikes in Great Smoky Mountains National Park on Tuesday, March 8th. We’ll visit historic structures including the Hannah Cabin, Cook Cabin, and Little Cataloochee Baptist Church (see the photo above, right). You can even go into the church, which never ceases to amaze me.

Why did settlers come to Little Cataloochee? And in what direction did they come?

Today, how do you get to the Little Cataloochee area of the Smokies anyway? Though I keep saying that there are no secrets in national parks, some areas are harder to locate than others. And Little Cataloochee is tricky to find. That’s why you come with Friends of the Smokies Classic Hikes.

I’ll be leading along with Anna Lee Zanetti, Outreach and Development Associate for Friends of the Smokies. Little Cataloochee Trail, 6.6-miles roundtrip, is moderate in difficulty with a total elevation gain of 1,450 feet. It’s a good start to a great year of hiking.

Monthly membership guided day hikes are $20. New members may join Friends of the Smokies and hike for $35. Donations benefit the Friends’ Smokies Trails Forever program.

You can register for all ten hikes for the price of eight by mailing a check for $160 to Friends of the Smokies, 160 S. Main Street, Waynesville, NC 28786.

Visit hike.friendsofthesmokies.org for additional information.

Undecided and new to our Classic Hikes? Experienced and want to reconnect with your  hiking friends?

Join Friends of the Smokies at REI Asheville for a Find Your Park presentation on Thursday February 18 from 6:30-8:00 PM to learn more about day hiking in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It’s free but REI wants you to sign up. See you there.