Not all hikes involve waterfalls. True statement. Some people don’t believe this, and one went as far as commenting on my Facebook post about a trail hike: What’s the point if there isn’t a waterfall? That moron was quickly unfriended. I do love my waterfall hikes but after my knee surgery and my being told repeatedly by my doctor that if I didn’t stop with the crazy scrambles until my knee healed, it was going to take forever, I took up distance hiking. It began with the CMC Firetower Challenge, then the 250 mile stretch of the MST from Linville to Clingman’s Dome. I was working the Pisgah 400 but the Smokies got moved to the front of the line. My ‘map’ will be done in early 2025 if all goes well. Below are some of my favorite non-waterfall hikes. They tend toward longer distances, but they were ones I really enjoyed for different reasons.
1 – Mount LeConte (Double Summit) Boulevard and Rainbow, Trillium and Bullhead – 32 miles
2 – The Black Mountain Crest Trail – Hitting all peaks – 12 miles
3 – The Lakeshore Trail – Bryson City to Fontana Dam – 36 miles
4 – Clingman’s Dome to Mingus Mill – 8000 feet of descent 4000 feet of ascent – 26.5 miles
5 – The GSMNP Western End – Hannah Mountain and Wolf Ridge – 22 miles
6 – The Shut-In Trail – MST from the Pisgah Inn to the NC Arboretum – 20.5 miles
7 – Hazel Creek – Kuwohi to Fontana Lake – 23 miles
8 – Road to Nowhere – Kuwohi to Bryson City – 19.5 miles
9 – Goshen Prong – Jakes Creek Loop – 25.8 miles
10 – Old Settlers – Maddron Bald – 16 miles