16 Best Hiking Destinations (PHOTOS)

There is something very special and spiritual about walking: fresh air, unlimited discovery, and ever finer views taking you as far as the eye can see. At a slower pace, there is the opportunity to enjoy nature's wonders, the hidden treats the world has to offer, which become sharper and focused far away from the blur of speed tours. We asked National Geographic for their favorite places to go for a hike.

Adapted from National Geographic's book "The 10 Best of Everything". Text and captions courtesy of National Geographic.

 

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Great Smoky Mountains

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The Great Smoky Mountains, long regarded as the ancestral homeland of the Cherokee Indians, is a region rich in natural diversity and pioneer history. Named by the Cherokee for the mysterious wisps of blue-gray smoke that often shroud the highest peaks, this majestic mountain range marks the southern climax of the Appalachian chain. Established as a national park in 1934, the area today spans a magnificent 500,000 acres, making it the largest wilderness area of the eastern United States. Within proximity of its extensive 900 miles of walking trails lies an abundant reserve of both natural and historic interests. The Smokies are home to more than 130 species of trees, 1,500 varieties of flowering plants, and 200 types of birds. Nestled within this haven of cascading waterfalls and fantastic mountain vistas stand the preserved remnants of pioneer heritage: the log cabins, farmhouses, grist mills, and barns built in the 18th and 19th centuries by European settlers. Entering into this immense and abundant forest, walkers can retrace a pioneer past that follows the footsteps first marked by the Cherokee Indians. Flickr: kypfly

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The Great Smoky Mountains, long regarded as the ancestral homeland of the Cherokee Indians, is a region rich in natural diversity and pioneer history. Named by the Cherokee for the mysterious wisps of blue-gray smoke that often shroud the highest peaks, this majestic mountain range marks the southern climax of the Appalachian chain. Established as a national park in 1934, the area today spans a magnificent 500,000 acres, making it the largest wilderness area of the eastern United States. Within proximity of its extensive 900 miles of walking trails lies an abundant reserve of both natural and historic interests. The Smokies are home to more than 130 species of trees, 1,500 varieties of flowering plants, and 200 types of birds. Nestled within this haven of cascading waterfalls and fantastic mountain vistas stand the preserved remnants of pioneer heritage: the log cabins, farmhouses, grist mills, and barns built in the 18th and 19th centuries by European settlers. Entering into this immense and abundant forest, walkers can retrace a pioneer past that follows the footsteps first marked by the Cherokee Indians.

Flickr: kypfly

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