To celebrate the centennial anniversary of the National Park Service in 2016, Ben Anderson went into the woods of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, America’s most visited national park. One million steps later, he had hiked more than four hundred miles on all or part of seventy-one different trails. During the year, he hiked three or four hikes each month—some on trails he had frequented in the past, some on trails he had never hiked before. In Smokies Chronicle: A Year of Hiking in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, he invites us to share his journey.
During his outings, Ben jotted down his observations in a thirty-year-old Hiking Notes book. Drawing on these notes, he wrote Smokies Chronicle. The book provides a fresh look at the Smokies wilderness as witnessed during its four distinct seasons in a single year. In each of the forty personal narratives in the book, Anderson describes what he encounters along the trail. He also supplies historical background, information about ora and fauna, and helpful advice for those following in his footsteps.
Come for inspiration and a chance to chat with Ben.
