by Julie Dodd
The November Classic Hike of the Smokies was on a beautiful fall day — ten miles on the Noland Creek Trail.
The trail is a roadbed with a modest elevation gain (800 feet), compared with many hikes in the Smokies.
The hike, on Nov. 1, started on Lakeview Drive in a section of the Great Smokies Mountain National Park where people lived until the 1940s. The group saw some of the reminders of those inhabitants — crumbling homes and a cemetery — and hiked to campsite #64. Master hiker and author Danny Bernstein led the guided hike.
You can read more about the hike on Danny’s blog and see more photos in the Friends’ Facebook photo album from the hike.
Those who have hiked all the Classic Hikes for 2016 have logged in 85.7 miles.
The December hike on Dec. 6 will be to Grotto Falls on the Trillium Gap Trail and will provide the needed final miles to complete the Hike 100 Challenge. This is the last Classic Hike for 2016.
Monthly guided day hikes in the Classic Hikes series are $20 for members. New and renewing members may join Friends of the Smokies and hike for $35. Donations benefit Friends’ Smokies Trails Forever program which supports trail rehabilitation in GSMNP.
Visit Hike.FriendsoftheSmokies.org to register for any Classic Hike of the Smokies.