Press release from Friends of the Smokies:
ASHEVILLE, NC – Escape the summer heat on the high ridges with a guided hike in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. On Tuesday, July 10 Friends of the Smokies will offer a 7.2 mile hike on the Appalachian Trail and Mountains-to-Sea Trail. A 1,600 foot ascent will take the group to Clingmans Dome, the highest point in the park, and to Andrews Bald.
Beth Ransom, accomplished hiker and Smokies supporter, will lead the hike. Beth has hiked many trails both inside and outside the park, and recently completed the Camino del Norte, a pilgrimage to Santiago, Spain that travels several hundred miles.
The hike is a fundraiser for Trails Forever, a partnership between Friends of the Smokies and the National Park Service. Trails Forever funds a full-time trail crew to reconstruct and rehabilitate some of the park’s most impacted trails.
Meeting locations for the daylong excursion will be in Asheville, Waynesville, and at the trailhead. To learn more or register for any Classic Hike visit Hike.FriendsOfTheSmokies.org. Individual hikes are $20 for current Friends of the Smokies members and $35 for new and renewing members. The Classic Hikes of the Smokies series is sponsored by Smoky Mountain Living, Mission Health, Diamond Brand Outdoors, Equilibar, HomeTrust Bank, Smoky Park Supper Club, and Leap Frog Tours.
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