Come for a guided nature walk with A Walk in the Woods and explore meadows sparkling with wildflowers...the majesty of old-growth trees...the caress of emerald-green moss...the symphony of a waterfall. Or stand on top of a mountain, surrounded by a floating mist, looking into an endless sea of mountains. Your guides include Erik and Vesna Plakanis who have hiked thousands of miles through these mountains and they'll lead you to some of the most magical places in North America. When you take a guided nature walk with them, you'll learn about the natural and human history of the Smokies in a fun and delightful way. You'll hear Cherokee lore and maybe an Appalachian tall tale. You'll learn what the Native Americans and Settlers did for food and medicine before the there were grocery stores and pharmacies. You might even sample a tasty mountain treat. Every guided walk is geared towards enjoying the journey at a pleasant pace, using all of your senses to explore nature in a new way. Below are some of our guided nature walks.

We offer a 20% discount for kids under 18, and adults over 60. We also offer an additional 10% discount for parties of 4 or more. Please mention discounts that apply when booking the walk. For groups of 10 or more please call or email for group pricing, or see our groups page.

We can provide transportation from most Gatlinburg locations for a small additional fee.

A sample of the walks we offer are:

 

2008 Pricing
Two and a Half Hour Guided Nature Walks. These walks offer a great introduction to the Great Smoky Mountains and what makes them so special.
Title of Walk A Stroll Back in Time
Length/Price Two and a Half Hours - $25* (Includes snacks)
Upcoming Dates Call for schedule (865) 436-8283 or request walk online
Description

This walk begins in one of the first areas settled in what is now the National Park. The trail is on an old roadbed, alongside a pristine and gorgeous mountain stream. We'll explore a small family cemetery, a 19th century barn, spring-house and restored cabin and more, while walking through the beauty of the deep forest. This walk is a great introduction to the Smokies.

Rating: For a 2.5 Hour walk this is Easy with a couple of Moderate spots.

Title of Walk Spring Wildflower Walk (This is a "Stroll Back in Time" plus)
Length/Price Three Hours - $35* (Includes snacks)
Upcoming Dates
This walk is offered March 15th - May 15th.
Call for schedule (865) 436-8283 or request walk online
Description

This walk offers one of the finest wildflower exhibits in the Smokies. The trail begins on a wide, old roadbed, alongside a gorgeous and pristine mountain stream. We'll explore a small family cemetery, a 19th century barn, spring-house and restored cabin. Several varieties of flowers make this an extra special trek in the spring. We'll than leave the human history behind as our trail narrows to a small woodland path that leads to a magical world of lush mosses, old trees and a magnificent display of spring wildflowers! This is truly some of the best that the Smokies has to offer, so bring your camera!

Rating: For a 3 Hour walk this is Easy with a couple of Moderate spots.

Title of Walk Top of Old Smoky
Length/Price Two and a Half Hours - $35 (Includes snacks)
Upcoming Dates
This walk is offered April 1- November 30th.
Call for schedule (865) 436-8283 or request walk online
Description

Come take a walk to the highest point in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Clingman's Dome. Most who walk up to the Dome take a tough paved trail to the top, but we'll take you to the Dome up a hidden trail. . On a clear day, we can see Fontana Lake and beyond. The trail spills out to the crowded but scenic tower where you get 360 degree views of the world the tallest point in the Park, a place considered sacred to the Cherokee Indians.

Rating: For a 2.5 Hour walk this is Moderate.

Title of Walk Old Settlers Walk
Length/Price Two and a Half Hours - $25 (includes snacks)
Upcoming Dates Call for schedule (865) 436-8283 or request walk online
Description

Take a pleasant stroll back in time with A Walk in the Woods. This walk takes you through one of the areas of the Park most richly steeped in history. Journey down an old settler's wagon trail and explore some forgotten homesteads along the way while strolling through the Smokies. On this quiet walk, we'll visit a typical pioneer farm made exclusively by hand, from materials gathered from the woods.

This walk travels un-maintained trails, and is not suitable for people with strong reactions to poison ivy during the summer and fall months.

Rating: For a 2.5 Hour walk this is Easy with a couple of Moderate spots.

Title of Walk Natural Pools and Waterfalls
Length/Price Two and a Half Hours - $30 (includes snacks)
Upcoming Dates Call for schedule (865) 436-8283 or request walk online
Description

Take a naturalist's ramble off the beaten path to explore a hidden world of charming small Appalachian Mountain waterfalls. We will visit several along an un-maintained trail through old farm fields. This walk is moderately strenuous, with sprinkles of adventure when we rock hop across streams, and crest narrow ridges. An alternate walk will be offered during periods of wet weather.

This walk travels un-maintained trails, and is not suitable for people with strong reactions to poison ivy during the summer and fall months.

Rating: For a 2.5 hour walk this is Moderate with a couple of Difficult spots.

Title of Class Exploring Nature with Children
Length/Price
Two hours
$30 per person, $100 per family (up to 5).
Great for school kids, scouts or families .
Rating Easy. Suitable for anybody in reasonable shape.
Upcoming Dates
Call for schedule (865) 436-8283 or request walk online
Description

Give your kids the gift of play and imagination using nature as inspiration.

Spend an afternoon reconnecting with Mother Nature through fun games designed to awake enthusiasm, focus attention and create conditions conducive to deeper insights. We will get our hands dirty playing in the earth, exploring creeks while looking for salamanders, tasting nature's foods and soaking up the fresh air and sounds of the woods. This course is the cure for Nature Deficit Disorder.

Half Day Walks. Ready for more? These walks take us deeper into Smokies and are longer and often cover more rugged terrain than our two and a half hour walks.
Title of Walk Turning Back the Clock
Length/Price Half Day - $45 (includes lunch and snacks)*
Upcoming Dates Call for schedule (865) 436-8283 or request walk online
Description

This walk is the "Stroll Back in Time"… and beyond. We will walk through a new forest recovering from man's impact. While walking along this lovely wide trail, we will see how people used their ingenuity to live off the land. The trail is wide, paralleling a gorgeous and pristine mountain stream. We'll explore a small family cemetery, a 19th century barn, spring-house and restored cabin. The trail narrows as we leave all signs of human activity when we enter a doorway to a rare world of old growth trees. See trees that were here when the Cherokee inhabited this beautiful land. On this charming trail, we'll see plants that are found nowhere else on earth, and lunch by a gentle cascade.

This walk is a spring wildflower show-case in April and May.

Rating: For a Half Day this is Moderate.

Title of Walk Scenic River Walk
Length/Price Half Day - $40(includes lunch and snacks)*
Upcoming Dates Call for schedule (865) 436-8283 or request walk online
Description

This walk takes place in an area rich with human history, controversy and scenic beauty. The trail is a wide, gentle grade that parallels the misnamed Little River with its dramatic and scenic white water and cascades. Our walk will be peppered with several stops along the way as we learn about the plants, animals, geology and rich human history of this special region.

Rating: For a Half Day this is Easy.

Title of Walk Inspiration Point Excursion
Length/Price Half Day - $48(includes lunch and snacks)*
Upcoming Dates Call for schedule (865) 436-8283 or request walk online
Description

Walk along a beautiful mountain stream through an old growth forest. Climb up the side of one of the most picturesque mountains, experiencing incredible views of artistic rock formations. Picnic on a beautiful rock outcropping surrounded by blueberry bushes, mountain laurel and plants found only on Southern Appalachian Heath Balds, while basking in the views of the mountains below. We may even get a glimpse of the Peregrine Falcons that nest near by. This walk is moderate, and takes place on a very popular trail.

Rating: For a Half Day this is Moderate.

Title of Walk Appalachian Bald Trek
Length/Price Half Day - $55(includes lunch and snacks)*
Upcoming Dates
This walk is offered May - October
Call for schedule (865) 436-8283 or request walk online
Description

Your guided walk begins in the busy Clingman’s Dome Parking lo t. Leave the crowds behind as we walk through the Southernmost extent of a forest found 1,000 miles north of Tennessee. On a clear day you’ll marvel at the sea of mountains, beautiful Flame Azaleas in the summertime, and an artist’s palette of colors in the fall, while enjoying a nice picnic lunch on a beautiful Appalachian bald.

Rating: For a Half Day this is Moderate.

Title of Walk Birding with Carey Jones,voice of the "Bird Songs of the Smokies" CD:
Length/Price Half day tour: $125 for first person, $30 each additional person. Special group rates.
Upcoming Dates Call for schedule (865) 436-8283 or request walk online
Description

Spend a morning with expert birder Carey Jones and learn everything you need to know about the wonderful world of birding! We’ll cover the basics of binoculars, field guides, checklists, and CD’s, and then learn the simple steps to identifying birds, including using our ears. Explore various habitats to discover species – from Wood Thrush to Veery, Yellow-throated Warbler to Black-throated Blue. Resident birds are common, but so too the many colorful visitors from the tropics settling in to raise families in the Smokies. Along the way we’ll discuss the miracle of flight and other bird traits, have a hands-on look at a collection of bird nests, and offer ways to attract birds to your yard.

Rating: For a Half Day this is Moderate with Difficult spots.

Title of Walk Salamander Foray:
Length/Price Half Day - $100 first person, $25 each additional. $135 for a family of 4. Special rates for school,scout or other groups
Upcoming Dates Call for schedule (865) 436-8283 or request walk online
Description

Come discover why the Smokies are known as the Salamander Capital of the World. The Smokies have over 30 known species of salamanders in the Smokies—more than anywhere else in the world. Spend time visiting different forest communities in the Park, observing and capturing salamanders in their native habitats, and learning the role of these animals in forest ecosystems. We will also discuss the unique life histories of these complex creatures. The beauty and diversity of Smoky Mountain salamanders will amaze you. We have captured at least 12 species during previous programs.

Rating: For a Half Day this is Moderate.

 
 
Full Day Walks. Already have some experience in hiking in the mountains? Ready for total immersion? Than a Full Day Walk might be right for you. These walks cover more miles and often cover more rugged terrain than our half day walks.
Title of Walk Old Growth Walk
Length/Price Full Day (7-8 hours)- $70(includes lunch and snacks)*
Upcoming Dates Call for schedule (865) 436-8283 or request walk online
Description

Experience what the Eastern United States was just one hundred years ago when you explore one of the few remaining stands of virgin forest. During the first part of our walk, explore an original log cabin built in the eighteen hundreds. Then walk to a magical place that was spared the logger's saw, and see and touch gigantic trees, including one of the biggest in the Park. This is a seven-mile walk. Warning. This walk has turned ordinary people into tree huggers.

Rating: For a Full Day this is Moderate.

Title of Walk Woodland Wander
Length/Price Full Day (5-6 hours)- $55 (includes lunch and snacks)*
Upcoming Dates Call for schedule (865) 436-8283 or request walk online
Description

Walk along an old logging road while passing old homesteads, cascades and small waterfalls before we turn off onto a quiet woodland path. The path is a gentle trail, thick with Eastern Hemlocks and magnolias. Plenty of small stream crossings pepper our walk as we explore this relatively new forest. We’ll learn about the important plants that protect the diversity of these streams and discover the amazing aquatic life that calls these waterways home. We finish our walk through a ghost town, the site of an ongoing controversy coming to a head after 30 years.

Rating: For a Full Day this is Easy to Moderate.

Title of Walk Quiet Waterfall Stroll
Length/Price Full Day (5-6 hours)- $55 (includes lunch and snacks)*
Upcoming Dates Call for schedule (865) 436-8283 or request walk online
Description

Take a peaceful stroll through a less traveled area of the Park, past some old settler's homesteads, the remains of gigantic Chestnut trees, to a pleasant waterfall. Listen to Cherokee lore and area history while learning about yesterday's and today's natural medicines and foods.

Rating: For a Full Day this is Moderate.

Title of Walk Mountain Wonderland Walk
Length/Price Full Day (6 hours)- $65 (includes lunch and snacks)*
Upcoming Dates Call for schedule (865) 436-8283 or request walk online
Description

Walk along a beautiful mountain stream through an old growth forest. Climb up the side of one of the most picturesque mountains, experiencing incredible views of artistic rock formations. Picnic on a spot heavy with mountain history, starting with a geological anomaly to the tale of the first Cherokee to discover the bluff, to its importance during the Civil War. This guided walk is along a very popular trail, one often referred to as the most scenic in the Park.

Rating: For a Full Day this is Moderate to Difficult.

Title of Walk Appalachian Trail Walk
Length/Price Full Day(7-8 hours)- $75 (includes lunch and snacks)*
Upcoming Dates Call for schedule (865) 436-8283 or request walk online
Description

Travel a segment of one of the most famous trail in the world to one of the Park's most unique geological formations. Walk through a high elevation forest, past incredible vistas, visit an Appalachian Trail Shelter, and picnic on a rock formation that gives the viewer an almost 360 degree view of the sea of mountains that make up the Park. On this guided walk, you will learn about this Boreal forest and the plants and animals that call it home.

Rating: For a Full Day this is Difficult.

Title of Walk Birding with Carey Jones,voice of the "Bird Songs of the Smokies" CD:
Length/Price Full day birding tour: $200 first person, $40 each additional. Special group rates.
Upcoming Dates Call for schedule (865) 436-8283 or request walk online
Description

After this experience, you may never take a walk again without enjoying the wonder of birds – even in your own backyard! We’ll cover the basics of binoculars, field guides, checklists, and CD’s, and then learn the simple steps to identifying birds, including using our ears. We’ll start our short walks at low elevation, then carpool to mid and high elevation habitats to discover other species – from Wood Thrush to Veery, from Yellow-throated Warbler to Black-throated Blue. Resident birds are common, but so too the many colorful visitors from the tropics settling in to raise families in the Smokies. Along the way we’ll discuss the miracle of flight and other bird traits, have a hands-on look at a collection of bird nests, and offer ways to attract birds to your yard.

Rating: For a Full Day this is Moderate.

 

One Hour Walks. These walks are great for those with special needs, young children, strollers or pets.
Title of Walk Intro to Smokies
Length/Price One Hour - $10 **
Upcoming Dates Call for schedule (865) 436-8283 or request walk online
Description

This easy and level paved trail is a great introduction to the beauty and human history of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Chimneys and rock walls give us clues to the earlier history of the Sugarlands area. The paved walking trail is one of the few in the Park that is stroller and wheel chair friendly.

Rating: For a One Hour walk this is Easy.

Title of Walk Cove Forest Outing
Length/Price One Hour - $15 **
Upcoming Dates Call for schedule (865) 436-8283 or request walk online
Description

The Great Smoky Mountains National park is home to 90% of the Old Growth Forest left in the Eastern United States. Come take a guided nature walk in one such place. This forest is a beautiful example of a forest found only in these mountains and nowhere else on earth. On this walk, you’ll see first hand why maintaining old growth forests are important to preserve. See plants and trees found only in these Southern Appalachian mountains, learn not only to recognize them, but what the native people used for foods and medicines.

Rating: For a One Hour walk this is Moderate for Difficult spots.

Title of Walk Naturalists Amble
Length/Price One Hour - $15 **
Upcoming Dates Call for schedule (865) 436-8283 or request walk online
Description

This gentle trail is reminiscent of a hobbit garden. Wildflowers, moss, gentle mountain streams and ferns will keep us busy on this gentle walking trail, with their beauty and diversity. Half buried walls and chimneys give us a glimpse of the area’s recent past, offering a perfect view of nature’s amazing ability to recover.

Rating: For a one hour walk this is Easy to Moderate.

Title of Walk Pooch and Pal Trek
Length/Price One Hour - $15 **
Upcoming Dates Call for schedule (865) 436-8283 or request walk online
Description Most trails in the Smokies are for us 2-leggeds only, this one is a beautiful exception. Leaving right out of Gatlinburg, it is a convenient and easy walking trail along a lovely river. The walk provides enough smells to keep your furry four legged dog friend interested, while providing you a chance for a pleasant respite from the crowds. We’ll learn about the importance of Hemlock forests, and other water-loving trees, while enjoying the sounds of the river and cascades.

Rating: For a One Hour walk this is Easy.

* Included in parties of two or more.
** Two person minimum.
Looking for a greater challenge? Please visit our Hikes page.
Please call: 865-436-8283 or e-mail for reservations and more information.
A Walk in the Woods is celebrating our 10th year of business! In that time we have safely helped over 27,000 people enjoy the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. We are permitted through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and insured. We are Wilderness First Responders, certified in professional CPR and trained in Non-Lethal Aversive Bear Conditioning.

 

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