<< Back 10/23/02 Latest incarnation of popular hiking guide hits shelves SMN The Great Smoky Mountains Natural History Association has sponsored another printing of a classic Smokies hiking guide, Day Hikes of the Smokies by Carson Brewer and friends. First published in 1962 as Hiking in the Great Smokies, this guide has been continually updated and revised with nearly 150,000 copies in print. Many long-time park aficionados remember the Brewer book as their first guide to the many miles of trails that wind up the prongs and along the high ridges of the Great Smoky Mountains. Brewer is renowned as one of the leading experts on the natural and cultural history of the park and is widely enjoyed for his folksy writing style and subtle wit. He has authored hundreds of Knoxville News-Sentinel newspaper columns on the Smokies as well as the books A Wonderment of Mountains, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and the ever-popular booklet Cades Cove Tour. His hiking guide’s latest incarnation is in a handy 4 1/2” x 6” format that fits neatly into pocket or pack. Its 208 pages feature highly detailed shaded relief maps for each of the 34 hikes as well as useful elevation profile charts that clearly show how much climbing and descending lie ahead. There are also handsome black and white photos for most hikes and a special section at the back with descriptions of the park’s short but rewarding self-guiding nature trails. Brewer’s friends, including noted writers Margaret Lynn Brown, Doris Gove, and Ted Olson, have helped to update this latest edition of the book. Day Hikes of the Smokies is published by Great Smoky Mountains Natural History Association, a nonprofit organization that supports the educational, scientific, and historical efforts of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Brewer has generously donated all proceeds from the book to the association. To order, call 865.436.0120, visit www.SmokiesStore.org or stop by any park visitor center. The price is $8.95.