TN · Southeast
8 forest guides within driving distance
Complete guide to Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests in Georgia. Trail recommendations, campgrounds, waterfalls, Appalachian Trail access, and trip planning resources.
15 min read
North Carolina's Nantahala National Forest is the most visited national forest in the Eastern United States. Over 531,000 acres of Southern Appalachian terrain host the Appalachian Trail, old-growth Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest, and some of the highest waterfalls in the East.
7 min read
181,000 acres of Alabama's Cumberland Plateau, with the Sipsey Wilderness, one of the Southeast's great sandstone canyon and waterfall landscapes, home to the longest free-flowing river in Alabama.
6 min read
393,000 acres of Alabama's Appalachian foothills and Cheaha highland, with Cheaha Mountain (the highest point in Alabama), the Cheaha Wilderness, and the Pinhoti National Recreation Trail.
6 min read
Complete guide to Pisgah National Forest in western North Carolina. Trail recommendations, campgrounds, waterfalls, Blue Ridge Parkway access, and trip planning resources.
13 min read
371,000 acres across three South Carolina districts, from the Piedmont hills of the Andrew Pickens District to the coastal plain Long Cane and Enoree Districts, with Chattooga Wild and Scenic River, waterfalls, and Appalachian foothills hiking.
7 min read
Oconee National Forest protects 115,000 acres of Georgia Piedmont forest along the Oconee River tributaries, offering accessible hiking, fishing, and camping near Atlanta and Macon.
5 min read
Alabama's smallest national forest: 11,000 acres of Piedmont longleaf pine and upland hardwood adjacent to Tuskegee, with the historic Bartram Trail and quiet forest recreation.
6 min read
An 8.8-mile loop through the Cohutta and Rich Mountain Wilderness areas in Chattahoochee National Forest, Georgia, with 1,800 feet of gain through some of the most remote hardwood forest in the southern Appalachians.
7 min read
The Ocoee Section of the Benton MacKaye Trail covers 5.5 miles out and back through the Ocoee River corridor, offering river views and ridge walking in Cherokee National Forest's southern unit.
3 min read
The Clemmer Trail is a 3.8-mile out-and-back ridge hike on Chilhowee Mountain in Cherokee National Forest's southern unit, with lake views over Parksville Lake and easy access from US-64.
3 min read
Coker Creek Falls Trail is a 3.0-mile loop visiting a 25-foot cascade in the Coker Creek watershed, one of the better-maintained and least crowded waterfall trails in Cherokee National Forest's southern unit.
3 min read
Bald River Falls Trail is a 2.5-mile out-and-back walk through the Tellico River corridor to one of Tennessee's most photogenic waterfalls, where Bald River drops 100 feet directly into the main river.
3 min read
Unicoi Mountain Trail climbs 4.2 miles out and back through old-growth forest remnants to a ridge with views east into North Carolina, one of the quieter ridge hikes in Cherokee National Forest.
3 min read
Guide to hiking Springer Mountain via the Appalachian Trail Approach Trail from Amicalola Falls State Park. A strenuous 16.2-mile out-and-back to the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail in Georgia.
11 min read
Guide to hiking Blood Mountain via the Appalachian Trail from Byron Reece Trailhead in Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests. Georgia's highest point on the AT at 4,458 feet, with panoramic views and a historic stone shelter.
9 min read
A 2.0-mile figure-eight loop through one of the last remaining old-growth cove hardwood forests in the Eastern United States. Yellow poplars exceeding 20 feet in circumference grow here, making this short walk one of the most striking forest experiences in the Southeast.
5 min read
A 10.0-mile loop along the ridgeline rim of the Fires Creek watershed in the southern Nantahala National Forest. Remote backcountry terrain, sustained ridgeline views, and minimal foot traffic make this one of the most rewarding long loops in the southern Appalachians.
4 min read
Guide to hiking Brasstown Bald via the Freeman Trail in Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests, Georgia. A 6.2-mile out-and-back to the state's highest point at 4,784 feet, with views into four states and a staffed visitor center at the summit.
7 min read
Guide to hiking Raven Cliff Falls Trail in Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests. A 5-mile hike through a rhododendron gorge to one of Georgia's most dramatic waterfalls, where water pours through a massive cleft in the rock face.
8 min read
Guide to the Dukes Creek Falls Trail in Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests, Georgia. A 2.4-mile out-and-back to a 250-foot waterfall cascade, with a viewing platform and a trail to the base of the falls.
7 min read
Guide to Anna Ruby Falls Trail in Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests. A short, paved, wheelchair-accessible trail to a stunning double waterfall near Helen, Georgia.
9 min read
An 8.0-mile out-and-back on the Appalachian Trail through the Nantahala National Forest section near Wayah Bald. The route traverses high-elevation ridgelines with views, rhododendron tunnels, and classic Southern Appalachian AT character.
4 min read
A 4.0-mile out-and-back to the 4,627-foot Wayah Bald summit and its historic stone observation tower. The hike follows the Appalachian Trail and offers some of the best 360-degree views in the southern Appalachians.
4 min read
The 9.0-mile out-and-back to Standing Indian Mountain follows the Appalachian Trail to the highest point in the Georgia-North Carolina area south of the Smokies. The 5,499-foot summit delivers 360-degree views across the Southern Appalachians.
4 min read
A 6-mile out-and-back along Shoal Creek in Talladega National Forest's Shoal Creek District, through mountain hardwood forest with good creek fishing and seasonal wildflowers.
3 min read
A 4.5-mile out-and-back along Cave Creek through a narrow mountain gorge in Talladega National Forest's Shoal Creek District, with waterfalls, hemlock, and good creek fishing.
3 min read
An 8.0-mile out-and-back along the Bartram Trail in Nantahala National Forest, following the historic route of naturalist William Bartram through the Southern Appalachians. Ridgeline walking, mountain views, and rich wildflower corridors.
4 min read
An easy 3.5-mile loop around Coleman Lake in Talladega National Forest's Shoal Creek District, with forested lake scenery, swimming access, and a relaxed base camp feel.
4 min read
A 6.8-mile out-and-back to one of Georgia's finest waterfalls in Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests, following Panther Creek through hardwood forest to a 75-foot cascade near Toccoa.
6 min read
An easy 3-mile loop near the Cheaha Wilderness in Talladega National Forest, with rocky ridge viewpoints and an accessible introduction to the Cheaha Mountain highlands.
3 min read
A 7.5-mile out-and-back to Cheaha Mountain, the highest point in Alabama at 2,407 feet, through the Cheaha Wilderness in Talladega National Forest with rocky summit views across Alabama's ridge-and-valley country.
3 min read