Mountain Bike! The Southern Appalachian and Smoky Mountains

The southern Appalachian and Smoky Mountains are some of the oldest mountains in the world. They may not scrape the sky like the monsters out West, but in trade you get an unbroken carpet of stunning natural beauty: serene, old-growth forests with generous shade, secluded coves bursting with wildflowers, craggy granite overlooks where Native Americans once kept watch, and gently rolling valleys that breathe out peaceful antiquity.

Finding the perfect trails is an art in this landscape, and the newly revised Mountain Bike! The Southern Appalachian and Smoky Mountains is an indispensable friend for any fat-tire Picasso. You get the most detailed information on almost 100 of the best rides throughout the mountains, including tours through the Great Smokies, Pisgah, Nantahala, and Cherokee National Forests, northern Georgia, the Foothills, and the popular Tsali Trails. Author Steve Jones knows his Appalachians, and he's ridden all over them to uncover trails for every mountain biker's ability and tastes. If it's good riding, it's profiled here.

Each route profile features:

• at-a-glance key information
• a thorough ride description
• a detailed trail map
• helpful sources of information
• proximity of important services
• valuable commentary on elevation changes and possible hazards
• a rescue index

Mountain Bike! The Southern Appalachian and Smoky Mountains also features candid and evocative photographs, vivid descriptions of native flora and fauna, a glossary of mountain biking terms, and tips on mountain biking etiquette.

Steve Jones, author of Mountain Bike! The Deep South, Mountain Bike! Florida, and Mountain Bike Technique: A Nuts n' Bolts Guide, has ridden single- and double-track all over the country. An Appalachian boy at heart, born and raised around the mountains, he wants bikers everywhere to discover his home country for the dirt-head's paradise he knows it to be.