Tenn./Smoky Mt. short hikes for beginners.

[Kymasabe]

I'm getting back into hiking after 30 years. I'm 54, overweight, and my knees are shot, but I'm gonna do it anyway.

Staying in Gatlinburg and I want to do a few short hikes while I'm there. I think I could handle up to 5 miles roundtrip/max., slow and steady gets the job done. Looking for views, wildlife and waterfalls/streams/water. I recently read that one of the popular trails is paved...which is not for me. A sidewalk in the woods is unnatural. I can handle some elevation but lets try to keep it light to moderate.

Suggestions ? Recommendations?

Yes, I joined REI, left a pile of $$ in the WinterPark, Florida store, and am ordering my Merrell Moab2 mid vents tomorrow. Probably overkill for the short hikes, but am hoping to respark the passion I had for hiking years ago, and want to know I have the right tools for the job.

Edited August 1, 2021 by Kymasabe

[Aaron Zagrodnick]

Best of luck getting back in the "trail groove". I'm not from the area, but we have featured a few articles on hikes close by in the past - might be worth a look! You can find a map view here:

https://www.trailgroove.com/trailfinder/