Five-Star Trails: Knoxville: Your Guide to the Area's Most Beautiful Hikes

by Johnny Molloy

Lace Up, Grab Your Pack, and Hit the Trails in Knoxville! Knoxville is a hiker’s nirvana, with national, state, and local parks that are home to a network of trails that wind through hilly woodlands, around expansive lakes, and along meandering rivers. And nobody knows this part of Tennessee better than veteran outdoor-adventure author Johnny Molloy. In Five-Star Knoxville, the description of each hike displays one- to five-star rankings in five Scenery, Difficulty, Trail Condition, Solitude, and Appropriateness for Children. Each entry also includes directions to the trailhead, at-a-glance info, a user-friendly map, GPS coordinates, an elevation profile, and a brief overview. Molloy details easy strolls through urban parks, adventurous treks through the wilds of the Great Smokies, rambles in the deep, dark hollows of the ridge-and-valley country, and everything in between.

240 pages, Paperback

First published August 9, 2011

About the author

Johnny Molloy is a self-employed outdoor writer based in Johnson City, Tennessee. A Christian -- member of First Presbyterian Church, native Tennessean and free-market capitalist, he was born in Memphis and moved to Knoxville in 1980 to attend the University of Tennessee. It is here in Knoxville, where he developed his love of the natural world that has since become the primary focus of his life.

It all started on a backpacking foray into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. That first trip, though a disaster, unleashed an innate love of the outdoors that has led to his spending over 100 nights in the wild per year, over the past 20 years, backpacking and canoe camping throughout our country and abroad. Specifically, he has spent over 650 nights in the Smokies alone, where he cultivated his woodsmanship and expertise on those lofty mountains.

In 1987, after graduating from the University of Tennessee with a degree in Economics, he continued to spend an ever increasing time in the natural places, becoming more skilled in a variety of environments. Friends enjoyed his adventure stories, one even suggested he write a book. Soon he was parlaying his love of the outdoors into an occupation.

The results of his efforts are 44 books.

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent review of hiking trails in the Knoxville and surrounding area. Very descriptive trail maps and summaries of trails. I've checked this out from the library a few times - I should just purchase it myself.