The Mountains-to-Sea Trail Across North Carolina: Walking a Thousand Miles through Wildness, Culture and History

by Danny Bernstein

The Mountains-to-Sea Trail shows off the most spectacular, historic and quirky elements of the North Carolina landscape.
Stretching one thousand miles from Clingmans Dome in the Smokies to Jockey's Ridge State Park in the Outer Banks, the route takes in Fraser fir trees and pelicans, old grist and textile mills, working cotton and tobacco farms, Revolutionary War sites and two British cemeteries complete with Union Jacks. The trail is half on footpaths and half on back roads, offering experiences not only in nature but also in small towns, at historic monuments, in family cemeteries and in local shops. Author Danny Bernstein has taken it all in and shares her knowledge for those who might follow in her footsteps.

Genres: Nonfiction, Travel, Nature

192 pages, Paperback

First published February 10, 2013

About the author

Danny's new book, DuPont Forest: A History published by The History Press September 2020.
Danny Bernstein is a hiker, hike leader, and outdoor writer. She's been a committed hiker since her early twenties, having completed the Appalachian Trail, all the trails in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the South beyond 6000 peaks, the Mountains-to-Sea Trail across North Carolina and three Caminos de Santiago. She currently leads hikes for Carolina Mountain Club, Friends of the Smokies and the Asheville Camino group.

She’s written two Southern Appalachian hiking guides, "The Mountains-to-Sea Trail across North Carolina" published by The History Press and "Forests, Alligators, Battlefields: My Journey through the National Parks of the South" to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service.

In her previous life, she worked in computer science, way before computers were cool, first as a software developer, then as a professor of computer science. Her motto is “No place is too far to walk if you have the time.”

Danny blogs regularly at hikertohiker.com.

Reviews

[Cindy]

This was a very interesting book, sharing some of the geography and history of places along the MST.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is another author in need of a skilled editor. The tone is frequently off-putting (e.g. sarcastic, passive-aggressive, callous, fatalistic, patronizing). The prose is remarkably and consistently redundant. The text can veer off-topic to such a degree that it is distracting. Sometimes, a sentence's subject isn't even discernable. And it was difficult to follow certain historical sections where few dates were supplied. In sum, a disappointing and frustrating read. Despite my complaints, I rated this book 2 stars, b/c I did learn a lot of fun trivia about NC. The content is there; it's just poorly delivered.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jam packed with interesting historical & cultural information about North Carolina. Also learned quite a bit about different plants, trees & wildlife in different parts of the state. Time to get out on the MST & hike some more of it.

[Cynthia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Danny Bernstein is a professional hiker, but keep in mind if you choose to read this book that she is most certainly not a professional writer. Although she provides some excellent historical context on both the MST and the NC communities in close proximity to the trail, she incorporates puzzling notes that distract from her stated mission of encouraging more people to get out and hike. Prepare to breathe past her judgey comments about people, communities, and even signs. Prepare to read diatribes about specific dogs who threatened her along the way. Yes, I appreciate warnings about dogs, but do you really think a specific dog described in minute detail in a 2013 book will be relevant in 2021 or beyond? You wrote that you wanted to warn future hikers against that dog in particular. Interesting approach. I look forward to hiking the MST, but this book didn't work for me.

[Nancy East · Rating 5 out of 5]

I live near the Mountains to Sea Trail (MST) in Western North Carolina and hike sections of it regularly. It’s a challenge finding a good resource for the MST’s history or one that gives me a broad overview of what to expect with each section. This book fulfilled a unique niche.

If you are looking specifically for a mile-by-mile trail guide, this is not your book. Friends of the Mountains to Sea Trail has publications that are better for that purpose. Also, if you’re looking specifically for a “trail memoir,” this book may also disappoint you. However, if a hybrid of these two types of books interests you, I suspect you will enjoy it. Danny combines both facts and story, weaving a fascinating narrative of her hikes along the MST, as well as giving the reader enough information to plan for their own walks along the MST.

Stunning full-color photo inserts enrich the text, making me wish to walk this 1175-mile path across the state of North Carolina even more. This was a fantastic way to vicariously hike the MST until I can do it with my own two feet in a couple of years.

[Steve Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the historical references and points of interest nuances, things you'd miss just doing the hike without the background.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this as someone who likes hiking and lives in NC, and this book certainly delivers with that. As a bonus, it's also a pretty thorough overview of the state's history and present at towns and other areas along the trail, which is most of the upper 3rd of the state.

[Nicholas · Rating 2 out of 5]

I hope you enjoy the book. I didn't. It was just poorly written.