Backpacking Overnights - by Jim Parham (Paperback)

About the Book

"Lists fifty overnight backpacking excursions in the mountains of North Carolina and South Carolina, with maps, hiking and driving directions, and backcountry campsite locations. Destinations include Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests, Linville Gorge Wilderness, and more. Includes information on choosing and using backpacking gear; trail etiquette; and selecting a route"--Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

With 50 routes ranging from 3 to more than 30 miles, this guide features destinations like the pristine waterfalls of Panthertown Valley, the cliff overlooks of Linville Gorge Wilderness, and Shuckstack Tower in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. At Naked Ground in Nantahala National Forest, you can watch the sunrise from your sleeping bag. Each overnight hike entry includes maps, complete driving and hiking directions, elevation gain, trail highlights, campsite locations, water sources, and trailhead GPS coordinates. You'll also find information to help you choose gear, pick a route, and prepare for your backpacking adventure.

Review Quotes

Backpacking Overnights introduces readers to 50 different one-night and weekend backpacking trips in Western North Carolina and Upstate South Carolina. It also includes a section introducing readers to the basics of backpacking, maps of each hike, GPS coordinates and a mile-by-mile synopsis of landmarks and points of interest along each route. Parham is an outdoor expert in a number of fields from road biking to kayaking and this is his 13th guidebook.-- "Smoky Mountain News"

Milestone Press continues its mission of publishing quality outdoor guides with Jim Parham's Backpacking Overnights. From the best of the Great Smoky Mountains National Parks to Gorges State Park, Jim describes overnight backpacks in a clear, concise, and lively manner. I love the format. . . . I've only met one person who learned how to backpack from a book. Most hikers learn from others. Sometimes the advice is sound and other times it's lousy and every once in a while, it's dangerous. Jim Parham's new book offers detailed sound advice for the novice and experienced backpackers. Jim takes you by the hand, shows you that you can backpack, and gets you on the trail. He almost promises that you'll have a good time. . . . The section in his book on choosing and using gear is invaluable. Who knew that a closed-cell foam pad (the kind I use) could double as lightning protection in a thunderstorm? He discusses water purification systems while telling the reader that no matter how clear the water in the stream looks, chances are that there may be something that could make you sick. . . . Jim's book is the voice of experience. He remembers to pack a scrub pad to clean his cook pots. He reminds readers not to get too large a pack because 'space provided usually equals space filled.' And he's not afraid to have a section on 'Toilet Needs, ' even if he does call bodily functions number one and number two. He's so thorough in his approach to backpacking that I expected him to have a section on sex in the woods. . . . No matter how many hiking books you have on your shelf, get Backpacking Overnights. I'll meet you on the trail.--Danny Bernstein "author of Hiking the Carolina Mountains"

About the Author

JIM PARHAM grew up North Georgia. The author of numerous outdoor guidebooks, he has hiked, biked, and paddled extensively throughout the Southeast.