Five-star Trails Asheville ― 35 Spectacular Hikes in the Land of Sky

Five-Star Trails: Asheville by accomplished hiker and writer Jennifer Pharr Davis covers 35 hikes in the greater Asheville region, from area nature preserves to treks along the Blue Ridge Parkway and in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

The Asheville resident has sought out her favorite hikes, as well as a cross section of adventures on foot that exhibit the variety of hikes found in the greater Asheville region. Hikes include treks along the famed Appalachian Trail to waterfalls of the Pisgah National Forest. Other walks take you to the rhododendron blooms atop Craggy Gardens. Solitude can be found on remote Hickey Fork. And then there’s the granite domes and crashing cataracts of Dupont State Forest. Mix hiking and history at the Cradle of Forest or Mount Pisgah via Buck Springs Lodge. Soak in inspiring panoramas from Shining Rock Wilderness or Looking Glass Rock.

These fantastic hikes are laid out in an organized fashion by a professional hiker and speaker who exemplifies the heart and spirit of Asheville. Hikes range widely in elevation, distance, and difficulty, providing a variety of experiences for everyone. The guide provides in-depth trail descriptions, directions, and commentary on what to expect along the way. Each hike features an individual trail map, elevation profile, and at-a-glance information, helping readers quickly find the perfect trip.

Jennifer Pharr Davis grew up in the North Carolina Mountains, where day hiking was part of her life with her parents and two older brothers. At age 21, she took on the entire Appalachian Trail (AT) as a solo female and fell in love with long-distance backpacking.

Since then, Jennifer has hiked the AT twice more, earning endurance records. In 2008, averaging 38 miles per day and completing the AT in 57 days, she became the fastest woman on record to hike that trail. And in 2011, she set the overall record, completing the AT in 46 days, averaging 46.9 miles per day. Even though this record has now been eclipsed, Jennifer remains the fastest woman on record to hike the AT—and the fastest mother to hike the AT.

By mid-2011, she had logged more than 11,000 miles of North American trails. In addition to the AT, those treks include the Pacific Crest Trail, Vermont’s Long Trail, and the Colorado Trail. Traveling to six continents to exercise her hiking wanderlust, she cites Tanzania’s Mount Kilimanjaro, Peru’s Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, and Australia’s 600-mile Bibbulmun Track among her international highlights.

The author’s 2010 memoir, Becoming Odyssa: Adventures on the Appalachian Trail<\i> (Beaufort Books), chronicles her 2005 and 2008 AT thru-hikes. She also authored Best Easy Day Hikes: Charlotte<\i> (FalconGuides, 2010) and articles for Trail Runner<\i> magazine and Away.com. She is a frequent contributor to Blue Ridge Outdoors<\i> magazine.

In 2016, Jennifer was the recipient of the prestigious Laurel Wreath Award, bestowed upon her by the state of North Carolina for her outstanding athletic achievements.