The Blue Ridge Parkway is considered one of the top scenic drives in the United States. Its 469 miles travel across the mountain tops from Virgina, through North Carolina, to the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. Along the parkway are hundreds of mountain view pullouts, miles of hiking trails, and acres of mountain forest and wildflowers.
The Appalachian National Scenic Trail also follows a similar path. The super trail or Appalachian Trail spans 2,167 miles, from Maine to Georgia. Each year hundreds of ambitious hikers set out to make the entire trip. It's is a long, arduous journey, requiring a special attitude and calories by the thousands. The Smoky Mountains, pictured here, offer the highest, most primitive and some of the best Blue Ridge scenery along the Appalachian Trail.