Jared BeelerExplorer

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED TO HAVE A 4WD VEHICLE OR ALL WHEEL DRIVE.  The road to the trail-head can be very dangerous at times because of mud and debris, because of this an all wheel drive at least is very useful if you only have a 2WD car or truck I suggest only going in dry conditions.  When you get to the trail-head it is about a half mile to the tower to view the elk. Due to the wild nature of the...

North River Road is located in the Nantahala National Forest near Tellico Plains. To get to North River Campground you can either drive up the Cherohala Skyway about 6 miles then turn when you see the sign for the campground and bald river falls. Another way to get to the campsites along North River road is from the top of the parkway via North River Road from the parkway the first campsite is ...

The Cowee Bald Fire Tower is located in the Nantahala National Forest near Bryson City North Carolina. To get there you can either drive almost all the way to the top about .2 miles from the top but to get there you will need to have a 4WD or a higher clearance vehicle to cross a small stream. However, if you do not have a a 4WD you can park at an area close to the river and hike the rest of th...

This hike is a great, short hike for all ages. It shows the sandstone formation of the area very well and features a large cliff, an overhang, and a small stream at the bottom. The hike is only 0.4 of a mile total and has a small elevation change. It is probably the easiest hike in this area.  The parking for this trail is right off of the main road that runs through Pickett State Park. The par...

This park is located in south Knoxville. The wildlife management area is very popular in the sunflower season. This area offers many activities including biking, hiking and photography. There are several trails that run through the area but some of them are closed in hunting season so make sure to read the signs posted around the area that tell when the trails are open. During July and early Au...

This Urban park is located in North Knoxville. The park is only a few minutes from downtown Knoxville. This park is small but offers a nice wilderness in the city. There is a lot of wildlife at this park. The park has many hiking/biking trails through the park. In total there is 1.5 miles of greenway through the wooded area. The trails here are all paved and can be used from dawn till dusk. The...

This trail is located in the Seven Islands Birding State Park. This park is east of Knoxville only about 20 minutes from downtown Knoxville. The park is small but there is plenty of beauty and lots of hiking trails in the area. At the beginning of the trail there is a gorgeous flower garden and a picnic area that provides a great place to look for and watch birds. This trail is one of the more ...

Hazard Cave is a gorgeous very large sandstone formation. The hike is located in Pickett State Park which is right next to Big South Fork National Recreation Area. This hike is the shortest option to get to Hazard Cave. If you are looking for a longer hike you can take the entire loop hike to get to the cave. This hike is only .3 of a mile total but has a lot of stairs to get down to the cave. ...

This scenic overlook is along the Highland Scenic Highway. The highway runs through the Monongahela National Forest. The overlook has an amazing view and is a great area to explore. There are two trails that lead off from the overlook and they have a gorgeous spruce forests.  

Watson Mill State Park has many different things to offer. The main attraction is the Watson Mill covered bridge. It is the longest covered bridge in Georgia it was built in 1885. The bridge is still driveable today as long as you are in a smaller vehicle I did it in a minivan and had plenty of room. The Watson Mill bridge showcases the historic acheivement of the times and how people would hav...

The road to get to this waterfall is right off of NC 215 which comes right off of the Blue Ridge Parkway and is only about 3 miles away from parkway. The parking area is very small and does not offer many parking spots but since it is not that popular of an area parking is usually not a problem. The trail goes under the guard rail down a very steep embankment then is flat the rest of the way th...

You will start your hike at the bottom of the volcano. The cost to get into the park is 5$ per vehicle or 1$ for a walk-in or taxi. The cost of the park is absolutely worth it. On the way up the mountain you will start on a wide paved path that starts out relatively flat but gets steeper on the way up. Once the trail starts to go up it gets a lot steeper and starts dirt trail with lots of switc...

The trial-head for this hike had a very small parking area but there is some extra parking on down the road where you can park then walk to the start. The trail starts relatively flat with a small incline. As you go on it climbs slowly until you reach the steps that start the accent. There are about 50 steps to the top of the incline from there it is about a tenth of a mile up from there. When ...

The trail starts at the parking lot which has some nice bathrooms and a nice small picnic area that is open year-round. From the trailhead, you will follow the signs that will lead you to a short mostly flat, 7-mile hike to the first arch. Once you get to the first arch there is a small area with some rocks that make great seats to cool off in the shade and drink some water. The trail will cont...

This trail is located at the Ijams Nature Center. Ijams Nature Center is only 10 minutes from downtown Knoxville and is a great place to escape city life and enjoy the outdoors. The parking lot here is quite large and in the busy season it has an overflow lot too. Ijams Nature Center has many hikes but the most popular is the River Trail which takes you along the Boardwalk. The trail starts at ...

To get to this hike the easiest way is to go up Petros hwy near the closed Brushy Mountain State prison. The trailhead is a large gravel lot on the side of the road. The trail is an old road so it is wide and well taken care of. However, the trail is very steep all the way up. The trail has only a few spots that are flat or downhill. The trail comes to a small split 1.7 miles in and goes up the...

The gravel road heading to the trailhead is on the rougher side to take it slow. When you get to the trailhead it’s a small gravel pull off right off the road. There are no maps at the trailhead but there are only a few trails to take and they are marked with a blue marker.  To get to the upper falls head down the trail until you reach a three way split. It is about .75 miles to the campsites....

This is a great and easy hike through the Seven Islands Birding State Park. This park is located in east Knoxville and is one only 20 minutes from downtown Knoxville. The trail starts at the Seven Islands Birding Park parking lot that has a beautiful garden with lots of wildflowers. The trail is the main paved trail that starts next to the bathrooms/information center. The trail runs through th...