“The reason I travel and explore the outdoors is simple,” writes Johnny Molloy, “the world is a beautiful place!” And Molloy would know: he has backpacked more than 2,500 nights in forty states. It is this experience—much of it garnered in his home state of Tennessee—combined with his extensive production of guidebooks spanning activities from hiking and camping to paddling and bicycling, that enabled him to produce Backpacking Tennessee: Overnight Trail Adventures from the Mississippi River to the Appalachian Mountains.

Complete with directions, distances, descriptions, and maps, Backpacking Tennessee is divided into four sections that together outline forty overnight hikes across West Tennessee, Middle Tennessee, the Cumberland Plateau, and East Tennessee and the Appalachian Mountains. The trails Molloy has chosen to highlight are a mix of well-known hikes and lesser-known areas, ranging in distance and difficulty for both novice hikers and experienced backpackers. Woven throughout the trail descriptions are comments on scenery, notes about safety, and historical information that help readers get a true feel for each hike. To round out his comprehensive guide, Molloy also includes ratings, 1–5, on the family- and dog-friendliness of each trail—an especially helpful feature for readers bringing loved ones along.

From the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Cherokee National Forest to Big South Fork and Land Between the Lakes, Tennessee offers thousands of miles of trails for adventurers looking to explore. For budding outdoor enthusiasts and experienced backpackers alike, Backpacking Tennessee answers the timeless question: where do we go next?

Hikers, outdoor enthusiasts, and Appalachian nature lovers will find Johnny Molloy’s Best Hikes at Mount Rogers a must-have for their next expedition to the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area. Drawing on Molloy’s own personal encounters and his past publications on the Mount Rogers area, this guide highlights what he calls the “can’t-miss” adventures of this regional treasure.

Outlining thirty-eight of the best Mount Rogers trail experiences, Molloy gives readers helpful insights and data, including trail distances, difficulty ratings, estimated hiking times, trail highlights and hazards, and elevation changes, as well as his own qualitative scoring on elements such as scenery, solitude, and family- and pet-friendliness. His trail descriptions are personable, direct, and precise, giving travelers and hikers a well-rounded and no-nonsense description of the area section by section. While seasoned hikers may recognize iconic Mount Rogers landmarks along the Appalachian Trail or the Virginia Creeper, beginning adventurists or those new to the area will encounter them for the first time—and find hidden gems as well.

Along with the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Shenandoah National Park, crown jewels of the Southern Appalachians, the Mount Rogers wilderness beams with biodiversity and life, a treasure not just for hiking but also for backpacking along rolling Appalachian ridges, fishing in pristine mountain creeks, and swimming in crystal-clear waters. Best Hikes at Mount Rogers highlights it all, offering readers a helpful companion to the challenges and rewarding experiences of Mount Rogers’s 154,000 acres of natural wonder.

Kentucky’s Daniel Boone National Forest is one of the crown jewels of the Bluegrass State’s outdoor attractions. Yet until now, there has been no detailed guidebook on this beautiful area. Johnny Molloy, a veteran guidebook writer, has compiled a detailed resource for enjoyable adventures in the Daniel Boone National Forest (DBNF).
 
In this guide, Molloy leads readers through forty hikes within the natural wonders of DBNF, including Natural Bridge and Cumberland Falls. Descriptions of each hike are straightforward and accurate, so readers can focus on enjoying natural features, scenic overlooks, interesting geological formations, and landmarks along the trails. Hikers will see the best of the Cumberland Plateau, from exquisite arches to bluffs that offer extensive vistas to waterfalls that descend into sandstone cathedrals. The paths tread through deep forests in gorges cut by creeks and rivers and atop the Cumberland Plateau, where oak and pine forests range long distances. Rockhouses, caves, and other geological features stand out in these rich woodlands. Hikers may also encounter protected plants and animals along these trails, including the red-cockaded woodpecker, Virginia big-eared bat, freshwater mussels, white-haired goldenrod, and the black bear.
 
Detailed, easy-to-follow directions for each trail will allow hikers to progress on their chosen course without frustrating detours. The hikes range in distance, difficulty, and destination, offering the full breadth of hiking experiences to be had within the DBNF. The shortest hike is under a mile, and the longest is ten, with most somewhere in the middle. Hikers can use the chart at beginning of the book to select the perfect trail for their experience level and desires. Also included are detailed trail maps and photos.
 
For the new hiker as well as the experienced outdoor adventurer, Day Hiking Kentucky’s Daniel Boone National Forest is sure to become an indispensable guide to one of Kentucky’s national treasures.
 
Johnny Molloy has published more than sixty books about hiking and other forms of outdoor adventure, including Trial by Trail: Backpacking in the Smoky Mountains, second edition, and Mount Rogers National Recreation Area Guidebook: A Complete Resource for Outdoor Enthusiasts, third edition.