Wildflower Walks & Hikes: North Carolina Mountains 

by Jim Parham

The North Carolina Mountains comprise one of the most botanically diverse regions in the world, with more than 2,500 species of flowering plants, from the rare pink shell azaelea to the lovely fringed phacelia. But how do you find the one you’re looking for? When does it bloom, where can you see it, and how do you get there?

All these questions and more are answered in Jim Parham’s Wildflower Walks and Hikes: North Carolina Mountains. Written especially for hikers and created with portability in mind, this guide recommends 59 wildflower walks and hikes with photos, directions, maps, and GPS coordinates. Reference sections describe 13 forest types (for help finding where specific wildflowers flourish),  bloom schedules are listed by season, and over 300 color photos of wildflower specimens assist with positive identification.

Destinations include Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Blue Ridge Parkway, the Appalachian Trail, Nantahala & Pisgah National Forests, DuPont State Forest, and other public lands in the region. Botanical gardens with rare native plants are also listed, along with hikes that include waterfalls as well as wildflowers.

About the Author

Born in Raleigh, NC, Jim Parham grew up in north Georgia. He has spent his adult life cycling, hiking, and paddling all over the world. Once a kayak instructor, whitewater guide, and bicycle tour leader, Parham has been traveling the roads, rivers, and trails of the Southeast since childhood. He also draws the clear and easy-to-read maps that make Milestone Press guidebooks so user-friendly. Parham lives in North Carolina at the edge of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Take a “Peak”

$24.95
240 pages; paperback
ISBN 978-1-889596-37-2

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