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Archived Outdoors

WNC trails hit the app store

out hikingappA new app for iPhone and Android will give hikers a guide to more than 300 hikes in the mountains of Western North Carolina, Georgia and upstate South Carolina.

Great Hikes of the Southern Appalachians is a product of Bryson City-based Milestone Press, which has published print versions of outdoor adventure guides since 1992. 

The hike descriptions include a map and driving directions to the trailhead, as well as elevation gain, distance, trail highlights and a trail map. The phone’s GPS function shows the hiker’s exact location on the trail or en route to the trailhead. Once a hike is downloaded, no data or wi-fi connection is needed to use it. Hikes cost $0.99 each. 

“For years hikers have been asking us if Milestone Press would offer e-book versions of our guides,” says founder Jim Parham, “but the idea of taking an e-book on the trail has never made sense to us. This new app allows you to carry essential trail information on your smartphone.”

Hikes can be sorted by category, such as day, waterfall or overnight; state; region or proximity to the user. 

www.milestonepress.com.