Enjoy the high elevation views from Andrews Bald in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park during a guided 7-mile hike with the Friends of the Smokies on Thursday, June 21.

The hike is part of the “Classic Hikes of the Smokies” series, designed to connect people with special places in the park. Hiking enthusiast and author Danny Bernstein (Hiking North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Heritage) will lead the hike.

The hike will traverse a newly renovated section of trail, improved as part of the three-year Trails Forever initiative to fix deteriorating trails in the Smokies’ 800-mile hiking network. Trail crews and volunteers reconstructed the trail by installing drainage structures, constructing staircases out of locust wood and native rock, as well as a few elevated turnpikes and even a plank walkway or two.

The hike also traverses segments of the long-distance Appalachian Trail and Mountains-to-Sea Trail. It is moderate in difficulty and has a total elevation gain/descent of 1,600 feet.

“Classic Hikes of the Smokies” occur on the third Thursday of every month. Other hikes in the 2012 series include Purchase Knob in July and Mt. Cammerer in August.

A donation of $10 is requested from Friends of the Smokies members or $35 for non-members, which includes a membership. The donations will go to the Friends’ Trails Forever program.

To register, contact Friends of the Smokies at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 828.452.0720. For more information, including a complete list of the North Carolina Classic Hikes series, visit www.friendsofthesmokies.org.