In the Southeast, hiking trails don’t just lead to sweeping mountain views or cascading waterfalls; they also pass through time. These landscapes have witnessed centuries of change, from Indigenous stewardship and frontier settlements to the craftsmanship of the Civilian Conservation Corps and cultural reinvention.
For travelers drawn to stories as much as scenery, here’s a look at some of the most historically rich hiking regions in the Southeastern U.S. and the fascinating pasts that still echo along the trails.
Great Smoky Mountains: Stories Carved Into the Hills
The Great Smoky Mountains are often celebrated for their natural wonders, but their human history is equally captivating.
Before this area became a national park, it was home to generations of Cherokee people. Known as Shaconage, or “land of blue smoke,” the Smokies were a sacred and resource-rich homeland. Forced removal in the 1830s during the Trail of Tears left a deep scar, but many descendants still live nearby and continue to preserve Cherokee culture.
As European settlers moved into the area, they established isolated mountain communities, often building log cabins, churches, and one-room schoolhouses. Today, remnants of these settlements remain, including preserved sites such as the Little Greenbrier Schoolhouse and the Walker Sisters' Cabin, where five unmarried sisters resisted selling their land and continued to live traditionally into the 1960s.
Wandering these trails, it’s not unusual to stumble across stone chimneys, family cemeteries, or old wagon roads, a reminder that these woods were once someone’s backyard.
Want to experience the Smokies’ lesser-known stories? Our spring and fall hiking trips include visits to historic sites tucked along quiet trails.
Big South Fork: Frontier Echoes and Forgotten Lives
Straddling the Kentucky-Tennessee border, Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area is filled with sandstone cliffs, arches, rivers, and gorges. It’s a lesser-known area with excellent hiking opportunities and ample backcountry charm, layered in history.
In the 1800s, this rugged terrain was home to subsistence farmers, loggers, and moonshiners. Small homesteads dotted the land, many relying on natural springs, hand-built fences, and trade with nearby communities. Some trails still pass by the remains of cabins and hand-dug wells.
During the Great Depression, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) played a major role in shaping access to this landscape. They built bridges, picnic shelters, and parts of the trail system still in use today. Their craftsmanship, marked by distinctive stonework and timber, blends seamlessly into the land, offering a quiet testament to a pivotal era in U.S. history.
And then there’s Charit Creek Lodge, nestled deep in the forest and reachable only by foot or horseback. This historic lodge, once used by hunters and herders, is a rare example of a backcountry structure still in use, and one of the few places where you can truly feel like time stands still.
Our Big South Fork hiking adventure offers a rare opportunity to explore these hidden histories, including a stay at Charit Creek and time on CCC-era trails.
Shenandoah National Park: Displaced Communities and Lasting Legacies vc
Shenandoah’s forested ridges and cascading waterfalls draw thousands of hikers each year, but few realize they’re walking through the remnants of once-thriving communities.
Before the park was established in the 1930s, hundreds of families lived in the hollows of the Blue Ridge Mountains. They farmed apples and raised livestock, passing down stories through generations. When the park was created, many were forced to leave their land. Though controversial at the time, and still debated today, the displacement left behind crumbling stone foundations, root cellars, and family cemeteries quietly fading into the woods.
Some of Shenandoah’s most scenic trails, including those along Hazel Mountain and Whiteoak Canyon, follow old wagon roads or logging paths once used by residents. Interpretive signs and oral histories now help preserve their stories, and hikers can still spot signs of old orchards, stone walls, and barn ruins.
The park also boasts one of the most well-loved stretches of the Appalachian Trail, which passes through Shenandoah’s ridgeline, offering sweeping views and a sense of walking in the footsteps of history, both ancient and recent.
Our lodge-based Shenandoah hiking trip offers you the chance to explore this rich landscape while learning about the lives uprooted to preserve it. We also get to stay in the park’s historic lodging!
Northern Georgia: Gold Fever and Mountain Roots
North Georgia’s hiking trails offer more than fresh air; they trace the stories of boomtowns, backwoods grit, and agricultural innovation.
The town of Dahlonega, nestled in the North Georgia mountains, was the site of America’s first major gold rush in 1828. Long before California grabbed headlines, hopeful prospectors flocked to these hills to pan for gold in the creeks and dig into the red-clay hillsides. Some hiking paths in the region, especially around Cane Creek Falls and Yahoola Creek, follow old mining roads and offer glimpses of the area's gold-seeking past.
As the gold rush faded, the region found a new identity in agriculture. Today, the same mountain slopes once mined for treasure are home to vineyards. The unique elevation and soil create ideal growing conditions for wine grapes, making this area both historically significant and surprisingly sophisticated.
Hiking here often includes a mix of history, natural beauty (think cascading waterfalls and Blue Ridge Mountain Views), and a vibrant food-and-wine culture that reflects the area’s evolving story.
Our North Georgia getaway in the Spring combines moderate hikes with visits to historic sites, wineries, and waterfalls, all in the rolling hills where history runs deep. While our Appalachian Autumn Adventures combines hiking, horseback riding and whitewater rafting all into one epic fall getaway.
Every Trail Tells a Story
Hiking in the Southeast isn’t just about distance or elevation gain; it’s about connection to the past. To the land, yes, but also to the people who lived, worked, and thrived here.
Whether it’s a log schoolhouse in the Smokies, a forgotten root cellar in Shenandoah, or a lodge still lit by an oil lamp in Big South Fork, the trails carry more than footprints; they carry memories.
Ready to hike into the past? Explore our Southeastern trips to discover where nature and history walk hand-in-hand. We can’t wait to dive deep into history with you!
