(Enjoy the clear cool waters at Midnight Hole while hiking with Friends of the Smokies along Big Creek in Great Smoky Mountains National Park — photo by Danny Bernstein)

Press release

from Friends of the Smokies
Discover beautiful waterfalls and a choice swimming hole while hiking with Friends of the Smokies in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. On Thursday, September 20, join the next “Classic Hike of the Smokies” for a waterfall-filled guided hike along Big Creek.

Hikers may wade or swim in Midnight Hole and admire Mouse Creek Falls, dubbed by waterfall aficionado and photographer Kevin Adams as one of his favorite in western North Carolina. Hiking enthusiast and author Danny Bernstein (“Hiking North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains”) will lead this 10-mile hike. The hike is easy to moderate in difficulty and has a total elevation gain of 1,100 ft.

Participants may gather for the all day excursion in Asheville at 8:30 a.m. or Waynesville at 9:00 a.m. A donation of $35 to go to the Friends’ Smokies Trails Forever program is requested, and includes a complimentary membership to Friends of the Smokies. Current Friends of the Smokies members hike for $10. Hikers who bring a friend hike for free.

“Classic Hikes of the Smokies” occur monthly on the third Thursday. Upcoming hikes in the 2012 series include Caldwell Fork in Cataloochee in October and Hyatt Ridge Discovery hike in November.

To register for any of the hikes, contact Friends of the Smokies at hollyd@friendsofthesmokies.org or 828-452-0720. For more information, including a complete list of the North Carolina Classic Hikes series, visit http://www.friendsofthesmokies.org. Information about helping with the improvements to trails in Great Smoky Mountains National Park can be found at http://www.smokiestrailsforever.org.

Since 1993, the not-for-profit Friends of the Smokies organization has raised more than $37 million to help maintain Great Smoky Mountains National Park as a crown jewel of the national park system, including the establishment of the $4 million Trails Forever endowment to improve Smoky Mountain hiking trails in perpetuity.