Hartford

The small town of Hartford, Tennessee offers a winning combination of old-time Appalachian simplicity and proximity to rugged nature. Located close to both the Cherokee National Forest and to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the second most visited in the USA, hikers will soon find themselves in heaven. The Great Smoky Mountains, so named for the mists that rise from their dense woodlands, contain some of the most epic scenery in the entire 1,500-mile chain. Featuring the largest expanse of undisturbed, old-growth woodland east of the Mississippi, the national park contains over 800 miles of trails allowing visitors to explore its beautiful landscapes and complex eco-systems that include fauna ranging from bears to hummingbirds. The park also contains part of the famous Appalachian Trail itself, a firm favorite for outdoor lovers the world over, as it threads its way up the eastern seaboard’s mountain spine towards Canada.