Great Smoky Mountains National Park Map
If you’re going to take a hike, it is my strong recommendation that you always, always, always (no really, always!) carry a topographical map and compass with you (and know how to use the compass). Having Gaia or All Trails on your phone doesn’t count. These apps are a fabulous complement to a paper map and my Gaia app is always running in the background on my own hikes, but ya just gotta have the paper version too, to truly be well prepared.
Side note: My readers can get 20-50% discounts on the Gaia app, and I highly recommend and it use every single day (I use it on my runs and dog walks as well as with hiking).
My favorite map and the one I always carry on hikes with me in Great Smoky Mountains National Park is on sale right now for a steal of a price: $6.46 which is 46% off! I perused all the Nat Geo maps on Amazon, and there are actually several National Park maps that are significantly reduced, so be sure to check it you need maps from any of the Parks soon.
And please don’t think you can get away with the freebie maps they give you as you’re entering a National Park. They don’t have nearly as much detail and topographical lines, and that’s invaluable if you’re in a situation if you’re trying to figure out where you are in a wilderness area.
These freebie maps are, however, great for using to mark your progress if you’re trying to hike all the trails in a national park or forest!
I love filling in a new trail in purple, because it reminds me of one of my favorite books as a kid, Harold and the Purple Crayon. 🙂
If you’re looking for an affordable compass to put in your pack with it, this one from Suunto gets my top pick and it’s also what I most commonly put in my pack (I have a fancier one with more bells and whistles, but it’s overkill for what most folks do, including me, unless I need it for involved SAR missions).
And finally, if you’d like a great resource to learn how to use a map and compass, the book, Wilderness Navigation: Finding Your Way Using Map, Compass, Altimeter & GPS was invaluable to me as I was learning. I bought the Kindle version so it’s always on my phone during a hike, if I need a quick reference or just want to practice my skills. Both versions are on sale right now for over 50% off, bringing them down to less than $8!
One last tip, if you’ve had your current map for an area for several years, it’s always a good idea to update them with the latest versions. Two reasons: Trails can change over time, and newer maps will reflect reroutes, additions, etc. Also, magnetic north definitely changes over time, and the newer maps will reflect the current degree of declination. If you have no idea what that last sentence means, do me a solid and buy the book I mentioned above. 😉
You can find all the deals I’ve found right here. And to make sure you don’t miss any future deals I post, I invite you to join my Facebook group, Backpacking, Hiking and Camping Deals, where I post things as quickly as I find them! It’s also a fabulous community of outdoor enthusiasts who are eager and willing to share their experience with various brands and products I find on sale.