By Walt Weber and "The Gang" for the Carolina Mountain Club

177 pages - paperback - 7" x 9.25"

This is the third edition of the popular guide to the Mountains-to-Sea Trail (MST) in Western North Carolina. It includes topographical maps and trail elevation profiles, making it easy to understand both the distance and difficulty of the hike you plan. All trail distances and elevations have been rechecked since the first edition using a combination of GPS technology, a measuring wheel, and altimeter readings.

The book includes an update on how the Carolina Mountain Club built the trail, and describes the natural highlights along the way, including: Graveyard Fields, Mount Pisgah, the North Carolina Arboretum, Craggy Gardens, and Mount Mitchell. The guide also includes a history of the land the trail traverses, illustrated with archival photographs.

Much of the trail passes over land Edith Vanderbilt (George's widow) sold to the Forest Service for incorporation into Pisgah National Forest. The trail passes site of George Vanderbilt's Buck Spring Lodge, and traverses the Shut-in Trail, which originally ran from the Biltmore House to the Lodge. Some of the stonework from the original trail is still visible. The Vanderbilts were not the only wealthy family to leave artifacts along the trail. The MST passes through the remains of Dr. Chase Ambler's Rattlesnake Lodge, his summer home in the mountains east of Asheville.