• Hike along the Appalachian trail.In hike image by Galyna Andrushko from Fotolia.com
  
  Knoxville, Tennessee is located only an hour west of the Smoky Mountains and is full of outdoor adventure. For people that enjoy hiking, biking, running or nature, Knoxville has a lot of areas to enjoy the great outdoors. Meet up clubs and groups are popular for people to enjoy their favorite hobby with people that also share their interests. There are a few hiking clubs in the Knoxville area.
  
  

Smoky Mountains Hiking Club

• The Smoky Mountains Hiking Club has over 600 members and holds a hiking outing each week. Most of their weekly hikes take place in the surrounding area or in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. They also volunteer to maintain the Appalachian Trail. Those wishing to join must be at least 16 years old, fill out a membership application, and abide by the Code of Ethics. As of September 2010, dues are $14 annually for a regular membership and family members living together only pay $1 each for an additional membership. Members also can choose to pay a supporting membership of $20 or more or a lifetime membership of $500. The membership form is available on the website.
  
  Smoky Mountains Hiking Club
  
  P.O. Box 51592
  
  Knoxville, TN 37950
  
  smhclub.org
  
  

Great Smokies Hiking and Adventure Group

• The Great Smokies Hiking and Adventure Group offers members a number of hiking and adventure trips that vary from easy to strenuous. The group goes on camp and hike weekends, rock climbing, mountain biking, and hiking around the Smokies and local area. Members must sign up for meetup.com, include their real name and a current picture in their profile, and avoid putting personal contact information on the site. There are no fees, but they do ask for donations to cover costs. To join this group, go to the website page on meetup.com (See Resources.)
  
  

Knoxville Recreation & Hiking Meetup Group

• The Knoxville Recreation & Hiking Meetup Group hosts activities for those living in the east Tennessee/Knoxville area. They offer outings and events that range from day hikes, dancing, movies, camping and hiking in the Smoky Mountains. Members must attend one event every three months, RSVP to events, be at least 18 years of age, and have a photo uploaded on the member profile along with their legal name.
  
  For information about this group and to sign up for membership, visit its Web page on meetup.com (See Resources.)