Hike the Appalachian Trail

The Real Deal: Three nights' camping, guided backcountry hiking, all meals, and gear from $595 per person.

When: Depart Jun. 14, 2007; July 13; Sept. 14; and Oct. 12; a women-only trip departs Aug. 17.

The Fine Print: Campsite, permit fees, and entrance fees are included. Tips for guides are additional. The group will be set at five or six people. Bring your own backpack. The lowest rate of $595 per person is for REI members; the rate for nonmembers is $640. We recommend joining REI since it only costs $15 and membership is good for life.

Book By: No deadline; based on availability.

Contact: REI Adventures, 800/622-2236, rei.com/adventures.

Why It's a Deal: Consider that the $595 rate covers meals, gear, and an expert hiking guide, especially handy in the more remote destinations on this itinerary. This self-supported backpacking trip is an unusually good price for comparable trips to comparable destinations in North America that we've seen.

Trip Details: North Carolina's Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most visited national park. It's home to 1,600 bears and gorgeous tree-lined ridges. Eight hundred miles of trails wind through the park.

REI's package includes three days of professionally led hikes, all meals, three nights' lodging in two-person tents, cooking gear, and shuttle service between trailheads.

The trip begins with a lunchtime orientation at the Big Creek ranger station on Thursday and a camp-cooking demonstration. Then a three-mile hike along the trail commences. On Friday, there's a climb to the panoramic overlook of Charlie's Bunion and then a roughly seven-mile hike across the Sawteeth ridgeline to Bradley's View. On Saturday, you ascend a series of peaks, including those of Mount Sequoya and Mount Chapman. On Sunday, the hike descends to a smaller mountain range that includes Mount Cammerer. The trip ends with a hike back to Big Creek ranger station.

Getting There: Airfare is not included in REI's package. The closest airport is in Asheville, and it's about an hour-and-a-half drive (75 miles) to the Big Creek ranger station in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. To get a sense of the cost, here are the lowest fares we found recently for flights to Asheville for June 14, 2007: $305 from Newark (Continental); $312 from Minneapolis (Northwest); $331 from Atlanta (multiple carriers).

Nearly as close to the park is Knoxville's airport, which is about 79 miles away. These are the lowest fares we found recently for flights to Knoxville for June 14: $307 from Atlanta (US Airways); $307 from New York City (Delta); $361 from Chicago (multiple carriers); $376 from Minneapolis (US Airways).

Although you won't use it much during the trip, it makes sense to rent a car because there is no shuttle service from the Asheville or Knoxville airports directly to the Big Creek ranger station and a cab ride would be very expensive and tough to negotiate. An economy-car rental from the Asheville airport starts at $84 for four days, including taxes and fees of about $18 (Budget Car Rental). One from Knoxville starts at $70 for four days, including taxes and fees (Budget Car Rental).

For more REI Adventures, including backpacking through Sequoia National Forest in California ($590) and ice-climbing in New Hampshire ($395), click here.

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