NO NEED TO PLOD through a tunnel of trees for six months to enjoy the Appalachian Trail. Pull up to any of these six base camps for view-packed day hikes, comfy inns, swank spas, and hot springs.
North Carolina
Hot Springs is only 35 miles northwest of Asheville, but the forested mountains make it feel a lot more remote. Hike a 12-mile loop straight north of town on the Round Top Ridge Trail and the new AT to the Rich Mountain Lookout, which offers impressive views of the Greeneville Valley. It's also worth the 16-mile drive to Lemon Gap for the five-mile hike through rhododendrons to Max Patch. The newly renovated Bright Leaf Junction Hotel and Restaurant (doubles from $69; 828-622-9358, www.brightleafjunction.com) has comfy wood-floored rooms with skylights and whirlpools. Post-hike, loosen up those worn muscles across the street in a hot tub at Hot Springs Resort & Spa ($10 per person before 6 p.m./$25 after; 828-622-7676, www.nchotsprings.com).
Southern Virginia
From Massey Gap, in Grayson Highlands State Park, hike a rocky ten-mile loop through highland meadows dotted with wild peonies along the Appalachian Spur Trail, the Appalachian Trail, and the Crest Trail. Tonight's stop is the quaint, five-room White Birches Inn (doubles from $139; 800-247-2437, www.whitebirchesinn.com), a former residence in Abingdon, Virginia, 15 miles northwest of the trail town of Damascus. Sip wine in the whirlpool tub, then raid the video library and space out over a flick. Sore? The spa at Abingdon's Martha Washington Inn (doubles from $179; 276-628-3161, www.marthawashingtoninn.com) has a full massage menu.
Northern Virginia
In the Blue Ridge Mountains, just south of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, make camp at Smithfield Farm Bed and Breakfast (doubles from $165; 877-955-4389, www.smithfieldfarm.com), a restored 1824 brick manor house. Warning: You won't want to leave after innkeeper Betsy Pritchard's three-course breakfast, including eggs and spicy pork sausage from the family's 350 acres. Pritchard is the seventh generation to work the land, part of which her grandfather donated to help form the
Appalachian Trail corridor. Drive 15 minutes north and hike five miles through the historic district of Harpers Ferry, along the Shenandoah River, and up to Weverton Cliffs. You'll goggle at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers.
The Berkshires
Mountain hikes in Massachusetts are mellower than those in the Smokies—but just as beautiful. For views of the Catskills and Mount Everett, one of the state's tallest mountains, hike a steep mile from Benedict Pond to the Ledges. After a dip back in the pond, hit the hay less than ten minutes away at Gedney Farm (doubles from $225; 800-286-3139, www.gedneyfarm.com), a renovated 1907 barn and turn-of-the-century mansion with 16 cozy rooms with wood-burning fireplaces, Moroccan rugs, and skylights over whirlpool tubs. The property's new Mepal Spa (413-229-3498, www.mepalspa.com) offers plenty of massage options.
The Green Mountains
Vermont's 150-mile section of the Appalachian Trail passes through rolling farmland, the Green Mountains, and forests of paper birch and white pine. For excellent views, drive three miles east of Wallingford and hike 2.3 miles through hemlocks to White Rocks Cliff. Castle Hill Resort and Spa (doubles from $159; 800-438-7908, www.castlehillresort.com), a historic governor's mansion, is just 20 miles southeast on Route 103. After checking in to one of the ten antique-filled rooms, grab a book and an overstuffed chair in the library.
New Hampshire
Franconia Notch is the starting point for many spectacular hikes in the White Mountains. From Lafayette Place, just north of Woodstock, hike a nine-mile loop on the Falling Waters, Green Leaf, and Appalachian trails—you'll be above tree line most of the time, with killer views of Mounts Washington, Jefferson, Adams, and Eisenhower. In North Woodstock, bed down at the Three Rivers House (from $85, including breakfast; 800-241-2711, www.threerivershouse.com), a sprawling 13-room Victorian on the banks of the Lost River.
