My wife and two teen age sons did a 2 and a half hour Stroll Back in Time this summer with Cindy. She made the trip go by so quickly, we did another walk the next day! That day, we hiked with Samantha up to the AT. My family had such a blast, we came back this fall and did... More

Sam took us on a hike last week and we really enjoyed it. She gave the kids a scavenger hunt to do and they got so into it. I didn't think my 6 year old would make the whole 2 1/2 hour hike, but Sam made it so easy for her and my 9 year old since she talked to... More

Ask for Charles and his friend Sarah if you decide to hike Mt. LeConte. We were a group of 8 women (aged 50+). Charles and Sarah carried our overnight extras and made the experience very enjoyable and much easier. Both are experienced hikers/backpackers and were very kind and helpful to all of us. They quickly became part of our group... More

I did the Backpacking 101 trip last weekend. Charles was the guide. It provided me with a great introduction to the park itself. Charles' knowledge about the trail heads, map usage, and campsite registration made the logistics of starting an overnighter easy. His knowledge of the park was quite fun and I enjoyed identifying trees that are not native to... More

I just finished an REI Appalachian Trail Hike in the Great Smokey Mountains. The hike was managed by "A Walk in the Woods". I can't say enough positive about the experience. Erik Plakanis, owner of "A Walk in the Woods" with his wife Vesna, and Chris Virden were our guides. Their leadership, friendship and teaching were the perfect formula for... More

We took the Nature's Cathedral walk with guide Charles Savidge. All seven hours of the experience were marvelous and enriching. A Walk in the Woods should be on everyone's itinerary. More

Because everything about our experience with "Walk in the Woods" was so wonderful I am not sure were to start, but here goes! My husband and I we given a "Walk in the Woods" Christmas Gift Certificate from our son & daughter-in-law to use on our summer 2011 vacation to the Great Smokey Mountains in Gatlinburg,Tennessee. Once we got to... More

We took two walks with A Walk in the Woods and it was by far the best part of our trip! We really feel we learned so much about the Smokies and can't wait to come back! My teens had so much fun they want to try backpacking, so we will be back next summer! More

Erik was our guide. He and Vesna picked up our group and delivered us to our starting point. Erik showed his great appreciation of the smoky mountains by sharing his knowledge of the history of the area. He also showed us what plants were good for eating and even let us try them. His little bit on how to react... More