The Smoky Mountains Hiking Club began in 1924 as an informal hiking program sponsored by the YMCA boys' camp in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. The link with the YMCA was severed when eligibility for membership was expanded and the club's numbers grew rapidly. Over the years, the club has been active in establishing the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, performing Appalachian Trail maintenance, and promoting wilderness conservation in addition to organizing hikes and other outings in the Park.

Two years after its establishment, SMHC began an unbroken tradition of issuing annual handbooks which outline the club’s schedule of hikes and social events for the year. Collectively the handbooks not only document club activities, but capture rare descriptions of old trails.