Eastern TN loop hikes?

Aloha everyone!

later this month some buddies in college are free to finally go backpacking, but due to location we have focused on Eastern Tennessee (chattanooga - Knoxville - Asheville area)... can anyone recommend a good 3 - 4 day loop hike, or even good out & back trail? Looking at going towards the end of the month.

Some of the hikers are "new" to backpacking, and poor souls have been doing the treadmill with a 50 pound backpack on (I sorta laughed at that, but then again, I'm in warm climate, they aren't).

thanks for any assistance!

well, you're right there next to the smokies. Buy the maps and it will be easy to make loops there.
Or down to the Big Frog Wilderness (South of Ocoee Lake) and hike into the Cohutta in GA. Pretty awesome area. Better have maps and compass and associated skils for much of anything in the Big Frog; last time I was there the trails weren't that well maintained/marked which made it much more entertaining (really) than hiking an 'interstate' that most offical trails are.

adam, thanks for the idea... we're going back in May, but flying into Chattanooga and going white water rafting on the Ocoee river, so that could be fun.

we finally settled on a loop that picks up the AT near colby and jumps off near Charlie's bunion, this is only due to the fact we couldn't find many loops with open space in the shelter.

now the difficult question is, do i wear my hiking SHOES or boots? :-)