Premium adventure touring in the Smokies

Clayton, a native of the Smoky Mountains, started SMG in 2011 with his brother. His mother and father moved their family to the mountainous region of the Smokies from their previous life in Indiana. Clayton’s family eventually built a log cabin at the boundary of the National Park and pursued a more simple life.

Since the age of 13, Clayton has been actively exploring the backcountry of the Smoky Mountains. In his professional career, he has worked as an adventure-based guide/facilitator since he was 18 years old and also on staff of the GSMNP. Since 2006, Clayton has held certifications for Wilderness First Responder, Advanced Skills and Standards, Adventure Based Counseling, CPR & Advanced Life Support, multiple rope technician trainings, and much more.

Now, you may find Clayton leading small group van tours of the park, multi-day Appalachian Trail backpacking, or designing multi-day intensive wilderness retreats for corporate transformation. Clayton is committed to high quality customer service in every aspect of SMG.

David is from the Nashville area originally, but has called Knoxville, TN, home for more than 20 years. His love of the outdoors started in Boy Scouts and continued through a year of conservation and volunteer work with AmeriCorps. David has a degree in history from the University of Tennessee, which helps him in interpreting the lives of the Cherokee, farmers, loggers, and moonshiners that called these mountains home.

David is an avid hiker and backpacker who has hiked more than 3,000 miles of trails in the Great Smoky Mountains and is a member of the 900 Miler Club, a group consisting of those who have hiked every trail in the park. When David is not leading guests over mountain peaks he can be found running through the woods. David is an avid trail runner who has competed in numerous races, including several 100 milers.

Dave is gifted in diving into detailed logistics and the custom adventures that SMG puts on within the GSMNP and beyond. We all learn something new when we hit the trail with him. Dave is certified in Wilderness Medicine amongst many other specialties. Within the local adventure community, Dave holds FKTs on variations of Mt. LeConte as well as numerous other endurance trail runs in the same mountains he guides in daily.

Kindel loves taking our guests on amazing adventures in the Great Smoky Mountains and beyond! When she is not adventuring for work she’s in the Smokies exploring the wild and mysterious places far away from the trail. She can be found hiking up streams and valleys, as well as climbing ridges and cliffs in the backcountry all year round! So just about everywhere you look around the park, she can tell you a story about what’s down in that there valley or over on that knob!

She is currently certified in Wilderness First Aid, as it is invaluable knowledge for her work and play! She loves to share what she knows and usually heads home from guiding having made new friends. She is blessed to be able to share such fun adventures with our guests! She is amongst a select few of the local mountaineering community that has such vast, intimate knowledge of off-trail secrets as well as the flora and fauna of the Southern Appalachians.

Born and raised in Knoxville, TN, Benjy grew up with a love for baseball. After 15 years of catching behind the plate, Benjy discovered his desire for outdoor adventure and traded his cleats in for climbing shoes and dirt-trodden boots.

As both an outdoor administrator and facilitator, Benjy has over 20 years of experience as an accomplished educator specializing in experiential learning and leadership development. He has developed and directed outdoor and leadership programs at the University of Tennessee for the past 10 years. Benjy attended the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, where he obtained his Bachelor of Science in Therapeutic Recreation and a Master of Science in Recreation Administration. He is a certified Wilderness First Responder and Lead Ropes Course Facilitator.

In addition to actively leading and facilitating outdoor and executive leadership programs for Smoky Mountain Guides, Benjy has developed new climbing areas in the Knoxville area through community collaborations and support. When not on the ropes course or in the classroom, you might be able to catch Benjy on the side of a backcountry cliff or boofing off waterfalls on one of the many creeks in the Appalachian Mountains, while teaching his 3 boys the tricks of the trade.

Smokies and Sevier County native Wes Farragut has joined the SMG team. Wes has 30+ years of hiking, backpacking, and fly fishing experience in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Years of exploring these ridges, trails, rivers, and streams give him a unique perspective on the wildlife, flora, and history of our beautiful backyard.

While fly fishing is his passion, he prefers teaching beginners and experienced anglers the nuances of fishing the pristine mountain streams found in the Smokies. Wes also enjoys tying his own flies and chasing native brook trout in the backcountry. Wes is a USCG OUPV Licensed Captain. His other interests include spending time with his family and being involved with the Resolve men’s ministry at his church.

Mark and Wendy Booth have lived in the Smoky Mountains for over 20 years now. They are avid hikers and armchair naturalists who love the diversity of plant and animal life found in these mountains. Both can often be found on the many trails around the Smokies enjoying the beauty of its many plants, flowers, and wildlife.

Wendy, while occasionally backpacking, will spend many hours day hiking, adding to her knowledge of local plants and flowers. Mark has hiked most of the local trails many times and enjoys overnight and multi-day trips. They have hiked together from the Pacific coast to the mountains of Maine and many places in between.

Anne Marie has grown up in the Smoky Mountains. Her family roots run deep in farming and simple lifestyles. Her Granny would fetch water with her pail and take care of a large family. Her Mamma also raised a large family on a simple tobacco farm.

Anne Marie pursued a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, a Master’s in Education, and an Ed.S. as she taught for over 8 years at the same school Dolly Parton attended. Soon, her life calling was to stay at home with her 2 children. As this is surely a full-time job, she still finds time to answer phone calls for SMG, schedule trips, manage guides’ schedules, and operate hiker shuttles. Anne Marie upholds the mission of SMG by serving others at a top-notch level.