Christopher Camuto, author of the highly acclaimed A Fly Fisherman's Blue Ridge, returns to the territory of his first book and guides the reader through the collision of natural and cultural history one can still see in the forests and rivers of the southern Appalachian summit region. Taking Thoreau's "Walking" as his inspiration, he explores on foot and by canoe remnant wild lands and wildlife, gaining extraordinary access to a magnificent, if diminished, landscape.As Camuto journeys into this stunning country -- historical home of the Cherokee -- he unfolds the story of the restoration of the red wolf to the southern Appalachians, traces the impact of the European discovery on the region, and meditates on the continuing relevance of Cherokee language, thought, and mythology to a complete appreciation of the wildness and beauty of what were once sacred rivers, forests, and mountains. This is an important book about a haunted and haunting American landscape.