Active spas southern comfort: hiking, biking, fishing and pampering—what's not to love?

If only all penance could be this enjoyable. I'm at Blackberry Farm, a Ritz-in-the-woods retreat cuddled up to Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee, because I recently committed a serious fishing foible: hooking more people (four) and dogs (two) than fish (zero) during my inaugural attempt at fly fishing. So friends sent me to this fisherman's paradise for three days hoping I could learn to catch something in the water, not on land.

Easy, right? I'm sure it would be if I could get myself to a fishing lesson. Problem is, Blackberry's other activities are too inviting. Miles of hiking and biking trails meander through the resort's 2,500 acres. Horseback riding, tennis and spa treatments beckon like salt to deer, which live in happy profusion at Blackberry along with seven (rarely seen) black bears. And then there are the fluffy feather beds, featuring a homemade chocolate on the pillow nightly--it's hard to motivate out of them at all. Even hardcore athletes need a little pampering.

Telling myself I'll do any activity better after loosening up, I start with a hot stone massage at Farmhouse Spa, an 1870s white clapboard farmhouse dwarfed by 200-year-old black walnut trees. The masseuse places smooth, warm river rocks along my spine, loosening up muscles I never knew were tight. Before it's over, I promise myself I'll indulge in a treatment daily. Sixty minutes later, I ooze over to a rocker-lined veranda and bump into Dwight McCarter, a wildflower guru and head of Blackberry's hiking program. Realizing I better commit to something challenging before I turn into a total sloth, I choose a strenuous wildflower hike, a recommendation of his, for the following morning.

Not sure how I'll feel after tomorrow's hike, I cram the rest of the day with a casual bicycle tour (on one of 16 Trek mountain bikes available for guests' use) around the white-picket-fenced grounds pocked with sweet-smelling magnolias; a canoe outing on the trout-filled Walland Pond (does knocking a fish unconscious with an oar count as "fishing?"); and a round of poolside croquet.

By dinnertime, I'm hungry enough to do the five-course dinner justice, although Blackberry's self-described "foothills cuisine" has me worried: is it a fancy name for greasy comfort food? Clearly not. My dinner, green tomato soup, fig-marinated pheasant and braised pork cheek on polenta and collard green kim chee (a Korean version of cabbage, one of many vegetables grown on the premises) leaves me in full agreement with Gourmet magazine: John Fleer, Blackberry's executive chef, is one of the country's best.

The following morning, after a breakfast of blueberry souffle griddle cakes, I power through three miles on the Horse Slide Trail. Armed with a wildflower guidebook from the farm's library, I identify everything from pipsissewa to trailing arbutus. The scenery takes away what little breath the steep terrain doesn't.

So that my friends back home won't be disappointed, I finally pick up a fishing rod on my third day there to go "fiking": hiking along stream banks while occasionally casting for a fish. Sadly, even though my competent instructor does his best, I don't catch anything. I do learn, however, that wildflowers don't yelp when they're hooked.

Blackberry Farm: www.blackberryfarm.com or 800-273-6004; rates start at $495 per couple per day, and include three daily meals.

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Once upon a time, the fitness offerings at spas were pretty wimpy. Not anymore. Here, three places for spa-goers up for a challenge:

Rancho La Puerta

Vigorous morning hikes at this ranchstyle spa in Tecate, Mexico, are only part of the draw: From Fitball to Cardio Challenge to Pilates, a specialty here, Rancho La Puerta offers classeses that hit every part of the body. Hydrotherapy massage and plenty of other spa treatments restore sore muscles while the ample, healthy food provides plenty of energy for your next activity. Neither body nor soul will starve here. www.rancholapuerta.com; 800-443-7565; one-week stays start at $1,970

Canyon Ranch

If you're up for working out as well as "working things out," the Berkshires branch of Canyon Ranch in Lenox, Massachusetts, is your place. Nearly every exercise class you can think of is offered here, and you can also hike, canoe, scull and kayak. When you've exhausted your muscles and want to focus on your mind, the staff--packed with specialists in spiritual healing--is ready to tackle any issue.

www.canyonranch.com/Lenox/index.asp; 800-742-9000; three-night packages start at $1,520 (double occupancy)

Red Mountain Spa

Located in the red-rock canyons near Ivins, Utah, Red Mountain offers 30 different hiking options daily; in addition, you can horseback ride, rock climb and mountain bike. When--or if--you're ready to come inside, you can choose from qi gong, hip-hop and every class in between, have your bone density and body composition assessed, and get your legs and feet ready for tomorrow with a Slickrock Survival Massage. www.redmountainspa.com; 800-407-3002; rates start at $235 per night (double occupancy)