Favorite hikes in the Shining Rock Winderness Area, NC?

[Walking Dead]

I'm trying to find a decent hike for my older scouts that won't kill them in the Shining Rock Wilderness Area of NC. Does anyone have a favorite they'd like to share?

[littlelaurel59]

How long do you have? The area is filled with great hikes.

It has been years since I have done it, but going out to Cold Mountain is a fabulous route. You can access from the BR Parkway, or from US 276. Not many people go out that far. Shining Rock Gap is a popular spot, and hence, gets crowded. Hiking along the East Fork is nice.

The whole area is beautiful- you can't go wrong.

[Mocs123]

I did the Art Loeb trail last weekend and it was a nice hike. Great views from Tennent Mountain, and Black Baslm Bald and Pilot Mountain too if it wasn't for the fog we had. I went from the Boy Scout Camp to the Davidson River in two days. I didn't think it was near as tough as people had said ( although admittedly, I went the easy way).

[bwb49]

Just remember that Shining Rock is a wilderness area and the group size is limited. I think the limit is 10. Our scout troop used to back pack there but our group size now exceeds the limit for designated wilderness areas. It is a great area though and there are a lot of trails. Get the NatGeo Pisgah Ranger District Trails Illustrated map.

[Walking Dead]

I appreciate everyone who responded. I guess we really need a section devoted to hikes good for scout aged hikers.

[bwb49]

I have attached some maps of a trip that our troop has done several times. There is a shelter at Buckhorn Gap, but there is also fair amount of room in the area for tents. There is a spring behind the shelter. We usually take 30-35 scouts and 10-15 adults. This is a good overnight trip for both your younger scouts and your older ones also. The distances are indicated on the maps. We usually split them up by age but we end up at the same place for the night and then hike out together the next day. The longer hike begins at the Pisgah Inn on the Blue Ridge Parkway and the shorter hike begins at a trailhead on US276. The hike out ends at the horse stables off of US276. The horse stables are on a gravel road just beyond the Ranger Station on 276. This is not a hard hike on either route. This trip will require vehicles to be shuttled. These trails can be found on the NatGeo Pisgah Ranger District Trails Illustrated Map.

Hope this is of help to you. If you have any questions you can email me.

[Walking Dead]

Thanks bwb49! This looks like a interesting route and nice to be able to split up the age groups and make them all feel like they can acomplish a mountain hike. This one is definately going on the calendar.

[Reid]

I love winter hiking up there!

[Reid]

If I'm with a group I'll take them up to cold mountain and get a good hike out of it. If it's just me and tick (my dog) I'll post up on sam knob and have the world to myself.

[OldStormcrow]

You can take the trail that leaves from behind the main ranger station on Hwy.276. It goes over Claw Hammer Mountain and around to the Buckhorn Gap area....a MOST foul shelter, as I recall. From there you can hike over to Wolf Ford and come out at the South Mills River parking lot.

[Walking Dead]

You can take the trail that leaves from behind the main ranger station on Hwy.276. It goes over Claw Hammer Mountain and around to the Buckhorn Gap area....a MOST foul shelter, as I recall. From there you can hike over to Wolf Ford and come out at the South Mills River parking lot.

I assume by "FOUL" we're talking nasty conditions? Is there a decent spot where 4 or 5 tents could be pitched, not necessarily at the shelter?

[OldStormcrow]

Sure, there are plenty of tent spots around all of the Pisgah shelters and they all seem to have good water sources. They were just poorly designed initially and the 40+ years of use haven't helped them a bit. They're dark, damp, miserable vermin-infested hovels. It's been a while since I was at the Buckhorn Gap shelter, but the Butter Gap and Deep Gap shelters looked like they should be torn down and used for a nice bonfire when I saw them last winter.

[bwb49]

I don't think that the Buckhorn Gap shelter is any worse than some of the shelters I have seen on the AT. I would not stay in any of them anyway. Give me a tent every time, I have this thing about mice scampering across my face.

[MintakaCat]

Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think they have a ban on campfires in the Shining Rock Winderness Area don’t they? That’s always been a limiting factor in doing winter hiking up there for me.

[humunuku]

the shelters are not in the wilderness area, so fires are allowed

[Summit]

See posts # 12,14,16 here for a great loop hike in Shinning Rock Wilderness:

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/show...=shinning+rock

Map on post #14 is suitable for printing/using! Just gotta keep it dry as ink jet prints run horribly when wet. Enjoy!