Shining Rock Wilderness

[blue indian]

Well my trip was awsome! Lots of good hiking ranging from streamside forests to ridgeline walking. Thanks for all the tips everybody. We did get lost for a little bit however. None the less, awesome hike, awesome area!

[golfjhm]

No bear warnings/camping bans stopped you? Last I heard they had rangers physically onsite preventing overnight camping in Shining Rock and Graveyard Fields areas. Glad to hear it if they are back open to overnight camping.

[blue indian]

No bear warnings/camping bans stopped you? Last I heard they had rangers physically onsite preventing overnight camping in Shining Rock and Graveyard Fields areas. Glad to hear it if they are back open to overnight camping.

We didnt see or hear of any bans nor saw any rangers. Although some passing hikers warned us of high bear activity thru some of the areas we were hiking.

The only bear activity that we really saw was a big ole fresh print at the top of second falls just past the graveyard fields. This was where we camped the first night. Made me a little nervous since some idiots left a bunch of trash laying around (which we picked up and hiked out) but it was such a sweet spot and we were too tired to move on.

[Emerson Bigills]

Thanks for the info guys. I am planning to hike in this Fri evening to Shining Rock Gap, spend the night there and then hike up to Cold Mtn on Saturday, then return back out by Sat evening. I have the Nat Geo Map and a compass, but am not crazy about converging trails and no signs. Oh well..... I have an extra day built in to find my way out.

[Lefty Red]

The top of Cold Mountain on April 1



image-2299157153.jpg

[Tipi Walter]

Question to the Shining Rock experts---The entire area is sandwiched by three main roads, 215 to the west, 276 to the east and the Blue Ridge Parkway to the south. So, in May and thru the summer isn't there the constant (except at night) roar of Harleys and the screams of the racing crotch rocket motorcycles?? I sometimes backpack near the Tail of the Dragon's Anus and can hear the roaring bikers for miles. Is it the same in Shining Rock??

[mtntopper]

I have a 4 day hike planned for the Shining Rock Wilderness area in about a week What route did you take?

[Rasty]

Question to the Shining Rock experts---The entire area is sandwiched by three main roads, 215 to the west, 276 to the east and the Blue Ridge Parkway to the south. So, in May and thru the summer isn't there the constant (except at night) roar of Harleys and the screams of the racing crotch rocket motorcycles?? I sometimes backpack near the Tail of the Dragon's Anus and can hear the roaring bikers for miles. Is it the same in Shining Rock??

I didn't hear anything the times I've been. But I also was couple of miles away from the BRP or 276 within an hour.

[Mr. Bumpy]

Question to the Shining Rock experts---The entire area is sandwiched by three main roads, 215 to the west, 276 to the east and the Blue Ridge Parkway to the south. So, in May and thru the summer isn't there the constant (except at night) roar of Harleys and the screams of the racing crotch rocket motorcycles?? I sometimes backpack near the Tail of the Dragon's Anus and can hear the roaring bikers for miles. Is it the same in Shining Rock??

Not really much at all, but at times maybe you can hear them very faintly.

[Mr. Bumpy]

The top of Cold Mountain on April 1

Awesome! That was a chilly week.

[Tennessee Viking]

Question to the Shining Rock experts---The entire area is sandwiched by three main roads, 215 to the west, 276 to the east and the Blue Ridge Parkway to the south. So, in May and thru the summer isn't there the constant (except at night) roar of Harleys and the screams of the racing crotch rocket motorcycles?? I sometimes backpack near the Tail of the Dragon's Anus and can hear the roaring bikers for miles. Is it the same in Shining Rock??

That part of the parkway is so isolated and steep so you loose a lot of traffic. Then with the parkway on the top of the ridgeline and with the falls along Yellowstone Prong, a lot of the traffic noise is lost.

[misterfloyd]

I'm planning a shakedown of myself and my gear up there over Memorial day weekend.

I have the forestry service map and a compass although I really am not very good with it. I'm really looking forward to it. I heard the Art Loeb trail is wonderful.
Best
Floyd

[10-K]

If you use a GPS you can download "My Trails" from gpsfiledepot.com - it has most all the trails in SRW and MPW covered. You can tool around up there to your hearts content. I used it when I hiked the Art Loeb and MST through that area and breezed through without a hitch.

[ladytaz]

There is a Harley Rally in Maggie Valley this weekend starting today. They will be riding over that way weather permitting

[misterfloyd]

Thank you for that link.

I must be one of the last few that have a simple clamshell phone. Can't afford a S. Phone

[blue indian]

There were a few times when we thought we were miles away from civilization only to have a car whizz by us unexpectedly on a ridge above us The only time we were near a major road was when we joined the mountains to sea trail and it was only for a couple hundred yards.

We could also see the blue ridge parkway from black balsam and graveyard fields.