Noob Trail Idea Help

[Andrew Kay]

Hey,I was hoping to get some help with ideas for a 4-day, 3-night trip through the Smokys. Some friends and I are planning on making the trip in mid-May. The problem is none of us have ever gone backpacking before. We all love hiking and camping and are all physically fit but we're not sure how much we should push ourselves for our first ever backpacking attempt.

So far the best option I could come up with is a 28mile trip starting out of Cosby. We would like the first day to be fairly short as we will driving in from Illinois.

Any and all ideas are greatly appreciated!!

[HooKooDooKu]

28 miles (where the 1st day need to be short) sounds pretty ambitious... for a beginner hike. Not unreasonable, but until you get a better feel for your abilities (and can get used to some of the hills GSMNP has to offer), seems like the suggestion I've seen is to try to limit your trip to 5 to 7 miles per day (so you're not much over that).

Given all the great things GSMNP has to offer, I can not begin to suggest anything better than what ever you've got planned without an idea of what sort of things to you want to see... mountain top views?... big water falls... challenging stream crossings... shelters... 60' tall fire towers...?

[Andrew Kay]

Thanks for the response! Yeah I thought I was being a little too vague, sorry about that.

The first day doesn't necessarily need to be short if there is a campsite near the trail head that we could spend a night before heading out. I have been looking at starting out near Twentymile and Fontana Dam as well. I think the main thing we are looking for on the hike is good views and wildlife viewing opportunities, which can obviously be tough to recommend. So I guess my next question would be, how is the scenery and the trail difficulty near those two locations?

Thanks again!

[Slo-go'en]

Unless you start at New Found gap, you have a big climb to get any where on day 1. Remember, you can't just camp anywhere you please, it has to be a designated campsite for which you have reservations for. Loop hike oppertunities are limited so an in-out hike retracing your steps on the way back is the most practical trip.
If you want views you have to climb high, if you want wildlife, stay low.

[cutter]

Starting from Abrams Creek or Cataloochee would be my suggestion. You aren't hit with a steep climb right at the start and there are several options for loops.

[HooKooDooKu]

GSMNP has lots of loop opportunities... it just takes some time and creativity to find them.

Wildlife is pretty much a hit-or miss with a few exception: If you go to Cades Cove, you WILL see some deer. If you go to Cataloochee (at least in the early mornings or late evenings) you will see some elk.

As Slo-go'en points out, you can only camp at designated front and back country camp sites, all of which now require reservations. However, there are many hiking trails where there are campsites just a few miles from the trial head. Two campsites that jump to mind are #12 and #93.

Here's one suggestion for you:
Day 1: Start from Twentymile ranger station and hike to #93
Day 2: Continue on Twentymile trail to the AT. At the AT, turn right. After about 1/10th to 1/4th of a mile, look for the trail on the left to Shuckstack fire tower. Return the way you came to head to campsite #113.
Day 3: Continue up the AT and turn left at Doe Knob. At the intersection Gregory Ridge, look for a sign saying 'No Horses' with H20 carved into it. Follow the trail behind this sign for 1/2 mile to Moore Spring. Water up for the night. Just before the spring was the trail up the hill to allow you t rejoin with Gregory Bald trail without back-tracking 1/2 mile. (If you can't find the trail, just start hiking up hill until you encounter Gregory Bald Trail). At Gregory Bald, take in the views, then hurry down to #13 to setup camp for the night. Then return to the bald with your food and stove and have dinner and watch sunset at the Bald.
Day 4: Return to you car via Wolf Ridge Trail.

Keep in mind that camp site #13 is very popular, so you will need to make your reservations as soon as possible (you can make reservations beginning 30 days from the start of your hike).

[bigcranky]

Does it have to be the Smokies? I know, the park is the only well-known area in the Southern Appalachians, and it's beautiful, but truth be told, it's something of a PITA to hike. You need permits, and per-night reservations for all shelters and many campsites. There are some loops, but they aren't easy to find or hike.

For a loop hike, in the ~25 mile range, the Standing Indian loop is in the same general area. It's logistically much easier, there are some terrific views from the tops of Standing Indian and Albert Mountain, and you get to hike about 20 miles of the A.T. in addition to two side trails that make the loop. If you get the proper AT map for that area, the loop should be pretty obvious (hike up the Kimsey Creek trail, go north on the AT, then back down the Long Branch trail.)

For a one-way section hike, you can't beat the Nantahalas. Starting at US 64 outside Franklin, it's about 60 miles to Fontana Dam (the southern tip of the Smokies.) You can hike the whole thing in about a week, or either half in a long weekend. The Nantahala Outdoor Center is smack dab in the middle, where you can resupply and get a shower, or leave a car and get a shuttle to either end and walk back in ~3 days. This is a tough section, with lots of up and down, but it's rewarding, too.

Easier to access, the Mt Rogers National Recreation Area in southwest Virginia has a number of good loop and section hikes, with bald ridgelines, 100 mile views, and wild ponies. It's very close to I-81 and I meet a lot of hikers there from the Midwest.

Happy to provide more info on any of these.

Good luck and have fun!

[HooKooDooKu]

Does it have to be the Smokies? I know, the park is the only well-known area in the Southern Appalachians, and it's beautiful, but truth be told, it's something of a PITA to hike. You need permits, and per-night reservations for all shelters and many campsites. ...

As-of Spring 2013, rules changed and you need per-night reservations at ALL back country campsites and shelters. However, reservations are very easy to obtain online (provided the sites you want are not already full).

The new reservation system is much easier than the old one (where you had to get someone on the phone)... BUT you now much pay for backcountry permits ($4/person/night).

However, the GSMNP permit system is way easier than other places... Grand Canyon as an example. To camp inside the GCNP (below the rim), you have to submit an application by fax 4 months in advance on the 1st day of the month, where your application gets put in a hat and "winners" are pulled randomly to see if you will get a permit. The GC permit is $15 to apply PLUS $5/person/night.



As I see it, camping in GSMNP is only a PITA to people who are used to camping in places like the National Forest system where at-large camping is permitted... no permits required.

So far, I've been able to hike about 40%-50% of the GSMNP. 80% of those hikes have been one or two night

[bigcranky]

As-of Spring 2013, rules changed and you need per-night reservations at ALL back country campsites and shelters. However, reservations are very easy to obtain online (provided the sites you want are not already full).

I was thinking more along the lines of, "making reservations for camp sites when you've never been backpacking before" would be an issue. I do know that the new reservation system is somewhat easier.

[Andrew Kay]

Wow thanks a lot! I definitely like your ideas. I've now got about 4 or 5 different options that I'm thinking about. I should be getting together with my friends this week to decide which one will be best for us. You are right HooKoo, there seems to be a lot of options to make loops, but it does take some time and creativity to put em together haha. Making reservations shouldn't be a problem, I have been checking the sites that I have been thinking about and they for the most part are still wide open in early May, still have a few days until we can make reservations though.

Again, thank you very much for the ideas!

[ATL Backpacker]

I agree with Cranky. Standing Indian Loop is worth considering. only 2-3 climbs that I can recall. Lots of views, plenty of flexibility on choosing campsites, and nice moderate grade high elevation ridge line hiking. Plus shelters in case the weather gets nasty.

[BigMW]

From the taxed state of Illinois, your quickest inlet is to the northeast/east side of the park to either Cosby or Big Creek.... We drive from northern Illinois and it takes us about 9 to 10 hours.... To go to the west or south side of GSMNP, add one to two hours....

So many loop options... Always remember, you can always complete a shorter loop and drive to another destination to complete another loop (due to campsite restrictions)... We did this once (Cosby to Tremont).... My son and I are trying to complete all the GSMNP trails.... Drive safe and happy hiking!!!