Overnight hike with older kids GSMNP

[jonna.welch1]

We are planning our first overnight hike in 15 years... Parking at Clingman's Dome overlook and hiking in to stay at the Silers Bald shelter and hiking back out the next day. We are bringing our 11 and 14 year old children and 2 of their friends of the same ages. I have itineraries with our family as well as the other children's families. I'm 95% certain we are well prepared but wanted to pick anyone's brain for suggestions. TIA [emoji4]


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[Slo-go'en]

I assume you'll be doing this in the near future, in which case it will be cold and it gets dark early. Make sure you can stay warm just sitting around and have something to do after dark. Maybe you can have a fire, but finding enough wood could be a serious challenge since it's been picked clean over the last 8 months. Make sure the kids phones are well charged, since they will likely spend most of their time playing with them.

But since we have no idea what you consider "well prepared", can't really add more then that.

[RADHiker]

The area is lovely, but that shelter is quite creepy and one of the worst for mice around there. We chose to hang that night while our buds stayed in the shelter. The hike in is a half mile downhill....not my fav at all. If memory serves correctly, there might be better campsites nearby. On the plus side, it does have a nice fire pit. ��

[RADHiker]

Sorry...scratch that....I meant Siler Bald, not Silers Bald. Hopefully SilerS is better. ��

[Feral Bill]

That was my first backpacking trip, when I was eleven! Be prepared for plenty of rain, and don't skimp on the cocoa. And don't push the pace.

[elmotoots]

We hiked with our four sons when they were those ages, they did great.

If it is looking like rain pack all clothing and sleeping gear in big garbage bags.

Sweaters and sweet pants for sleeping gear if going in the cold.

Small flash lights for everyone.

I am getting ready to take grandsons out for first time, and I am going to take some bigger fire starter bricks out for the first night.

[HooKooDooKu]

The hike is about 5 miles total. Yea, the trail maps make it sound like only 4... but once you include the distance from the parking lot to the dome, the dome to the bypass trail, and the intersection of Welch Ridge trail to the shelter, the total distance is about 5.1 miles.

I would suggest visiting the dome on your way out to the bald. That way, if/when you're tired from the 1,100' elevation gain between Welch Ridge and the Bypass trail, you can skip the last 150' of elevation change between the bypass and the dome (and cut 0.3 miles out of the return trip).

Your trip will include one of the best spots for views along the AT in GSMNP... spots along the ridge between the Bypass and Goshen Prong. (Most of the rest of the trail will still be along the ridge line, but trees and bushes will make for few views).

As others have stated, be prepared for the cold. The forecast for the next few days at Silers Bald (http://www.mountain-forecast.com/peaks/Silers-Bald/forecasts/1709)call for overnight lows as low as mid 30's (though most mid 40's).

[daddytwosticks]

Make sure you have reservations. :)

[jonna.welch1]

Thank you all so much! Happy hiking [emoji4]


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[HooKooDooKu]

BTW - For future reference - there is a white-blaze sub-forum devoted to GSMNP (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/forumdisplay.php?82-Great-Smoky-Mountain-National-Park) should you care to utilize it.