View Full Version : Suggestions for planning Mt. Rogers to Gatlinburg
Kevin108
02-19-2015, 15:12
I apologize if any part of this is naive. We've all got to start somewhere. I'm not afraid to say something wrong. I'm here to learn!
My wife and I are new to hiking but not new to the outdoors or walking lengthy distances. We're in the first half of our 30s and quite active. We car camp, but backpacking has us intrigued. We've been getting gear together over the winter and are largely down to the bigger-ticket items of sleeping bags and a tent. We have both, but weight and being on foot have never been a consideration before and that certainly changes the required characteristics of a given item.
We've finally narrowed down how we want to start out on the AT. We are currently in the Norfolk, VA area, so we've not particularly close to the trail, but we'll work transportation out amongst family and friends. We want to get dropped off to start at/near Mt. Rogers, then hiking south to Gatlinburg, where we'll spend a couple days drinking TN whiskey and resting up. When done, we'll snag a rental car and head home.
I am currently unsure of our pace. I'd like to believe that we can do it in 10 days, but it may be longer. I've not yet figured out a good resource for determining mileage from one point on the trail to another so I've just estimated 160 miles. If you know of a site that will help me, please share the link. I'll return the favor for some other noob. I'd also like suggestions for a good mid-point for resupply. Carrying 10 days worth isn't impossible, but it would be nice to not have to.
Any other suggestions or tips regarding this trip would be welcomed as well.
SteelCut
02-19-2015, 15:19
It would be best to get a guidebook ... AWOL's is generally used but there are other options. To determine distances online you can try http://www.atdist.com. Mt Rogers to Gatlinburg is quite a bit more than 160 miles and not doable by most ordinary folks in 10 days.
bigcranky
02-19-2015, 15:22
Get one of the guidebooks from a local outfitter, either the Thru-Hiker's Companion or the AT Guide. That has specific mileage data and lots of information on where to resupply.
This is a nice section - you'll get the balds of Mt Rogers, then a nice stop in Damascus (best town on the trail), then a nice quiet section into TN, then the really big TN balds and down into the Smokies. (Note that you'll need to purchase Smokies thru-hikers' permits in advance and pay for them.) If it were me I would start at the Mt Rogers HQ building on VA 16.
Your pace is hard to gauge from here. It depends on all sorts of things that we don't know. So, my standard advice is to plan for 10-12 miles a day and ramp up from there if you want to do so. I think it's a lot more than 160 miles though. (Will check.)
SteelCut
02-19-2015, 15:26
Depending upon where you start it's around 300 miles.
bigcranky
02-19-2015, 15:26
It's 300 miles from Fox Creek (on VA 603 just north of Mt Rogers) to Newfound Gap (the road to Gatlinburg.)
I would suggest they try Mt Rogers to Carvers Gap, then drive to Gatlinburg for the whisky!
HooKooDooKu
02-19-2015, 19:17
We want to get dropped off to start at/near Mt. Rogers, then hiking south to Gatlinburg, where we'll spend a couple days drinking TN whiskey and resting up. When done, we'll snag a rental car and head home.
Have you already figured out exactly where you're going to get a rental car from?
There's all sorts of rental places in and around Gatlinburg that do rentals. But these are small vehicles for local use... things like mopeds to golf carts on steroids; not vehicles designed to travel interstates.
The last time a similar question came up and I started looking for rental car companies in Gatlinburg (Avis, Hertz, etc), the only thing I could find was locations at near-by airports 30+ miles away from Gatlinburg.
So to the best of my knowledge, you can't just "snag a rental car" from Gatlinburg to drive home. I think you're going to need a shuttle or taxi service just to get you from Gatlinburg to a rental car.
If I'm wrong, someone educate me about this as this sort of subject comes up from time to time in the forum. I know a lot about hiking the Smokies, but because I always drive myself there, I don't know all the ins and outs of what sort of transportation is available near the Smokies beyond shuttle services that can move me from one GSMNP trail head to another.
dreamweaver21
02-19-2015, 23:45
Have you already figured out exactly where you're going to get a rental car from?
There's all sorts of rental places in and around Gatlinburg that do rentals. But these are small vehicles for local use... things like mopeds to golf carts on steroids; not vehicles designed to travel interstates.
The last time a similar question came up and I started looking for rental car companies in Gatlinburg (Avis, Hertz, etc), the only thing I could find was locations at near-by airports 30+ miles away from Gatlinburg.
So to the best of my knowledge, you can't just "snag a rental car" from Gatlinburg to drive home. I think you're going to need a shuttle or taxi service just to get you from Gatlinburg to a rental car.
If I'm wrong, someone educate me about this as this sort of subject comes up from time to time in the forum. I know a lot about hiking the Smokies, but because I always drive myself there, I don't know all the ins and outs of what sort of transportation is available near the Smokies beyond shuttle services that can move me from one GSMNP trail head to another.
Agree. I did my first section hike last year. I did Springer to Gatlinburg in 14 days and that was moving pretty steady. I jumped off the trail and planned on doing a one way rental to get home to Florida. I figured it wouldn't be a problem. No one in Gatlinburg did one way rentals. I ended up paying a taxi about $80 to drive me up to Knoxville airport to get a one way rental car to drive home.
Kevin108
02-20-2015, 16:11
So to the best of my knowledge, you can't just "snag a rental car" from Gatlinburg to drive home.There's an Enterprise in Sevierville. They'll pick you up, right? But no, I haven't actually arranged this.
Kevin108
02-20-2015, 16:19
It's 300 miles from Fox Creek (on VA 603 just north of Mt Rogers) to Newfound Gap (the road to Gatlinburg.)
Doubling the mileage from what I first anticipated changes things a bit, at least for the time being. I'm going to have to come up with a shorter section. Thanks for the info!
Have you considered one or more shorter (2-3 day) shakedown hikes? You can hit the AT with about a 3 hour drive and do some loop hikes (AT and blue blaze) to avoid shuttling cars. It'd give you a chance to test out your multi-day routine and figure out a good daily mileage/pace.
Fox Creek to Carver's Gap is 130 miles. You would get to see Mt Rogers, and Roan Highlands. Mt Rogers Outfitters can shuttle you.
Or any of a number of Whiteblaze members who live in that area! Did not mean to plug just one place!