View Full Version : Gatlinburg area shuttles?
Greenlight
03-11-2016, 16:44
My grown son and I are gearing up for a thru-hike that will start in a couple of years. We're hiking mostly every weekend on trails near our homes in Indiana. I can't wait! But we will be section hiking near Gatlinburg the last week of March 2016 with the express purpose of getting our trail names. Crazy, eh? My question is whether there are shuttles in the Gatlinburg area. It'd be nice not to have to worry so much about positioning vehicles at the start and end, etc. I'm hopeful some kind folks on WhiteBlaze will be knowledgable and point us in the right direction.
Jim
HooKooDooKu
03-11-2016, 17:52
A Walk In The Woods (http://www.awalkinthewoods.com/pages/wd_shuttle.htm)
AAA Hiker Service (http://www.aaahikerservice.com/SHUTTLE.html)
I've used both... both are great.
A Walk In The Woods is a hiker guiding company started by a couple over a decade ago. They now have several employees and multiple shuttle vans.
From what I've read on the AAA Hiker Service website, I'm under the impression that this was a hiker guide company started by brothers with their father doing shuttles. The business seems to have gotten side-lined by collage, but dad still does shuttles. The guy is real friendly and very knowledgeable about the area, seems to do a lot of volunteer work in the park. Always has interesting stories to tell.
Gambit McCrae
03-11-2016, 17:55
I have used a walk in the woods A+++
HooKooDooKu
03-11-2016, 18:09
we will be section hiking near Gatlinburg the last week of March 2016 with the express purpose of getting our trail names.
Where exactly are you hiking to/from?
Or more precisely where do you need the shuttle to take you from/to?
I ask because the above statement makes it sound like you plan to section hike GSMNP. The AT enters/exits the park at relatively remote locations. Getting any shuttle service to get you from one to the other is going to be expensive because of the time involved to travel from home, pick you up, take you to the other end, and get back home. That's pretty much a full days work if going between Fontana and Davenport Gap.
prepare for the last week of march to be crowded along the AT.......
or rather, make that all of march...........
Here is a link to the list of shuttlers that the ATC maintains -- the shuttlers on pages 4 and 5 cover the area you are looking at:
http://www.appalachiantrail.org/docs/default-source/default-document-library/at-shuttles6a36de6668ce6efcb07bff000057c13a.pdf?sfvrs n=0
I utilized Ron McGaha of the Highlands Shuttle Service last year for a hike I did in that area. He arrived on time, got me to where I needed to go and did it for a rate that seemed reasonable to me. Knowledgeable guy -- I made a short side hike to the Mt. Cammerer fire tower on his recommendation and was happy I did.
+1 on A Walk in the Woods. Reliable, and the people are very knowledgeable about the history and ecology of the area.