Trip Planning: Must See/Do - Sam's Gap NC to VA 16

[soumodeler]

Planning my section hike for later this spring, avoiding Trail Days and the worst of the bubble. I ended last year at Sam's Gap and I have 16 1/2 days to hike as far north as I can. It is 215 miles to VA 16 (Sugar Grove/Marion) and at 14.5 MPD (counting one zero day and one nero) is within my normal hiking pace, so I am tentatively planning on ending there. I would park in Damascus and shuttle south to Sam's Gap and hike north, and 2 days before I have to go back to work find a shuttle from a convenient road crossing in the area.

Aside from the obvious major stuff, I know very little about the area. I am looking for recommendations on what others call the must see or must do things in this section.

Also looking for recommendations on shuttles on each end (Damascus to Sam's Gap and ??? to Damascus), good resupply points, and maybe a couple of hostels.

I avoid shelters as much as possible, but I have heard that Roan High Knob and Overmountain are worth it. Any thoughts on those? It would only happen if the timing was close. Not going to cut a day short just to stay in a shelter.

[Lone Wolf]

i may be able to shuttle you depending on day/time. PM me when you know

[soumodeler]

Thanks Lone Wolf.

[bigcranky]

Plenty of nice views on this section. Heading north from Sam's gap we camped on Little Hump with some great views, but that may be too short for you (we started after lunch). Easy resupply in Erwin, dunno if the Erwin Burrito is still there but it was good when we tried it. Beauty Spot is pretty, again might be only half a day out of Erwin for you. I didn't stay in Roan High Knob shelter, too gloomy, we pushed on to Overmountain which is great -- either camping nearby or sleeping on the front porch. Good views. The hostel at 19-E, Mountain Harbour is (was?) great, nice place and good breakfast, just 1/4 mile off the trail. After that you get about 60-70 miles in the woods until Damascus, a nice quiet hike along streams, etc. We stayed at Kincora a couple of times and enjoyed it - again, years ago.

Plenty of great things in Damascus. Easy resupply, some nice restaurants and B&B type places, several hostels. Past Damascus you get about 20 miles of quiet hiking in gorges then you climb Whitetop and come out into the open, where you'll be on and off for the next 15 miles -- open balds, wild horses, etc. Plenty of awesome campsites in this stretch.

Past that, we like stopping at Hurricane Camp, a very small Forest Service campground. It's quiet, virtually no one there on weeknights, and we can get a shower. :) Then it's one more longish day to Partnership Shelter and VA 16, or two days to I-81 at Atkins/Groseclose.

We enjoyed hiking this section, I've done it several times with different partners. Of course I'd recommend an updated guidebook for current info. Have a great hike!

[AlyontheAT2016]

TN 1330 at Hughes Gap, up Roan Mountain to Carver Gap, then up onto the balds of the Roan Highlands, and then down to Overmountain Shelter = one of my favorite stretches of the southern AT.