Great weekend/3 night hikes in GSMNP?

[vaporjourney]

I've got 4 days for a backpacking trip, and I'll probably return to GSMNP. I've only been to 3 areas thus far: cosby, cataloochie valley, and big creek. I was a huge fan of cosby and big creek (big creek has way too many creek crossings though), and didnt dig cataloochie so much because horses have made those trails terrible. What is another essential area to hike? i wanted to hike up smokemont up to Charlie's Bunion, but there are only shelters, and I prefer to pitch in a tent.

[Hikes in Rain]

I've wanted to do these for years, but... Think you'd need a shuttle for each.

Deep Creek. Starts up near Newfound Gap and follows Deep Creek (Horace Kephart's old stomping grounds) down to Bryson City. Eight different campsites along the way. Good weekend hike, I'd think.

Lake Shore Trail (also part of the Benton Mackaye Trail). Follows the old road along what's now Lake Fontana. Start or end at either Road to Nowhere (Lakeview Drive) out of Bryson City to or from Fontana Dam. Lots of old signs of early inhabitation, many intersecting trails to explore and get lost on. You could spend days doing this.

And of course, the AT! :)

Gotta agree about the horses around Cattaloochee! Hiked the Little Cattaloochee trail a couple of years ago, and my goodness! what hooves and dropping will churn into what passes for a trail.

[littlelaurel59]

The area around High Rocks just north of Fontana Lake is very nice. Fabulous views from High Rocks, site of a former fire tower. It sits along a ridge across a valley from the AT. This area is best accessed from the Road to Nowhere and the Lakeview Trail.

[emerald]

I've got 4 days for a backpacking trip, and I'll probably return to GSMNP. I've only been to 3 areas thus far: cosby, cataloochie valley, and big creek. I was a huge fan of cosby and big creek (big creek has way too many creek crossings though), and didnt dig cataloochie so much [Shades of Gray edit: things that maybe cannot be proven, I didn't deem necessary and didn't wish to repeat here]. What is another essential area to hike? i wanted to hike up smokemont up to Charlie's Bunion, but there are only shelters, and I prefer to pitch in a tent.

You keep starting threads and you're bound to have a great hike and generate lots of ideas for other people too. Make us pick our brains!;) That's why this site exists IMHO.:)

Other people likely have better ideas and I have other things to which I must now attend. I just wanted to offer my encouragement and attempt to motivate people to help you.

Happy hiking.

[humunuku]

here's one i did last month.
day 1 Park at Tremont and hike toward Elkmont via Lumbar ridge/Meigs mtn then go up Jakes creek and camp at #26
Day 2 down Lynn camp prong. up greenbrier ridge to the AT, take the AT to and go down Goshen prong and camp at #23
day3 take little river trail/ cuccumber ridge back to elkmont and then hike back to Tremont.

something like 16 miles, 20 miles, then 16 miles

you could add more to the loop by adding Jonas creek and camping at #70, 69, or 68 (neat cascade here) and hiking up forney creek tho clingmans dome

Or, my next hike is parkingat Newfound gap, doing a look off to the west, then pass thru where i park and resupply, then do a loop on the east side

[aaronthebugbuffet]

The area around High Rocks just north of Fontana Lake is very nice. Fabulous views from High Rocks, site of a former fire tower. It sits along a ridge across a valley from the AT. This area is best accessed from the Road to Nowhere and the Lakeview Trail.
- I"ll second the High Rocks hike, it has a great view. You can start at Clingman's Dome and with 4 days there are several possibilities to make a loop depending on how much distance you want to cover. Even hit a little stretch of A.T. without a shelter stay.
-Gregory Bald is also another beautiful spot that can be reached from the Cades Cove area or Fontana. It is a rationed spot so be sure to make a reservation. The site 1/2mile from bald is popular, but large enough not to feel crowded. There is a nice little spring on the opposite side of the bald from site 13. Be sure to check road closure times for Cades Cove Loop. It's closed for a few hours on certain days for nature walks.

[Chip]

I've got 4 days for a backpacking trip, and I'll probably return to GSMNP. I've only been to 3 areas thus far: cosby, cataloochie valley, and big creek. I was a huge fan of cosby and big creek (big creek has way too many creek crossings though), and didnt dig cataloochie so much because horses have made those trails terrible. What is another essential area to hike? i wanted to hike up smokemont up to Charlie's Bunion, but there are only shelters, and I prefer to pitch in a tent.

If you have a GSMNP map you might want to check out and / or buy "Hiking Great Smoky Mountains National Park" by Kevin Adams, this is a "Falcon Guide" book. I have hiked and backpacked many trails in the Smokies. I have found this book to be the best. The info on each trail gives the highlights, type of hike, map, directions, how to get to the trailhead, trail profile, summary and key points. If you want any other info regarding the Smokies send me an e-mail. I see that you live right here in Asheville. Are you a member of the Carolina Mountain Club ?

Happy trails,
Chip

[TIDE-HSV]

a caution note on #13 (Sheep Pen Gap). It's closed for bear problems again, as it seems to be the majority of time. A bear there swiped my wife's pack 12-13 years ago. I like the High Rocks idea. I've stealth-camped there once, dragging our water up from Hazel. It's still remote. Forney Creek is not overworked yet either. However, there're a lot of fords and the water's going to be getting colder...

[Chip]

a caution note on #13 (Sheep Pen Gap). It's closed for bear problems again, as it seems to be the majority of time. A bear there swiped my wife's pack 12-13 years ago. I like the High Rocks idea. I've stealth-camped there once, dragging our water up from Hazel. It's still remote. Forney Creek is not overworked yet either. However, there're a lot of fords and the water's going to be getting colder...

Wow ! I really like hiking up to #13 the last weekend of July to pick & eat blueberries on Gregory Bald. We have seen deer graze up there right before sundown. Have never seen any bears up there. :eek: Thanks for the tip.

[ForceSmokyMountains]

I am more than willing to help you get from point A to point B. I live near the park and will be happy to shuttle you around if needed. Just let me know 48 hours out. No cash payment, just share some great pictures and stories.

:banana

[TIDE-HSV]

We were able to drive the bear off with rocks - during the day. He came back for his mischief at night. They closed the site after the pack incident, but they gave me permission to go back and hunt for my wife's pack. When I found out at the 20 Mile trailhead that the bear had, IN THE INTERVENING WEEK, learned how to chew through ropes, I didn't bother to climb back up. This was around 12-13 years ago. They closed the site then for pack depredation (no bear cables back then), but I don't know what the standard is now for closure. When I've called them, they've not been very forthcoming. It may be that I've talked to the wrong people...

[Chip]

We were able to drive the bear off with rocks - during the day. He came back for his mischief at night. They closed the site after the pack incident, but they gave me permission to go back and hunt for my wife's pack. When I found out at the 20 Mile trailhead that the bear had, IN THE INTERVENING WEEK, learned how to chew through ropes, I didn't bother to climb back up. This was around 12-13 years ago. They closed the site then for pack depredation (no bear cables back then), but I don't know what the standard is now for closure. When I've called them, they've not been very forthcoming. It may be that I've talked to the wrong people...

Thanks again, neat story ! I wish the AT was back up there. I think alot of hikers would really enjoy that section as well.:)

[TIDE-HSV]

I've done the old section of the AT down to Deal's Gap as an off-trail and it's neat. The relocation is probably more dramatic, but Gregory and Parson's Balds are missed, along with Sheep Pen Gap. I don't know how much is left of Parson's Bald. I haven't been up there in years and it was growing in rapidly...

[Chip]

Last time I was up there was the first weekend in August 2003. The Park Service had cut back some of the growth up on Parsons Bald to keep the trail clear. I think that they may do that each year, late summer.

[TIDE-HSV]

quite a few pigs in that area, although they haven't bothered me, unlike the bear. One, when we were camped in the Gap area, we came across a contractor hunter (we'd heard gun shots for a couple of days). It was during the week, and I don't think he knew there were any campers in the area. They had also set up hog traps. He was evasive in his answers, but he made it pretty clear that they didn't think the pigs were "worth relocating." We concluded that they must be shooting them, both in the open and in the traps, and, probably heli-lifting the carcasses out of the areas where there was no 4-wheel access...

[Chip]

I have seen traces of those hogs up there too. Another area that has a few hogs is the Cataloochee Area. Hiked up to Mt. Sterling via the Pretty Hollow Gap trail where the ground had been torn up from where the hogs had been looking for something to eat.

[TIDE-HSV]

When did you do PHG? I thought I'd read that they'd stopped maintaining that trail. Last time I was through there, it had so many blowdowns, they might as well not have tried. It was no horses at that time, but we met a four horse train. The lead horseman's advice to me was "Don't let him kick you." I understood that he meant "Get the hell out of my horses way." When we got to the bottom, I turned them in to the Big Creek ranger and he took off after them. Around Cattaloochee, it'd be a tossup as to whether the horses or the pigs cause more damage...

[CaptChaos]

quite a few pigs in that area, although they haven't bothered me, unlike the bear. One, when we were camped in the Gap area, we came across a contractor hunter (we'd heard gun shots for a couple of days). It was during the week, and I don't think he knew there were any campers in the area. They had also set up hog traps. He was evasive in his answers, but he made it pretty clear that they didn't think the pigs were "worth relocating." We concluded that they must be shooting them, both in the open and in the traps, and, probably heli-lifting the carcasses out of the areas where there was no 4-wheel access...

I know that this happens as several years ago on a trip from New Found Gap to Cades Cove we were visited one night right before we went over Thunderhead Mtn by a seasonal ranger who was packing a 12 gage shotgun.

For a couple of days we had heard that there was a bear that was trying to get into the food and climbing up the tree and shaking the food wires in an attempt to get the food. As described he was a rather tall bear and one of the NOBO told us to check out the tree and look for the claw marks that the bear had done two nights before.

When we got to the shelter 2 days later we did see the marks left from the bear and he was a tall one. As evening fell we were visited by a young ranger who had been boar hunting. He said that they kill the boar and drag the body off the trail and the bears take care of the rest. If you leave the bear something dead then it will eat it.

The bear never did show up that night but we were rather happy that the ranger stayed until midnight before heading back to his camp somewhere on the trail. If you check my pictures under CaptChaos you will find the group picture of all of us with the ranger and his shotgun.

Capt Chaos

[TIDE-HSV]

Makes sense. However, in the Gregory/Parsons balds area, there are already problem bears (#13 is closed as we speak). Seems like providing fresh pork would just concentrate more bears there also.

[TN_Hiker]

I am more than willing to help you get from point A to point B. I live near the park and will be happy to shuttle you around if needed. Just let me know 48 hours out. No cash payment, just share some great pictures and stories.

:banana

WOW ForceSmokyMts. -- that is a generous offer indeed!! Does that hold true for anyone?

[TIDE-HSV]

remember you, Force. In fact, where have you been all my hiking life...:)

[gollwoods]

I just got back from the Newton bald area, I can recomend the sunkota ridge trail for a nice hike it is not too steep but rather long. very nice condition too. if there were a way to newfound gap without going on the road it would make a nice loop going to the AT and heading west to the fork ridge trail or noland divide trail and back down to deep creek.

[Doctari]

here's one i did last month.
day 1 Park at Tremont and hike toward Elkmont via Lumbar ridge/Meigs mtn then go up Jakes creek and camp at #26
Day 2 down Lynn camp prong. up greenbrier ridge to the AT, take the AT to and go down Goshen prong and camp at #23
day3 take little river trail/ cuccumber ridge back to elkmont and then hike back to Tremont.

something like 16 miles, 20 miles, then 16 miles

you could add more to the loop by adding Jonas creek and camping at #70, 69, or 68 (neat cascade here) and hiking up forney creek tho clingmans dome

Or, my next hike is parkingat Newfound gap, doing a look off to the west, then pass thru where i park and resupply, then do a loop on the east side


I have done parts of all of those trails, I love them. The little river trail (most of it) is a forest service gravel rd, so I didn't like that part of it, but it follows the little river, so that more than makes up for walking on all that gravel.

Doctari.

[Chip]

When did you do PHG? I thought I'd read that they'd stopped maintaining that trail. Last time I was through there, it had so many blowdowns, they might as well not have tried. It was no horses at that time, but we met a four horse train. The lead horseman's advice to me was "Don't let him kick you." I understood that he meant "Get the hell out of my horses way." When we got to the bottom, I turned them in to the Big Creek ranger and he took off after them. Around Cattaloochee, it'd be a tossup as to whether the horses or the pigs cause more damage...

Just a couple of years ago. I think I will check it out again to see if it is indeed closed. I hope not. Thanks for the info.
:)

[beas]

I to am planning a trip for late April, 5 nights. We will be arriving in East Tennessee late on the 22nd and plan on staying at #35.From there plan on making a loop from lower mnt to the AT then to low gap at #36 or 37. The 3rd night will be at the end of the Gunter Fork to Balsm to Tri Corner to get some of the AT shelter experiecne?? (not sure about that) From there will be heading back via the Snake Den to site #29 Then back to Cosby via Gabes mt.
Does anyone see anything wrong with this route? Please give me a heads up. We relize there are some issues with the shelter and the thru hikers, and the reserved camp sites.
Do we really want to stay in a shelter with this being the peak thru season?
BEAS

[aaronthebugbuffet]

I would definitely avoid staying at that shelter in April. There aren't a lot of good tent sites (as defined by GSMNP regulations) near that shelter either so it could be rather packed. Even if you have reservations it could be full when you get there. Personally I wouldn't get near any of those shelters during heavy thru-hiker use time. With that being said you could always give it a shot though. You might enjoy talking to the thrus.

[beas]

something else. I am not bent on that section. It just would be easier since my folks live in that area(shuttles and such). So we are open to most anything in the park. We even have discussed using 1 site as a base camp for dayhikes from that base camp for 2 days, any suggestions there?
As far as the base camp is concerned would that be safe leaving tents food etc as far as vandals? Or do we need to pack up each morning? Providing we were far enough away from the day hikers?

BEAS

[aaronthebugbuffet]

Be sure to hang your food and anything else a bear or other critters may think is food or have food odors ie deodorant toothpaste sunscreen cooking kit etc.
I've never left my gear unattended and wouldn't advise others to do it. I did meet a fellow once though who was hiking in The Smokies in the fashion you describe, setting up a basecamp and hiking out from it on dayhikes.

[gollwoods]

Here is an excellent hike I did a couple years ago . start at the smokemont campground hike in on the bradley fork up to hughes ridge, stay at pecks corner shelter
day 2 hike over the A T and balsam mt trail to laurel gap shelter.
day 3 hike down balsam mt trail to beech gap trail take that to the straight fork rd here you can go right back up the beech gap trail to the hyatt ridge trail or follow the road to the hyatt ridge trail and hike that up to the enloe creek trail follow that to b c site 47 on the raven fork creek.
day 4 leave the campsite and go up the Enloe creek trail to the hughes ridge trail and the chasteen creek trail take that back down to the bradley fork trail and back out to the campground. lots of climbing but very nice circuit

[gollwoods]

your trip is pretty nice i did the cosby area last april. I think if your going from Mt cammerer up the AT to low gap and down to walnut bottoms, it will be strenuous. low gap is 2.5 miles from BC site 37 at walnut bottoms. all down hill. after walnut bottoms you are going up gunter fork , so you could stay at the laurel gap shelter. It is like an A T shelter. The gunter fork trail can be wet and hard to get accros so you could do the swallow fork and Sterling ridge trail instead.
after Laurel gap you can make it to site 29 balsam Mt trail is level so it is not strenuous really.

[madmanhiker]

There are so many 3 day trips your could plan in the Smoky's... so I'll just list some of my favorites:

Trip 1 - Gregory Bald Loop (Moderate)
TwentyMile Ranger Loop (Southwestern Section of the park near Fontana Dam)
Night 1 - TwentyMile Ranger Station to Campsite 92 via Twentymile Trail & Long Hungry Ridge Trail
Night 2 - Campsite 92 to Gregory Bald to Campsite 13. (great place to see deer, views, and flaming azalea's in June!, blueberries in July)
Night 3 - Campsite 13 to Parson Bald to Campsite 95 via Wolf Ridge Trail...


Trip 2 - Thunderhead Mtn Loop (Moderate)
Day 1 - From C.C. Cmp Grnd - Anthony Creek Trail (1.6) to Russell Field Trail (3.5) - 5.1 Miles (all up)

Day 2 - From Russel to Spence (2.9 miles EASY DAY) DAY HIKE ON AT to Thunderhead then back to Spence shelter (total miles for day 2.9 + 1.9(x2) = 6.7 miles total

Day 3 - From Spence to Bote Mountain Trail (1.7) to Anthony Creek back to Cades (1.9 + 1.6) = 5.2 miles

Trip 3 - Goshen Prong Loop (Moderate to Difficult)
Day 1 - From Elkmont to Campsite 23 via Little River Trail to Goshen Prong Trail.

Day 2 - Campsite 23 to Mt Collins via Goshen to AT. Watch out for bear activity here. One came up to me at the fire-ring during dinner. He stole some socks and a trekking pole by reaching his arm THROUGH THE GATE IN THE SHELTER!
Link: http://66.177.194.64:8080/smokys604/pages/100_2066a.htm

Day 3 - Mt Collins shelter to Campsite 24 (Note: If planning in June, watch for syncronous fireflies at night - WHAT A SHOW - been there many times)

then back down and out in the morning.

There are many trips you can do, check out some of them on my archive (link by my signature). It doesn't have all of the trips, but many are listed to give you ideas..... have fun and be safe.