2 night 3 day reccomendations for GSMNP

[flemdawg1]

My SIL is getting married week after next and hopefully DW and I can escape the cabin for a couple of nights.

Criteria:
mileage less 10/day
no mountaineering (and minimal ice, don't have crampons)
Loops or point-point (will prob be dropped off and picked up)
North side of park between Big Creek-Townsend, Gatlinburg-Newfound Gap.
Must camp legally.

Fire away.

Here's a park trail map: http://www.nps.gov/grsm/p...load/Trail%20map%2008.pdf (http://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/upload/Trail%20map%2008.pdf)
http://www.alatrails.com/forum/Themes/bright_forest_110/images/icons/modify_inline.gif

[flemdawg1]

anybody? .....Bueller?

[sbennett]

here's a loop for you:

1st day: Big Creek Trail to campsite 35/36
2nd day: Gunter Fork Trail to Balsam Mtn. Trial to Mt. Sterling Ridge Trail to campsite 38 on Mt. Sterling
3rd day: Baxter Creek Trail back to Big Creek

Here's another one for you as well:
1st day: Big Creek Trail to campsite 35/36
2nd day: Camel Gap Trail to AT going North, camp at Cosby Knob
3rd day: AT north, detour out to Mt. Cammerer and then north to either Davenport Gap or take the Chesnut Branch Trail back to Big Creek

Hope this helps!

[sbennett]

here's a loop for you:

1st day: Big Creek Trail to campsite 35/36
2nd day: Gunter Fork Trail to Balsam Mtn. Trial to Mt. Sterling Ridge Trail to campsite 38 on Mt. Sterling
3rd day: Baxter Creek Trail back to Big Creek

Here's another one for you as well:
1st day: Big Creek Trail to campsite 35/36
2nd day: Camel Gap Trail to AT going North, camp at Cosby Knob
3rd day: AT north, detour out to Mt. Cammerer and then north to either Davenport Gap or take the Chesnut Branch Trail back to Big Creek

Hope this helps!

Sorry replace 35/36 with 36/37!

[SGT Rock]

How do you define mountaineering? Because I am doing a tip this weekend up to Gregory Bald. 2.5 days 31.6 miles, starts at Abrams Creek. It could work for you.

[sliderule]

Sorry replace 35/36 with 36/37!

Unless you are riding a horse, forget 36.

[sbennett]

Unless you are riding a horse, forget 36.

Thanks I couldn't remember which one of the sites was the horse site!

[Rcarver]

Start at Cosby camp ground, take Lower Cammerer trail to #35 the first night. Continue on Lower Cammerer to the AT, stay at Cosby Knob the second night. Come back to Low Gap trail of take the AT to Snake Den trail back to cosby camp ground.

Another good trip is to stay at #34 on Gabes Mountain trail the first night and #29 on Maddron Bald trail the second night.

[Egads]

Create a loop using the AT & BMT with a couple of connector trails of your choice.

[HippieHiker]

abrams creek loop! georgeous hike

[flemdawg1]

How do you define mountaineering? Because I am doing a tip this weekend up to Gregory Bald. 2.5 days 31.6 miles, starts at Abrams Creek. It could work for you.


abrams creek loop! georgeous hike

North side of park between Big Creek-Townsend, Abrams is too far West.

[SGT Rock]

I just got back. I went in at Abrams and hiked out Rabit Creek Trail to Hannah mountain and camped at #14 - not a great campsite but it had water. 6.0 miles.

The next day I hiked up Hannah Mountain then to Gregory Bald Trail. Stopped at Gregory Bald and had lunch. The climb up Gregory Bald trail isn't all that bad - 2500' in 4.5 miles. Then down Gregory Ridge Trail to Campsite #12 - nice campsite, glad I wend down Gregory Ridge instead of up it. 12.7 miles

Today I walked down the rest of Gregory Ridge trail to Forge Creek Road, then walked to the Cades Cove visitor center for lunch. Finished the road walk to Abrams Creek Trailhead and took the Rabit Creek Trail back to Abrams. Not bad walking. 13 miles.

It might work for what you are looking at doing.

[SGT Rock]

Oh, something I should mention. Campsite 15 is a VERY nice campsite in the area you may want to use. At the campsite there are signs closing the site for aggressive Bear activity. But I just checked the park site - apparently those signs are old and you can disregard.