Overnight (or two!) with a time crunch near Cashiers, NC

[z1 zonly]

Hi all! I was recommended this site by a friend I borrowed a tent from last night. Glad to have found it! Hope you can give me some input on what I hope to be the first of many great hiking/camping excursions to come.

My girlfriend and me are attending a wedding in Cashiers this weekend and thought we'd make a little overnight camping trip out of it. We both might as well be new to hiking, although she's done Crowders Mountain and I did McAfee Knob last year. I'm confident in our abilities, but wouldn't want to do much more than maybe 6 or 7 miles roundtrip.

*Timeline*: Can't leave Charlotte until Friday at 2PM. Have to be back in Cashiers by Noon on Sunday at the latest (preferably earlier).

Obviously, that puts us at a disadvantage for getting any progress made before making a camp on Friday, or packing up a camp and getting back to the car on Sunday morning. I want to escape civilization for a while and am not really privy to the idea of a more 'commercial' campground, but am quite confined by the time restrictions, too, so it may be a better option.

Can anybody recommend something for us? Thanks in advance!

[Tennessee Viking]

For the Cashiers area, you might want to consider Gorges State Park. Not a whole lot of trails being a new state park but its close to Cashiers. Even has some connections to the Foothills Trail. Or over to Franklin area to the Standing Indian Loop. Or the MST/Art Loeb Trail around Asheville to Waynesville areas.

[Gray Blazer]

Drive to Wayah Bald (past Franklin) and park there and walk North on the AT.

Park at Wayah Gap and walk south on the AT and camp on Silers Bald.

[brian2o0o]

The Art Loeb around Black Balsam/ Shining Rock is pretty close to Cashiers. Take HWY 64 over to Rosman then take 215 north to the parkway. Maybe a 45min ride...

[Nearly Normal]

Go on down 107 to SC and turn on Burrell's Ford road. Go to the bottom of the hill and park at the info koist on the right just before the bridge. Hike the river trail upstream or down stream as far as you like.
Upsteam is easier, downsteam more rewarding and pretty easy. Both are easy to follow. Follow the river.