A week of hiking

[bert304]

I am taking a vacation in March. I will have from a Saturday to a Saturday to hike, including the driving time. I live in Natchez, Mississippi and I was thinking of driving over to the Springer Mountain. I do not have an exact date in March, My question is the following: How busy is the Southern end in March. Should I go somewhere else? I am trying to keep the drive as short a possible.

[Lone Wolf]

30 to 50 per day leaving Springer in march. have fun

[bert304]

maybe I should go somewhere else?

[bert304]

any suggestions?

[MuddyWaters]

Skip the shelters.

I was born in Natchez. My family was there since early 1800s.

[HooKooDooKu]

For specifics, I can work on suggestions for hiking around the Great Smokey Mountains.

But in general, you've got other trails like the Benton MacKaye that also starts about the same place as the AT, plus other wilderness areas in the TN/NC area.

You can also check out the list of "Long Distance Trails" in Wikipedia.

[jdgrubbs]

Pinhoti or sheltowee both are great trials.

[MkBibble]

I can understand wanting to hike the AT rather than another trail, and to avoid the crowd. Others here Can tell you how far north you need to go, but I think that an extra 4 to 6 hours of driving would be time well spent.

[saltysack]

Try the section southbound into Damascus...Grayson highlands, Mt.R etc....check snow first....my favorite


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[full conditions]

Bert - The trail from Springer to the Smokies will have a ton of thru hikers and Spring breakers on it and it's not unheard of to have 50 - 75 hikers at a single campsite. But if you get on the trail north of the Smokies you'll find the crowds have thinned out considerably. If it were me, and I absolutely had to hike on the AT, I think I would hike the trail from Sam's Gap to Elk Park. That would put you ahead of the mob and would include the grass balds of Big Bald and the Roan Mountain Massif. There will still be a fair number of people on the trail and I would plan on camping well away from shelters.

[thegooddoctor]

Look at the "Georgia Loop" that uses the AT, Benton MacKay, and Duncan Ridge trails. There are several points to reach the trail to start and BMT and DR should be ghost towns compared to AT.

This is what we are planning for March as well.

[waterman1148]

Pinhoti...........