Originally Posted by
illabelle
It's 230 trail miles from the Smokies to Damascus. Excellent chance that this section of trail will be loaded with thru-hikers in early May. A few options - the first two puts you among the thru crowd, but you can choose to embrace it. Maybe you'll talk with someone who's keeping a trail journal, and you can follow them all the way to Katahdin:
1. You could stick with your Hot Springs plan. If you're doing a loop, the non-AT portion of that loop will be empty.
2. Max Patch is in the section just north of the Smokies, and it's really a neat place. You can drive to within a half-mile of the mountain if that helps you logistically.
3. There's a bunch of AT miles in NC south of the Smokies. You might consider doing the 30-mile stretch from Fontana to the NOC.
4. With all acreage in national forest in NC, you're not limited to a choice of car camping or AT backpacking. I'm sure you can find backpacking options besides the AT.