North or South GSMNP?

[bayview]

Looking to hike from outside park doing a long section hike either starting or finishing at Hot Springs. Which is better in the Park enter at Fontana and exit at Davenport or the other way around. This will also be in June outside of the bubble.

[Slo-go'en]

Oh, you'll still be in a bubble.

It's kind of a toss up which way to go. NOBO you hit the rough part of the Smokies right away, going SOBO there are some good bumps right out of town too.

Having gone both ways, I don't think I'd go SOBO again. The logistics work out better going NOBO too. 5-6 days to get to Standing Bear where you can resupply for the next 3-4 days to Hot Springs. Start at NOC and I believe you qualify for the thru hiker permit in the park. With a thru hiker permit, it gives you time to run down to Gatlinburg if you want or need to. That's a decent section hike.

[JC13]

We went NOBO in July and only had one shelter that was at max capacity.

To qualify for the thru hiker permit, Hot Springs doesn't cut it. Have to start 50 before and end 50 after, so mile ~mile 291 north to ~mile 115. So that would mean start/finish at Franklin and start/finish at Hemlock Hollow Inn.

[jjozgrunt]

I'm just speculating here, but really how does a ranger in the GSMNP know where you started from? Really the 50 mile outside the park is an honesty thing.

[illabelle]

Oh, you'll still be in a bubble.

It's kind of a toss up which way to go. NOBO you hit the rough part of the Smokies right away, going SOBO there are some good bumps right out of town too.

Having gone both ways, I don't think I'd go SOBO again. The logistics work out better going NOBO too. 5-6 days to get to Standing Bear where you can resupply for the next 3-4 days to Hot Springs. Start at NOC and I believe you qualify for the thru hiker permit in the park. With a thru hiker permit, it gives you time to run down to Gatlinburg if you want or need to. That's a decent section hike.

Agree that logistics are better NOBO. Fontana is a long drive from everything.

[Singto]

I'm just speculating here, but really how does a ranger in the GSMNP know where you started from? Really the 50 mile outside the park is an honesty thing.

That's a good question and I'd like to see some informed answers to that.

Hypothetically speaking, I suppose that if one wanted to break that rule, they better have a realistic story about when and where they started, their stops and general mileage each day before entering the park. After the park, not so much of course...just a matter of having a destination more than 50 miles after exiting the park.

[JC13]

I'm just speculating here, but really how does a ranger in the GSMNP know where you started from? Really the 50 mile outside the park is an honesty thing.

For me, honesty is the only policy so there is no option but the truth. Lying only gets more regulations and restrictions which we have plenty of as it is.

YMMV
HYOH

[Christoph]

I'd go NOBO (but either way is going to be fun) and honestly at that timeframe, you shouldn't be in a huge crowd of hikers. Most corwds are trying to get to Damascus for Trail days and will be long gone by the time June rolls around.