Hey there!
Lighthouse here! I was a 2013 NOBOer. I have been back in the "real world" ever since and still miss the trail. I am going to do a family vacation in Gatlinburg starting on Wednesday. I hit up the guy I hiked the AT with, and he is down to hike with me in the Smokies after my family vacation is over. So, we are planning on starting on Sunday, July 21 and finish on Wed, July 24. I have about a 7 hour drive back home so I am not opposed to hiking a bit on that Wednesday...as long as I get back home at a reasonable time.
This was totally a last minute call. I do remember when I hiked the AT, the smokies was very strict with regulations and such. I also attempted to do a 3 day stint a couple years back with a friend and I remember we had to plan ahead and "reserve" some camp spots. I know we found a good loop that started at Clingmans dome that was a 2-3 day loop. I wouldn't be opposed to doing that again because when we tried it, literally the first hour into my hike I got MAULED by hornets. Probably got 40-50 stings. That being said, the next morning I was pretty red and puffy. We just decided to hike back out and not risk it. Bring BENADRYL...LESSON LEARNED!
Anyways, does anybody know of any good 2-3 day hikes that we should do? Is it even possible now or is everything reserved? If everything is reserved, do you guys know what the penalty would be if we got "caught" staying at a full campsite?
Thanks,
Lighthouse