Smokies: Other Trail Recommendations?

[Stuart]

As a teacher I'm looking at several months off and am planning several backpacking trips in or around the Smokies. Most of the backpacking/hiking I've done in the park has been around the 441/NewfoundGap Road corridor: Sugarland Mtn, Mt. Collins, Silars Bald, Mt. Leconte, Elkmont area, etc. I'm hoping to get in at least three good trips.

Trip #1 - AT from Fontana to Davenport, 5 days

Trip #2 - Cades Cove to Spence Field down Eagle Creek to 89; 89 to 83 via Lakeshore and Hazel Creek with a side trip up Bone Valley Trail (which interests me with the most remote historical structure in the park); 83 out to Cades Cove via Jenkins Ridge Trail <I'm really looking forward to this one>

For the third hike I'd like to either go to a part of the park I've never been such as th east side or maybe hike in a nearby national forest for about 3-4 days. Davenport to Hot Springs? Cataloochee?

Looking for recommendations?

Thanks for any advice.

[Moon Monster]

[QUOTE=Stuart]
For the third hike I'd like to either go to a part of the park I've never been such as th east side or maybe hike in a nearby national forest for about 3-4 days. Davenport to Hot Springs? Cataloochee?

[QUOTE]

I'm a fan of the Smokies, but there are some great places 30-50 miles east of the Tenn. border.

Consider Pisgah Nat'l Forest in the Black Mtns or in Shining Rock Wilderness areas. They are both part of the eastern arm of the Blue Ridge in NC, so they are not on the AT. Both are spectacular and have many trails. The Art Loeb Trail that runs through Shining Rock even has a few shelters, so it could emulate an AT experience. It has glorious 6,000+ foot open meadows, Shining Rock itself is a wonderful feature of quartz boulders, and the now famous Cold Mountain is at the northern terminus of the ALT. The Blacks feature the east's highest point (Mt. Mitchell) and a sub-alpine zone ridgeline trail that is eerily similar to hiking in Maine or NH, right down to the steep rocky grades and eroded trailway. There are good maps and guidebooks for both areas. I suggest the Nat'l Geographic map for the Shining Rock area. I'm not sure of an updated map for the Blacks, and the trail there north of Deep Gap gets a little overgrown in the summer.

There are some other good threads here about Shining Rock and the Art Loeb Trail. You should probably use Google to find more info on the Blacks.

[bobgessner57]

Stuart:
Cattaloochee is nice. You can do loops of various lengths from any of the trailheads there. Nice creek walks in places, can fish if that suits you, and the elk herd hangs out in the old hay fields in the valley. If I was going to do that corner of the park I would at least loop through the upper end of the fields to see the elk. They are pretty impressive even if you have been to Montana. You can get pretty close and the tourists usually have binoculars you could bum for a few minutes.

[Ramble~On]

Stuart.

The Smokies are great but the lesser used wilderness areas around the park are even better.
To the SW of the park, (about 12 miles from Fontana Dam) sits the Slickrock Creek/ Joyce Kilmer and Citico Creek Wilderness Areas.....123 miles of wilderness trails and a sizeable tract of virgin timber. remote waterfalls and few people.
Further from the park but worth the drive in Georgia is the "Big Cohutta Wilderness" 45,059 acres which makes it the largest or second largest wilderness in the eastern US... 26 trails/127 miles
From GSMNP you can cruise the Blue Ridge Parkway about 50 miles to the
"Shining Rock/Middle Prong" Wilderness areas" Art Loeb, Mountains to Sea trails and many others.

A search on the web of:
Big Cohutta Wilderness
Shining Rock Wilderness
Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest
Slickrock Creek Wilderness
ought to give you more than enough info about each area.
From these areas you can spend months exploring new trails.

Two maps cover everything I've mentioned.

National Geographic "Trails Illustrated" Topo maps # 781 covers Cohutta and the Slickrock area and map # 780 covers the Shining Rock and Middle Prong wilderness areas.
If you have the "Trails Illustrated" "Great Smoky Mtns National Park" map (#229) which comes with the North Carolina AT maps, you can see part of the Slickrock Creek Wilderness in the lower left hand corner of the back of the map. A small part of the "Hangover Lead" trail is shown in brown.
The trailhead for the Twentymile Trail in the park is about 5 miles from the Calderwood Lake trailhead for the Slickrock Creek trail.


More detailed maps of each Wilderness area are available at
USFS Cheoah Ranger District = (704) 479-6431
USDA Forest Service (Asheville) =(704) 257-4200
title of map "Joyce Kilmer-Slickrock Wilderness and Citico Creek Wilderness"

Or (near GSMNP) Backpacking stores:
1. Happy Hiker in Gatlinburg, TN
2. Blackrock Outfitters in Cherokee and Sylva, NC
3. Mast General Store, Waynesville, NC = closer to Shining Rock than GSMNP

If you are really interested check out the book "Hiking Trails of the Joyce Kilmer-Slickrock & Citico Creek Wildernesses" by Tim Homan
ISBN 1-56145-033-2 he also has a book on Cohutta

Hope that helps...if you've got any questions just ask
Happy Trails

[Stuart]

Thanks to all for the advice.

I'll check into all the suggestions. I would like to visit all of the areas surrounding GSMNP eventually, both for hiking and for camping with the family.

[melnooshca]

Trip #2 - Cades Cove to Spence Field down Eagle Creek to 89; 89 to 83 via Lakeshore and Hazel Creek with a side trip up Bone Valley Trail (which interests me with the most remote historical structure in the park); 83 out to Cades Cove via Jenkins Ridge Trail <I'm really looking forward to this one>

hey, i just finished a three day hike up there with my boyfriend...we started at cades cove-anthony creek-bote creek-eagle creek-campsite 96. that was day. there are very nice campsites along eagle creek, and we met no one on that trail. anthony creek was pretty busy with day hikers and bote creek was extremely rocky and uphill the entire way. also, you should know that you will get very wet traversing both eagle creek and hazel creek. the first 3-4 crossing on eg ck are easy, but after that there is no way to cross without getting knee high in water. and there are 24 creek crossing on eg crk. im 5'5'' and my neither my clothes nor my pack got wet. and it was a blast! i would consider hazel crk to be the identical twin of eagle creek.

if you take eagle creek to lakeshore--absolutely beautiful!!!

also, since you're out there try stopping by gregory bald...from the top you can see cades cove and if you are there at the right time you can pick some blueberries!! yum! it's a fairly easy trek from gregory bald to spence field, although i recommend mollies ridge shelter. it's new and very nice. and supposedly they are supposed to be renovating spence field shelter within the next few months.

well, anyway...sorry to write your head off. but i totally enjoyed my last hike. hope i didn't scare you away...its so pretty and really isn't bad b/c the smokies are pretty dry right now.

good luck! have fun!!

melnooshca (PS this won't be my trail name when i start in july...haven't decided on one yet.)

[Stuart]

Thanks for the report on Eagle Creek. The numerous stream crossings are exactly why I have been wanting to hike Eagle Creek, along with the fact that it is a lesser used trail. I like walking along a ridge, but after a while I prefer a stream or two to spice things up.

How was campsite 96? What would you say is the approximate size of the island?

Thanks.

[Jaybird]

this from BackPacker.com:


Top 50 Trails of Summer 2004


Mount Whitney - Lone Pine, CA

Glacier Gorge - Estes Park, CO

Dolly Sods Wilderness - Petersburg, WV

Breakneck Ridge Trail - Beacon, NY

Appalachian Trail: Sunfish Pond & Mount Mohican - Columbia, NJ

Black Mountain Loop - Lake George, NY

Arapaho Pass Trail to Lake Dorothy - Nederland, CO

Bear Mountain Loop - Newburgh, NY

Half Dome - Merced, CA

Furnace Mountain / Trayfoot Mountain Overnight Loop - Waynesboro, VA

Boulder County: Longs Peak - Estes Park, CO

The Pinnacle - Hamburg, PA

Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail - Johnstown, PA

Lake County: Mount Elbert - Leadville, CO

Black Mountain Crest - Asheville, NC

Shining Rock Wilderness - Asheville, NC

Mt. Mitchell - Asheville, NC

Indian Head Mountain Loop - Saugerties, NY

Chasm Lake - Lyons, CO

Hut to Hut Presidential Traverse - Gorham, NH

Lower Otter Creek Wilderness - Parsons, WV

Appalachian Trail (VA) - Chester Gap to Harpers Ferry - Front Royal, VA

Appalachian Trail: Crampton Gap to Harpers Ferry, WV - Burkittsville, MD

Appalachian Trail: Bear Mountain - Harriman State Parks - East - Arden, NY

Cohutta Wilderness Area Trails - Ellijay, GA

North Country Trail - Morenci, MI

20 Lakes Basin Loop (Backpacking) - Bishop, CA

Hoist Lakes Foot Travel Area - Glennie, MI

Slide Mountain Loop - Woodstock, NY

Ouachita Trail - Mena, AR

Central Alpine Lakes Loop (Backpacking) - Cle Elum, WA

Appalachian Trail: Bear Mountain - Harriman State Parks - West - Arden, NY

Amicalola Falls State Park Trails - Dahlonega, GA

Ouray County: Mount Sneffels - Telluride, CO

North-South Lake loop - Catskill, NY

Toxaway - Pettit Loop - Stanley, ID

Allamuchy Mountain State Park - Hackettstown, NJ

Whiteoak Canyon Falls - Madison, VA

Bergen Peak - Denver, CO

The Narrows of Zion Canyon - Springdale, UT

Cougar Mountain Regional Wildlands Park - Issaquah, WA

Big Creek Falls (Taylor River) - North Bend, WA

Eagle County: Mount of the Holy Cross - Vail, CO

Argentine Pass - Georgetown, CO

Rainy Lake - North Bend, WA

Henry Hagg Lake Trail - Forest Grove, OR

Havasu Canyon - Seligman, AZ

Mt. Pisgah Area Trails - Brevard, NC

Agnew Meadows to Ediza Lake (Backpacking) - Mammoth Lakes, CA

Camel's Hump, Forestry, Dean, and Long Trails Loop - Montpelier, VT


looks like the A.T. gets 5 of the slots & nearby startpoint Amicalola Falls gets a nod too! wooooooooooooo-hoooooooooooo!

[MOWGLI]

this from BackPacker.com:


Top 50 Trails of Summer 2004


Mount Whitney - Lone Pine, CA

Glacier Gorge - Estes Park, CO

Dolly Sods Wilderness - Petersburg, WV

Breakneck Ridge Trail - Beacon, NY

Appalachian Trail: Sunfish Pond & Mount Mohican - Columbia, NJ

Black Mountain Loop - Lake George, NY

Arapaho Pass Trail to Lake Dorothy - Nederland, CO

Bear Mountain Loop - Newburgh, NY

Half Dome - Merced, CA

Furnace Mountain / Trayfoot Mountain Overnight Loop - Waynesboro, VA

Boulder County: Longs Peak - Estes Park, CO

The Pinnacle - Hamburg, PA

Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail - Johnstown, PA

Lake County: Mount Elbert - Leadville, CO

Black Mountain Crest - Asheville, NC

Shining Rock Wilderness - Asheville, NC

Mt. Mitchell - Asheville, NC

Indian Head Mountain Loop - Saugerties, NY

Chasm Lake - Lyons, CO

Hut to Hut Presidential Traverse - Gorham, NH

Lower Otter Creek Wilderness - Parsons, WV

Appalachian Trail (VA) - Chester Gap to Harpers Ferry - Front Royal, VA

Appalachian Trail: Crampton Gap to Harpers Ferry, WV - Burkittsville, MD

Appalachian Trail: Bear Mountain - Harriman State Parks - East - Arden, NY

Cohutta Wilderness Area Trails - Ellijay, GA

North Country Trail - Morenci, MI

20 Lakes Basin Loop (Backpacking) - Bishop, CA

Hoist Lakes Foot Travel Area - Glennie, MI

Slide Mountain Loop - Woodstock, NY

Ouachita Trail - Mena, AR

Central Alpine Lakes Loop (Backpacking) - Cle Elum, WA

Appalachian Trail: Bear Mountain - Harriman State Parks - West - Arden, NY

Amicalola Falls State Park Trails - Dahlonega, GA

Ouray County: Mount Sneffels - Telluride, CO

North-South Lake loop - Catskill, NY

Toxaway - Pettit Loop - Stanley, ID

Allamuchy Mountain State Park - Hackettstown, NJ

Whiteoak Canyon Falls - Madison, VA

Bergen Peak - Denver, CO

The Narrows of Zion Canyon - Springdale, UT

Cougar Mountain Regional Wildlands Park - Issaquah, WA

Big Creek Falls (Taylor River) - North Bend, WA

Eagle County: Mount of the Holy Cross - Vail, CO

Argentine Pass - Georgetown, CO

Rainy Lake - North Bend, WA

Henry Hagg Lake Trail - Forest Grove, OR

Havasu Canyon - Seligman, AZ

Mt. Pisgah Area Trails - Brevard, NC

Agnew Meadows to Ediza Lake (Backpacking) - Mammoth Lakes, CA

Camel's Hump, Forestry, Dean, and Long Trails Loop - Montpelier, VT


looks like the A.T. gets 5 of the slots & nearby startpoint Amicalola Falls gets a nod too! wooooooooooooo-hoooooooooooo!

An interesting list to be sure. I would certainly take off the AT in Harriman State Park and replace it with any number of trails in the Adirondacks. For the Adironacks to only get 1 trail listed (Lake George) is crazy. I see the Catskills came in with two trails, but nothing is listed from the Shawangunks. The Gunks are another of my very very favorite places. Take a look at the following website to learn more about this amazing area;

http://www.shawangunkridge.org/

[TownDawg]

I'm headed to the Smokies this weekend. We are doing the Ramsey Cascade Manway up to the AT, overnighting at Tricorner, and then doing the Buck Fork watershed back to Greenbrier.

Knowing the weather what it is predicted to be.. WHOOSH. We do have a backup plan though, and will most likely include the Catstairs if the manway looks like a flood zone.

As for recommendations.. wow.. over 900 miles of trails. If you like to read there are plenty of trip reports on my webpage. My trip planning is to pick places I like, and then connect the dots so to speak. The next Smokies trip will most likely be spring 05.. or winter 04.. and I want to go explore the Three Forks area.. (K. Wise, p 296) taking the Breakneck Ridge Manway from CS#44.