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re: Looking for a backpacking destination idea...
Posted on 2/20/13 at 4:03 pm to TRUERockyTop
Posted on 2/20/13 at 4:03 pm to TRUERockyTop
how crowded will Great Smoky Mountain NP be?
1
Posted on 2/20/13 at 4:15 pm to Chicken
quote:
how crowded will Great Smoky Mountain NP be?
I've been in April I believe and it wasn't crowded at all, but I used to going in Oct. It's beautiful that time of year in a different way from Oct.
Think I read earlier about you wanting to camp and wander, not sure you can do that there. They have the campsites, but I think you have to schedule and such. Pretty sure they don't allow freerangers.
Posted on 2/20/13 at 4:58 pm to QuietTiger
Posted on 2/20/13 at 6:23 pm to QuietTiger
QT, that is fine. I just want to hike to a campsite (which hopefully isn't crowded and is by a water source), set up tent there and do day hikes from there. You dig?
Posted on 2/27/13 at 2:26 pm to Chicken
quote:
QT, that is fine. I just want to hike to a campsite (which hopefully isn't crowded and is by a water source), set up tent there and do day hikes from there. You dig
That's too easy, My best friend and I go Bush wacking all the time if you vibe with that scene. It's easy to get lost for days ( Which is nice for us ) Just be cognizant of the Bear and Snake every where.
Also if your trying to get off the beaten path, check out the Benton MacKaye Trail. Arguably one of the best trails and well kept secrets in the South East
This post was edited on 2/27/13 at 2:29 pm
Posted on 2/27/13 at 2:35 pm to colorchangintiger
quote:
I went on the AT around the Smokies back 6 years ago. There weren't any lakes, just the ridge with vistas on both sides. I went first week in April. It was brutally cold (for me, i hate being cold) and even had snow fall on us the second night.
The Appalachian Trail cuts across Fontana Dam on the southern border of the Smokies National Park in North Carolina. You could probably find a few places alongside Fontana Lake near the dam.
There's also another trail that intersects the AT that appears to follow Fontana Lake in the national park. I haven't really explored the southern parts of the national park, but the entire area is amazing.
Edit: TRUERockyTop identified the Benton MacKaye Trail, which is the trail I was talking about.
Great Smoky Moutains National Park Trail Map
This post was edited on 2/27/13 at 2:42 pm
Posted on 2/27/13 at 2:56 pm to GetCocky11
GSM. Was awesome. Did some day hikes and fly fishing during the summer
Posted on 2/27/13 at 3:16 pm to jimbeam
quote:
GSM. Was awesome. Did some day hikes and fly fishing during the summer
I hiked up to the Ramsey Cascades this past Labor Day in the northern portion of the park north of Gatlinburg.
Highest waterfall in the park and the best untouched old growth forest in the park. I saw some of the biggest trees I've ever seen. Great experience.
If you plan well, you can really avoid the tourists that swarm GSM, even during the peak season.
Posted on 2/27/13 at 6:29 pm to GetCocky11
You frickers are making me wish it was July. Im flying up to Montana for my birthday/vacation this year. Plan on just dicking off in the parks and drinking it in. I've never been out west and have no clue what to expect, other than to be impressed. All I know is am pumped up like two wild and crazy guys
Posted on 2/27/13 at 6:33 pm to Flair Chops
quote:
've never been out west and have no clue what to expect,
What part?
quote:
other than to be impressed
Not hard to to there. Eastern half is rolling grassland, not too impressive though. Western half is awesomeness.
Posted on 2/27/13 at 6:38 pm to Flair Chops
That's my old stomping grounds. Lots to see and enjoy.
Posted on 3/19/13 at 12:25 am to Chicken
Yosemite
If you haven’t gone to Yosemite I can point you to a great spot along the John Muir trail that could be an awesome 2-5 day trip without many people. Park at the bottom of the mountain, resort bus drives you to trailhead, hike to location, and then catch bus back to car on way home.
It will be chilly at night and you have to carry an obnoxious bear canister and get permits. Best part is you can camp near a lake and never see another person and do day hikes. I can post pics if needed from my trip and show you what my stay was like.
Yellowstone
If attempting to avoid crowds there are some great areas in Teton National Forest where you can be far from humans, camp off trail, and only see a few people on horses along the way. It’s not a national park so that’s a plus as long as you still plan to see the main attractions on your trip.
Colorado
Estes Park & Rocky Mountain National Park
When I lived in Colorado my little brother flew up for a week to hike with me. We drove to Indian Peaks Wilderness to do a 3 day trip. A quarter mile before parking at the trailhead a mountain lion darted in out in front of the car. ‘Nuff said. Amazing place near a great resort town (Estes) and a short drive from the Denver Airport. The national park is incredible. Elk galore. Which reminds me…
Appalachian Trail Section
Skip Georgia and North Carolina
Tennessee
Great Smoky Mountain National Park
Despite the fact that it is the most visited national park in the country you can still be in very remote places. One out of 3 Americans lives within a day’s drive of GSMNP. However, there is over 900 miles of trail within the park. I went at the end of March and froze at night. If you are going at the end of May it will be warmer and you’ll have a much better chance of seeing one of the over 1,500 bears in the park. The wildlife is amazing there (for now--- the feral hogs are beginning to immigrate). There are over 400 types of mushrooms and numerous salamanders as well (see my AT pics in the stickied thread). Great hiking, strenuous, and plenty of hiking off the beaten bath.
Laurel Falls (pictures in AT thread)
Awesome water fall that is accessed by a flat, smooth footpath that isn’t too far from the small town of Hampton. LINK
Virginia
Check out Catawba. It’s very close to Roanoke so it’s easy to fly into and rent a car if you don’t want to roadtrip. Catawba also has the famous Homeplace Restaurant where you’re sure to run into plenty of thru-hikers. I dreamt of it days before and days after while on the trail. What makes Catawba cool is that a day’s hike to the south of the road is the Dragon’s Tooth, cool rock formations with an overlook, and an hour or so north of the road is McAfee Knob (google it now). McAfee Knob is the most photographed spot on the AT and on the cover of many books. Make sure you don’t go at peak times/hours so that you can take a cool picture with your kid. Sunset or Sunup is optimal. I stayed from afternoon until dark and then camped at a nearby campsite on top of the knob. You’ve got a restaurant, cool rock formations, and a great landmark, all within a few miles of a road right outside of Roanoke. Not many tourists and very easy for travel.
Shenandoah National Park
One of America’s weakest national parks yet some of my favorite experiences. It’s small and crowded and hard to get away from tourists but the deer are close enough to pet and the bears stroll along the road (Blue Ridge Parkway). I had an adult doe and a fawn let me pet them on separate occasions. That's probably how I got Lyme disease.
If you’ve ever had the opportunity to drive the blue ridge parkway and chose not to then you don’t deserve a license. It’s beautiful. There are plenty of campsites: shelters, tent spots, or places for cars and campers/RV’s. Beware of bears that are addicted to human food.
Skip West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Massachusetts
All have something to offer but nothing as wildly spectacular as the places previously listed and the places soon to be listed. WV has hills similar to Virginia’s “roller coaster” (14.1 miles of quick bumps and 3,900 feet of climbing) and it has the historic town of Harper’s Ferry. Massachusetts has some of the most lush and beautiful forest on the entire trail and an infinite number of small streams/brooks. Connecticut has rough, rocky climbs and small, plush towns populated by America’s elite and vacation homes of Manhattan’s finest. All great places but nothing at the top of the list (except for Pennsylvania---frick that state). If you decide you want to go to one of these states, I can specify on particular locations and the highlights when needed.
4 State Challenge
Want to stay near the big cities and/or commit to a crazy trip? The 4 state challenge is when a hiker goes 42.9 miles on the AT in 24 hours, in the process traveling across the borders of Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. I prefer to start at midnight and finish by the next midnight. Don’t forget batteries for that headlight. Also, night is the best time to see critters; especially the spotted salamanders.
You could give yourselves 3 or 4 days to do it and would have completed all of the AT in West Virginia and Maryland. The WV portion includes some ridiculous rolling hills and Maryland has some of the best shelters of the whole trail.
If you haven’t gone to Yosemite I can point you to a great spot along the John Muir trail that could be an awesome 2-5 day trip without many people. Park at the bottom of the mountain, resort bus drives you to trailhead, hike to location, and then catch bus back to car on way home.
It will be chilly at night and you have to carry an obnoxious bear canister and get permits. Best part is you can camp near a lake and never see another person and do day hikes. I can post pics if needed from my trip and show you what my stay was like.
Yellowstone
If attempting to avoid crowds there are some great areas in Teton National Forest where you can be far from humans, camp off trail, and only see a few people on horses along the way. It’s not a national park so that’s a plus as long as you still plan to see the main attractions on your trip.
Colorado
Estes Park & Rocky Mountain National Park
When I lived in Colorado my little brother flew up for a week to hike with me. We drove to Indian Peaks Wilderness to do a 3 day trip. A quarter mile before parking at the trailhead a mountain lion darted in out in front of the car. ‘Nuff said. Amazing place near a great resort town (Estes) and a short drive from the Denver Airport. The national park is incredible. Elk galore. Which reminds me…
Appalachian Trail Section
Skip Georgia and North Carolina
Tennessee
Great Smoky Mountain National Park
Despite the fact that it is the most visited national park in the country you can still be in very remote places. One out of 3 Americans lives within a day’s drive of GSMNP. However, there is over 900 miles of trail within the park. I went at the end of March and froze at night. If you are going at the end of May it will be warmer and you’ll have a much better chance of seeing one of the over 1,500 bears in the park. The wildlife is amazing there (for now--- the feral hogs are beginning to immigrate). There are over 400 types of mushrooms and numerous salamanders as well (see my AT pics in the stickied thread). Great hiking, strenuous, and plenty of hiking off the beaten bath.
Laurel Falls (pictures in AT thread)
Awesome water fall that is accessed by a flat, smooth footpath that isn’t too far from the small town of Hampton. LINK
Virginia
Check out Catawba. It’s very close to Roanoke so it’s easy to fly into and rent a car if you don’t want to roadtrip. Catawba also has the famous Homeplace Restaurant where you’re sure to run into plenty of thru-hikers. I dreamt of it days before and days after while on the trail. What makes Catawba cool is that a day’s hike to the south of the road is the Dragon’s Tooth, cool rock formations with an overlook, and an hour or so north of the road is McAfee Knob (google it now). McAfee Knob is the most photographed spot on the AT and on the cover of many books. Make sure you don’t go at peak times/hours so that you can take a cool picture with your kid. Sunset or Sunup is optimal. I stayed from afternoon until dark and then camped at a nearby campsite on top of the knob. You’ve got a restaurant, cool rock formations, and a great landmark, all within a few miles of a road right outside of Roanoke. Not many tourists and very easy for travel.
Shenandoah National Park
One of America’s weakest national parks yet some of my favorite experiences. It’s small and crowded and hard to get away from tourists but the deer are close enough to pet and the bears stroll along the road (Blue Ridge Parkway). I had an adult doe and a fawn let me pet them on separate occasions. That's probably how I got Lyme disease.
If you’ve ever had the opportunity to drive the blue ridge parkway and chose not to then you don’t deserve a license. It’s beautiful. There are plenty of campsites: shelters, tent spots, or places for cars and campers/RV’s. Beware of bears that are addicted to human food. Skip West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Massachusetts
All have something to offer but nothing as wildly spectacular as the places previously listed and the places soon to be listed. WV has hills similar to Virginia’s “roller coaster” (14.1 miles of quick bumps and 3,900 feet of climbing) and it has the historic town of Harper’s Ferry. Massachusetts has some of the most lush and beautiful forest on the entire trail and an infinite number of small streams/brooks. Connecticut has rough, rocky climbs and small, plush towns populated by America’s elite and vacation homes of Manhattan’s finest. All great places but nothing at the top of the list (except for Pennsylvania---frick that state). If you decide you want to go to one of these states, I can specify on particular locations and the highlights when needed.
4 State Challenge
Want to stay near the big cities and/or commit to a crazy trip? The 4 state challenge is when a hiker goes 42.9 miles on the AT in 24 hours, in the process traveling across the borders of Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. I prefer to start at midnight and finish by the next midnight. Don’t forget batteries for that headlight.
Also, night is the best time to see critters; especially the spotted salamanders. You could give yourselves 3 or 4 days to do it and would have completed all of the AT in West Virginia and Maryland. The WV portion includes some ridiculous rolling hills and Maryland has some of the best shelters of the whole trail.
Posted on 3/19/13 at 12:26 am to Blue Velvet
New York
Harriman-Bear State Park
New York has a great state park where you can actually hike through the woods all the way to the George Washington Bridge. I wouldn’t advise doing that but the state park is right outside of the Big Apple; beautiful, easy to get to, and full of deer. What makes it great is that you can hike out of the park on the AT and camp on a mountainside with the NYC skyline as your backdrop. Looking at NYC while surrounded by turkey, bear and deer is awesome in its own way. You can also hike in NY through a small zoo near West Point and then immediately cross the Hudson River over a large bridge straight back into a treacherously steep mountain. It’s odd being in a city and then being totally alone in a couple of miles.
Vermont
A world of it’s own. Everything is super green. Moose everywhere! I was even lucky enough to come face to face with a pine marten. Manchester Center is a great little town with a one-room theater (where I saw the final Harry Potter). The green mountains are fantastic and the state has a very small population. I would recommend the Long Trail. Many New England’ers set out to hike the Long Trail; the oldest distance trail in the US. It’s 272 miles and 100 of those miles are on the Appalachian Trail. It’s awesome knocking out the miles of two trails at the same time. You could do a small section of the Long Trail on your yearly vacation and finish the whole thing in less than 5 years. There’s lots of ponds/lakes/streams and therefore beavers. Watch out for giardia.
New Hampshire
Franconia Ridge
My favorite AT state. If I had to do my 2,000+ miles again I would walk from Massachusetts to Maine and then back (known as a yo-yo---get it?). New England is insane and New Hampshire is the epitome. The Franconia Ridge, or Franconia Range, is one of my favorite places in America and certainly on the AT. There you will cross some awesome mountains (like Mount Lincoln and Lafayette). The fact that White Mountain National Forest is not a national park is unbelievable to me and yet freaking awesome because it means less people. There are huts that you can rent with bunks and cooks but I’m assuming they’re booked by now and you’ll have to wait until next summer. Also, they’re expensive and roughing it by backpack is more adventurous anyway. This is where I would go if I were you! You can knock out some of New Hampshire’s 4,000 footers—I plan to do them all before I die.
Mount Washington and the Presidential Range
This would be a cool trip because it is a highlight/landmark surrounded by ruggedness. The actual mountain has been bastardized at the top with a train, restaurant, and parking lot for the fatasses who can only get to the top by driving. That doesn’t mean that the hike up and down and the surrounding mountains aren’t insane. This is Lord of the Rings-level quality. For 76 years, until 2010, a weather observatory on the summit held the record for the highest wind gust directly measured at the Earth's surface, 231 mph. It snows every month of the year and never gets above 70 degrees. Hikers die here every single summer. Don’t hike in the rain or you will slip and regret it. Check out the Mount Washington hotel at the bottom.
Maine
Mahoosuc Notch
The Mahoosuc Notch is one of the hardest days of the entire AT. I'd argue it's the hardest. Some young guns do it in few hours, some old people take 2 days. It’s a feat of it’s own. You’re climbing over and under car-sized boulders towards the top of a mountain. There’s no shortage of remote, gorgeous places on the AT in Maine that I can point you to-- weird places like Rangeley... but I figured I’d start the introduction to Maine with the beast itself.
The 100 Mile Wilderness and/or Mount Katahdin
The name says it all: One hundred miles of trail with no towns or roads or ways out. This is a hiker’s dream. It took my friend (the author I mentioned in the AT thread) and I right at 5 days. Obviously we averaged 20 miles a day; which is nothing spectacular and speaks a good bit of the difficulty of the terrain. I carried 7 days of food just in case. You and your kid could do it in 7 and have fun. The area is on google maps if you’d like to see where it is. What makes it so great is that when you pop out on the other side you are at Baxter State Park (awesome place) and therefore only a short hike from Mount Katahdin, the northernmost terminus of the AT. The top, the end… or beginning if you’re a crazy south-bounder. You can always skip the 100 Mile Wilderness and hike up Mount Katahdin or spend a few days in Baxter State Park. I personally wouldn’t climb Katahdin without having hiked the entire AT first as that seems disrespectful and a way to ruin the magic of the trail if one or both of you ever decide to thru-hike. Katahdin is the light at the end of the tunnel but only for those who have made the journey to get there. Regardless, Baxter State Park is great on its own and worth checking out.
Non-AT Maine
Acadia National Park
One of the most underrated national parks out there. I’ve spent a couple of summers in Bar Harbor and it is a paradise in the summer. It’ll still be cool at night but will be awesome in the day time. Look up pictures of the breathtaking scenery. Mt. Desert is worth the air fare alone. Last time I was there Laura Bush was there because one of W’s daughters was proposed to on Cadillac Mountain. Great little towns and some of the best hiking in America.
The order I'd choose.
1. Franconia, NH
2. Acadia, ME
3. Estes Park, CO
4. Long Trail, VT
Google pics of the places I posted for generalities and ask for specific camp sites and pics of my travels for additional info.
I’ve done more hiking than just CO, WY, CA, ME, and the AT so feel free to ask away about a certain location and any hiking tips not in the existing, lengthy thread. I can also tell you about the good food & bars in each of the previous areas. Sorry it took me forever to do the write-up.
How old’s your kid and where does he currently live? I can show you places close to there that are great or some cool changes in scenery halfway across the country. PM me if I forget to check in on this thread. Thanks for unbanning me too.
Harriman-Bear State Park
New York has a great state park where you can actually hike through the woods all the way to the George Washington Bridge. I wouldn’t advise doing that but the state park is right outside of the Big Apple; beautiful, easy to get to, and full of deer. What makes it great is that you can hike out of the park on the AT and camp on a mountainside with the NYC skyline as your backdrop. Looking at NYC while surrounded by turkey, bear and deer is awesome in its own way. You can also hike in NY through a small zoo near West Point and then immediately cross the Hudson River over a large bridge straight back into a treacherously steep mountain. It’s odd being in a city and then being totally alone in a couple of miles.
Vermont
A world of it’s own. Everything is super green. Moose everywhere! I was even lucky enough to come face to face with a pine marten. Manchester Center is a great little town with a one-room theater (where I saw the final Harry Potter
). The green mountains are fantastic and the state has a very small population. I would recommend the Long Trail. Many New England’ers set out to hike the Long Trail; the oldest distance trail in the US. It’s 272 miles and 100 of those miles are on the Appalachian Trail. It’s awesome knocking out the miles of two trails at the same time. You could do a small section of the Long Trail on your yearly vacation and finish the whole thing in less than 5 years. There’s lots of ponds/lakes/streams and therefore beavers. Watch out for giardia. New Hampshire
Franconia Ridge
My favorite AT state. If I had to do my 2,000+ miles again I would walk from Massachusetts to Maine and then back (known as a yo-yo---get it?). New England is insane and New Hampshire is the epitome. The Franconia Ridge, or Franconia Range, is one of my favorite places in America and certainly on the AT. There you will cross some awesome mountains (like Mount Lincoln and Lafayette). The fact that White Mountain National Forest is not a national park is unbelievable to me and yet freaking awesome because it means less people. There are huts that you can rent with bunks and cooks but I’m assuming they’re booked by now and you’ll have to wait until next summer. Also, they’re expensive and roughing it by backpack is more adventurous anyway. This is where I would go if I were you! You can knock out some of New Hampshire’s 4,000 footers—I plan to do them all before I die.
Mount Washington and the Presidential Range
This would be a cool trip because it is a highlight/landmark surrounded by ruggedness. The actual mountain has been bastardized at the top with a train, restaurant, and parking lot for the fatasses who can only get to the top by driving. That doesn’t mean that the hike up and down and the surrounding mountains aren’t insane. This is Lord of the Rings-level quality. For 76 years, until 2010, a weather observatory on the summit held the record for the highest wind gust directly measured at the Earth's surface, 231 mph. It snows every month of the year and never gets above 70 degrees. Hikers die here every single summer. Don’t hike in the rain or you will slip and regret it. Check out the Mount Washington hotel at the bottom.
Maine
Mahoosuc Notch
The Mahoosuc Notch is one of the hardest days of the entire AT. I'd argue it's the hardest. Some young guns do it in few hours, some old people take 2 days. It’s a feat of it’s own. You’re climbing over and under car-sized boulders towards the top of a mountain. There’s no shortage of remote, gorgeous places on the AT in Maine that I can point you to-- weird places like Rangeley... but I figured I’d start the introduction to Maine with the beast itself.
The 100 Mile Wilderness and/or Mount Katahdin
The name says it all: One hundred miles of trail with no towns or roads or ways out. This is a hiker’s dream. It took my friend (the author I mentioned in the AT thread) and I right at 5 days. Obviously we averaged 20 miles a day; which is nothing spectacular and speaks a good bit of the difficulty of the terrain. I carried 7 days of food just in case. You and your kid could do it in 7 and have fun. The area is on google maps if you’d like to see where it is. What makes it so great is that when you pop out on the other side you are at Baxter State Park (awesome place) and therefore only a short hike from Mount Katahdin, the northernmost terminus of the AT. The top, the end… or beginning if you’re a crazy south-bounder. You can always skip the 100 Mile Wilderness and hike up Mount Katahdin or spend a few days in Baxter State Park. I personally wouldn’t climb Katahdin without having hiked the entire AT first as that seems disrespectful and a way to ruin the magic of the trail if one or both of you ever decide to thru-hike. Katahdin is the light at the end of the tunnel but only for those who have made the journey to get there. Regardless, Baxter State Park is great on its own and worth checking out.
Non-AT Maine
Acadia National Park
One of the most underrated national parks out there. I’ve spent a couple of summers in Bar Harbor and it is a paradise in the summer. It’ll still be cool at night but will be awesome in the day time. Look up pictures of the breathtaking scenery. Mt. Desert is worth the air fare alone. Last time I was there Laura Bush was there because one of W’s daughters was proposed to on Cadillac Mountain. Great little towns and some of the best hiking in America.
The order I'd choose.
1. Franconia, NH
2. Acadia, ME
3. Estes Park, CO
4. Long Trail, VT
Google pics of the places I posted for generalities and ask for specific camp sites and pics of my travels for additional info.
I’ve done more hiking than just CO, WY, CA, ME, and the AT so feel free to ask away about a certain location and any hiking tips not in the existing, lengthy thread. I can also tell you about the good food & bars in each of the previous areas. Sorry it took me forever to do the write-up.
How old’s your kid and where does he currently live? I can show you places close to there that are great or some cool changes in scenery halfway across the country. PM me if I forget to check in on this thread. Thanks for unbanning me too.
Posted on 3/19/13 at 12:29 am to TRUERockyTop
Posted on 3/19/13 at 3:02 am to Salmon
quote:
Glacier or Olympic National Parks
Olympic is beautiful, relatively uncrowded, and accessible. You've got coastal beaches, rain forest, and alpine terrain, all in a relatively small area. I did the Elwah-Quinault traverse from one side of the park to the other a few years ago. About 50 miles, you can cover it in a couple of hard days, or take your time and enjoy it. There are dropoff/pickup services so you don't have to backtrack to where you came.
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