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Anyone know any good hiking trails in the Appalachians?

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irishScott

irishScott

Lifer
I'm planning a 7 day solo trek sometime in July/August. Just looking for recommendations. Preferably somewhere with a nice view. I also prefer wilderness hiking as opposed to maintained trails, so if you know a good area for that, so much the better. Thanks in advance.

For reference, I'm in Northern Virginia, but I love driving too, so anything with 8 hours of DC will work nicely. Personally I'm all for road-tripping across the country, but unfortunately I have to use one of my parents' cars (I'm a Junior in college), so I need to negotiate it with them. They won't be as partial to a multi-day drive.
 
There are some great trails in Great Smokies National Forest on the NC/TN border. Been a while, but I did a few nice loop trails (don't know where, exactly). The AT crosses one of those trails, actually.
 
Originally posted by: zinfamous
There are some great trails in Great Smokies National Forest on the NC/TN border. Been a while, but I did a few nice loop trails (don't know where, exactly). The AT crosses one of those trails, actually.
Click to expand...

this was back country, too.
 
Originally posted by: zinfamous
Originally posted by: zinfamous
There are some great trails in Great Smokies National Forest on the NC/TN border. Been a while, but I did a few nice loop trails (don't know where, exactly). The AT crosses one of those trails, actually.
Click to expand...

this was back country, too.
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Sweet. I'll check it out.
 
Yeah, the Great Smoky Mountains National Forest is good. So are Pisgah National Forest, Nantahala (where Eric Rudloph hid out for so long) etc all in that same basic area.

I'm not sure of the difference between " wilderness hiking as opposed to maintained trails". If "wilderness" means you just take your compass and plot a path be careful in these parks. I've done that but you've really got to watch the topography very carefully. I've 'dead-ended' at cliffs and had to back-track. Also you've got some very steep and difficult terrain, and trying to hack your way through rododenrins (sp?) with a machete ain't easy - not by a long shot.

In much of this type mountainous terrain there are rivers at the base of the moutains (along all valleys) and there are 'natural' paths there along the sides of the rivers, whether it be game trails (made by animals) or whatever.

If you don't want a lot of poeple around (although you're always going to run across somebody somewhere) stay off the big name trails. Get a good topo map and follow the creeks/rivers. You could always hike up to the headwaters of some river like the Mills River (has both a south and north fork) at places you will come across others (at campsites), but most of it is very quiet.

Caesars Head state park might be worth a look. If it's the place I'm thinking of it has fantastic views. It's sort of on the edge where the mountain of NC drop off to the flat lands in SC. I got vertigo there hiking up to the top of a mountain etc.

Here's another spot you might wanna check-out - Graveyards Fields.

Fern
 
There are a lot of trail guidebooks that will describe many of the trails. There are literally thousands (if not 10's of thousands) of trails matching your criteria.
 
Originally posted by: Fern
Yeah, the Great Smoky Mountains National Forest is good. So are Pisgah National Forest, Nantahala (where Eric Rudloph hid out for so long) etc all in that same basic area.

I'm not sure of the difference between " wilderness hiking as opposed to maintained trails". If "wilderness" means you just take your compass and plot a path be careful in these parks. I've done that but you've really got to watch the topography very carefully. I've 'dead-ended' at cliffs and had to back-track. Also you've got some very steep and difficult terrain, and trying to hack your way through rododenrins (sp?) with a machete ain't easy - not by a long shot.

In much of this type mountainous terrain there are rivers at the base of the moutains (along all valleys) and there are 'natural' paths there along the sides of the rivers, whether it be game trails (made by animals) or whatever.

If you don't want a lot of poeple around (although you're always going to run across somebody somewhere) stay off the big name trails. Get a good topo map and follow the creeks/rivers. You could always hike up to the headwaters of some river like the Mills River (has both a south and north fork) at places you will come across others (at campsites), but most of it is very quiet.

Caesars Head state park might be worth a look. If it's the place I'm thinking of it has fantastic views. It's sort of on the edge where the mountain of NC drop off to the flat lands in SC. I got vertigo there hiking up to the top of a mountain etc.

Here's another spot you might wanna check-out - Graveyards Fields.

Fern
Click to expand...

I mean anything that's not a maintained trail that I can walk through with relative ease. Hacking my way through brush with a machete isn't my idea of a good time; and since I'm going solo, might not be the safest option given what might be living in/on said brush. I don't want a brown recluse or black widow bite in the middle of nowhere, emergency GPS or not. As for steep terrain, heh. I enjoy a challenge. Can't get much more challenging than carrying a 60-80 lb pack up a mountain. 🙂

And yeah, I'm trying to stay away from people on this one. I want to be that 1 random dot in the middle of nowhere on the population density map.

Thanks for the recommendations. After a little googleing and this, I'll definitely look into Caesar's head.

I'll be following (or consistently close to) some sort of water source. No way in hell I'm going to try to lug 7 days worth of water in with me. I've got this for filtration and these as a backup.
 
Originally posted by: Triumph
take a gun.
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If only I was allowed to own one. Can't keep one on campus, and my parents have a strict no-guns-in-the-house rule. I will, however, carry a knife, a real knife, and I have a moderate bit of Krav Maga training. Add the fact that I'll be in the middle of nowhere hopefully miles away from the nearest person, I don't have any doubts about defending myself.

As for bears/animals, a bear keg should suffice. Most of my food is going to be civilian MREs, meaning the individual food packets are vacuum sealed in heavy duty plastic, the entree is sealed inside a plastic lined foil pouch, and the whole package is then sealed inside more heavy duty plastic. I don't see anything smelling through that anytime soon.
 
Originally posted by: irishScott
Originally posted by: Triumph
take a gun.
Click to expand...

If only I was allowed to own one. Can't keep one on campus, and my parents have a strict no-guns-in-the-house rule. I will, however, carry a knife, a real knife, and I have a moderate bit of Krav Maga training. Add the fact that I'll be in the middle of nowhere hopefully miles away from the nearest person, I don't have any doubts about defending myself.

As for bears/animals, a bear keg should suffice. Most of my food is going to be civilian MREs, meaning the individual food packets are vacuum sealed in heavy duty plastic, the entree is sealed inside a plastic lined foil pouch, and the whole package is then sealed inside more heavy duty plastic. I don't see anything smelling through that anytime soon.
Click to expand...

Some bears know the smell of MRE plastic. I shit you not.
 
Originally posted by: theflyingpig
Originally posted by: irishScott
Originally posted by: Triumph
take a gun.
Click to expand...

If only I was allowed to own one. Can't keep one on campus, and my parents have a strict no-guns-in-the-house rule. I will, however, carry a knife, a real knife, and I have a moderate bit of Krav Maga training. Add the fact that I'll be in the middle of nowhere hopefully miles away from the nearest person, I don't have any doubts about defending myself.

As for bears/animals, a bear keg should suffice. Most of my food is going to be civilian MREs, meaning the individual food packets are vacuum sealed in heavy duty plastic, the entree is sealed inside a plastic lined foil pouch, and the whole package is then sealed inside more heavy duty plastic. I don't see anything smelling through that anytime soon.
Click to expand...

Some bears know the smell of MRE plastic. I shit you not.
Click to expand...

I'll keep it in mind, but google says nothing. Suppose I could do an experiment. Just bring an extra MRE, make a dayhike out to bear country, and stay in a hotel that night. Go back and check on MRE the next day. If MRE is gone, scrub the idea.

That said, I've brought these MREs on trips into bear country before and haven't had so much as a skunk show up, although granted that was in a larger group.
 
Originally posted by: irishScott

I'll keep it in mind, but google says nothing. Suppose I could do an experiment. Just bring an extra MRE, make a dayhike out to bear country, and stay in a hotel that night. Go back and check on MRE the next day. If MRE is gone, scrub the idea.

That said, I've brought these MREs on trips into bear country before and haven't had so much as a skunk show up, although granted that was in a larger group.
Click to expand...

Well the bear in question was a Yosemite bear, so I guess it may have a little more experience with MREs and plastic wrapped food.
 
Originally posted by: theflyingpig
Originally posted by: irishScott

I'll keep it in mind, but google says nothing. Suppose I could do an experiment. Just bring an extra MRE, make a dayhike out to bear country, and stay in a hotel that night. Go back and check on MRE the next day. If MRE is gone, scrub the idea.

That said, I've brought these MREs on trips into bear country before and haven't had so much as a skunk show up, although granted that was in a larger group.
Click to expand...

Well the bear in question was a Yosemite bear, so I guess it may have a little more experience with MREs and plastic wrapped food.
Click to expand...

I looked at the thread title... then looked at your name... I giggled uncomfortably for a while...
 
plenty of trails to choose from in PA


edit: midstate & Tuscarora Trail are probably the better ones...
but Appalachian National Scenic Trail is of course the flagship trail.

and of course closest to me is the Laurel Highlands National Scenic Trail which begins or ends at Ohio Pyle state park, with its white water rapids, beautiful waterfalls, and frank LLoyd Wright's fallingwater house.
 
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