See the best hiking trails in North Carolina
Backpacking Guides and Trips in North Carolina
Below are popular Backpacking guides and trips in North Carolina that you can use to plan your next adventure. You can download guides, including a detailed map, description and points of interest for a small fee to your iPhone or Android.
Guides
12 mile loop from the Hwy 24/27 Trailheads
20.7 mile trail near Bakersville, North Carolina
Trips
Standing Indian, Mt Albert, Nantahala Basin Loop
Franklin, North Carolina, United States
Backpacking | 24 miles
Backpacking | 24 miles
This is a very popular loop trail that circles
the headwaters of the Nantahala river. Standing Indian Basin is the
horseshoe-shaped drainage formed by the Nantahala and Blue Ridge Mountains.
Several prominent peaks over 5,000 feet in elevation—Albert Mountain, Big Butt,
Little Bald, and Standing Indian Mountain—cap the rim of the drainage. There are many trails through the area and
several options exist for loop trails.
What makes this area so attractive...
This two-night hike was made by scouts and scouters of Troop 224, Oak Ridge, Tenn. We started and finished at Standing Indian Campground in Nantahala National Forest. We made the loop in a counter-clockwise direction, starting with Kimsey Creek Trail, which took us to the Appalachian Trail at Deep Gap (3.7 miles). After a stop to check the views from Standing Indian Mountain, we continued to Beech Gap, where most of our group...
This trip inspired by BackPacker Mags 'Asheville, NC: Linville Gorge Loop'. Before starting our trip in the afternoon, we spent the morning hiking the trails around the falls. They are worth seeing if you have time.I would say this trip is too hard, but 3 dads, 3 boys age 12, and a
16 year old eagle scout did it without injury or incident. It feels great sitting in my home writing this...
Begin on the Big East Fork Trail on the south side of the river, climb out of the valley on the Greasy Cove Trail, follow the Art Loeb Trail across the Shining Rock Ledge, and descend back to the trail head on the Shining Creek Trail.It is a very beautiful area and well worth visiting. It is also riddled with trails so there are many trips that can be easily put together...
Bartram Trail Section 7 to Cheoah Bald
Nantahala, North Carolina, United States
Backpacking | 13.2 miles
Backpacking | 13.2 miles
The
Bartram Trail is a 100 mile memorial trail in the state of North Carolina, in
honor of the Philadelphian naturalist, William Bartram, who traveled throughout
the southeast from 1773 to 1777. ( ncbartramtrail.org) This 13.2 mile hike is a
shuttle trip that combines the last section of the Bartram Trail (6.6 mi) to
ascend Cheoah Bald and descends along a section of the Appalachian Trail from
Cheoah to US 19 on the Nantahala River.
The shuttle trip is...
This loop travels around the southern portion of the
Nanatahala National Forest, tracing the basin from which the same-named river
originates. The trail is a popular
one with backpackers, as it can be tailored to fit different lengths depending
on the trail used to connect to the AT, and there are several 5,000+ peaks that
give tremendous views into the surrounding countryside.
I began the loop on the Long Branch Trail from the Standing
Indian Backcountry information station. The...
Shining Rock Wilderness Area Loop
Waynesville, North Carolina, United States
Backpacking | 17.0 miles
Backpacking | 17.0 miles
This hike was made as a two-day backpacking trip, starting at Big East Fork parking area. There are numerous camping spots throughout the area. We stopped overnight just past Yellowstone Falls, which is on the Mountains to Sea Trail and is not part of the wilderness area.The trails used on this loop were:Big East ForkBridges Camp GapMountains to SeaIvestor GapArt LoebShining Creek
Big East Fork to Graveyard Ridge & Shining Creek
Big East Fork, North Carolina, United States
Backpacking | 17.7 miles
Backpacking | 17.7 miles
Just wanted to give a report on a loop a friend (Art Vandelay II) and I did this past Saturday and Sunday.We arrived at the the Sitting Bear trailhead at approximately 8:30 am on Saturday morning from Charlotte, NC. We went up the trail and made a right at a very well established campsite. Not far down the trail to the left was the entrance to Devil's Hole Trail, and down we went....
Roan Mountain and AT section hike (Carver's Gap to Hwy 19)
Bakersville, North Carolina, United States
Backpacking | 21 miles
Backpacking | 21 miles
My girlfriend and I decided to explore the Roan Mountain area and a short section of the AT starting at Carver's Gap. As we drove into Roan Mountain, TN off of Hwy 19 we parked our car at Mountain Harbour. A small bed and breakfast/ AT hostel near the intersection of Hwy 19. The elderly couple gave us a ride to Carver's Gap. After some good local conversation we began our trek to...
Great Smoky National Park - Mount Sterling Summit via Big Creek, Swallow Fork, and Benton MacKaye Trails
Mount Sterling, North Carolina, United States
Backpacking | 18.0 miles
Backpacking | 18.0 miles
Weekend trip with some buddies to the northern end of Great Smoky National Park. 4100 feet of elevation gain to bag this summit. An old steel lookout tower provides an outstanding view at the top, although it was much to cold to enjoy it too much when we went. Night-time temps on the mountain were at 4 degrees F. Burrrr.
South Mountian State Park 3 day hike
Morganton, North Carolina, United States
Backpacking | 11.9 miles
Backpacking | 11.9 miles
We took our scout troop on another weekend backpacking trip. Came in on Friday night. Hiked into the Sawtooth Campsite, arrived at dusk and set up. Hiked Saturday over to Jacob's Branch Camp site and Hiked out Sunday morning. Very nice park for backpacking and horse riding. Sawtooth campsite has an outhouse and a steel bear box on site and a spring about 0.2mi away. Campsite is a large open grass meadow, several...
Grandfather Mountain (Calloway Peak) Ascent
Hemlock Ridge, North Carolina, United States
Backpacking | 4.0 miles
Backpacking | 4.0 miles
Started hike at Boone Fork parking area at MP299 on Blue Ridge Parkway. Hike starts on Tanawha Trail then connects to the Daniel Boone Scout Trail. Overall, it was a pretty tough climb, very rocky and a few scrambles (one large rock to scale that was wet on our way up and a few ladders, but not impossible). We continued onto the Nuwati Trail to find a campsite and found one at...
Short Hike to a nice waterfall. Waterfall is approximately 1.5 miles from trail head. Trail begins with a fairly steep climb to top of ridge, then levels out to be more of a moderate hike from there. Once at falls expect a steep decent to get to the actual falls, there is a permanent rope in place for this descent. This is a VERY popular day hike and expect crowds at the actual falls in the summer. This...
Descent from Calloway Peak (camped about 0.3 mi west of summit at Cliffside/Ledges backcountry campsite - details below). Traveled via Nuwati Trail from Campsite and connected to Daniel Boone Scout Trail at Calloway Peak. To change it up, we traveled via the Cragway Trail at the Flat Rock junction and it was very rocky and challenging but worth it. Be sure to wear very good boots with good ankle support if you...
South Mountian State Park -Shinny Creek to Murray Branch
Pine Mountain Lakes, North Carolina, United States
Backpacking | 10.1 miles
Backpacking | 10.1 miles
Troop 575 set out Fridary Night from the Jacobs Fork Parking area and hiked to Shinny Creek Campsite for the night. There are 4 sites on about 1acre of grass here, with a privy and steal bear box with a nice creek beside the camp. Creek is about 10-15 feet wide and 12" deep, plenty of water for pumping. 18 of us sleep well here. On Saturday morning we set out for a nice hike. ...
