hike the NatioNal parks

Southeast
Smokies, Shining Rock, Shenandoah
time (recommended; tent at
Rocky Knob Campground
midway).
DAYS 6-8
Traverse all the big
names in Appalachia.
DAYS: 6-8
DRIVING TIME: 10.5
HOURS/540 MILES
DAYS 1-2
DON’T
SKIP
Walking a third of
the AT would be awesome,
wouldn’t it? Too bad most
of us can’t take that much
time off work. But we can
do a road-and-trail trip and
take in a lot of the same
scenery. Start in the Great
Smoky Mountains, touring
some of the southern
Appalachians’s deepest
woods on the 13.2-mile
loop of the Anthony
Creek, Russell Field, and
Appalachian Trails. You’ll
hit mountain laurel meadows
(blooming pink and
purple in May and June)
and see big views of the
North Carolina side of the
Smokies. Spend the night
in the Spence Field Shelter
(permit required) and, in
the morning, tack on a 2.4-
mile round-trip sidehike to
the summit of Rocky Top,
fringed with wind-stunted
pines and views that go on
forever.
D AY 3
Back at your car, motor east
to the Blue Ridge Parkway
for an 8-mile out-and-back
to the top of Shining Rock,
via a ridgetop meander
along the Art Loeb Trail
with views falling away on
both sides.
DAYS 4-5
You’re now six hours from
Shenandoah National
Park (the short way), or a
leisurely, scenic two days’
drive if you stay on the Blue
Ridge Parkway the whole
Shenandoah National Park
Whenever you make
it to the Shennies, stay
in the Loft Mountain
Campground, and pack up
for the Rockytop Loop, a
two-day, 13.1-mile sampler
that goes big on ridge views
before descending to a
campsite alongside Big Run
at mile 6.8.
Trip Planner Great Smoky
Mountains NP: (865) 436-1200;
nps.gov/grsm; backcountry
permit required, $4; (865) 436-
1231. Rocky Knob Campsite:
$16/night; reserveamerica
.com. Shenandoah NP: $15/
vehicle; (540) 999-3500; nps
.gov/shen. Loft Mountain
Campground: $15/night; recreation.gov;
self-issue a free
backcountry permit at visitor
contact stations.
Morning mist rises over Cades
Cove in the Great Smoky
Mountains National Park.
VA
BLUE RIDGE PKWY
TN
START Great
Smoky Mountains
National Park
Asheville
Shining Rock
NC
R O A D
RULES
KEEP FROM
KILLING YOUR
COPILOT
Don’t sing along with the car stereo.
Ever. Share food. Pay for alternate
tanks of gas. Avoid buying truck stop
burritos. Interact with your friend
more than your smartphone.
BACKPACKER.COM
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