Appalachian Trail Beginner Backpacking Trip: Max Patch, NC
This 3 day / 2 night guided backpacking trip is perfect for beginners or first time backpackers! You'll hike alongside an experienced backpacking guide for approximately 20 miles over the course of 3 days on the Appalachian Trail, starting at the iconic grassy summit of Max Patch and finishing in Hot Springs, North Carolina. Explore the beautiful rolling hills, wide-open mountain views, and winding woodland trails of the Appalachian Mountains, one of the oldest mountain ranges in the world. All backpacking gear is included on this hike, and you will be outfitted with a comfortable backpack, trekking poles, tent, inflatable sleeping pad, sleeping bag, and cook kit.
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Itinerary:
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Day 1- Meet & Greet, Hike Max Patch (7.5 Miles, 1,450’ Elevation Gain):
Meet your guide in Hot Springs, NC in the morning. Here, we will distribute rental gear (backpack, tent, sleeping pad and bag, cook kit, trekking poles) and do a gear “shakedown”, where your guide will help make last minute adjustments to your pack and gear. Then, we’ll take our shuttle to the trailhead near Max Patch (about a 1 hour drive) and start hiking to our first campsite.
The first day starts with a climb over Max Patch, a beautiful open mountain meadow with fantastic views! We’ll stop for lunch after a couple of hours, and take plenty of breaks along the way to soak in the views. The day ends with a climb up Walnut Mountain. When you get to camp, your guide will teach you how to set up your tent, filter water, and cook dinner. We’ll eat together and spend some time around a campfire before heading to bed.
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Day 2: Woodland Trails (10 miles, 1,640’ Elevation Gain):
We’ll make breakfast, tear down camp, and continue hiking on the Appalachian Trail. We’ll start the day with a climb up and over Bluff Mountain. Most of the day is in the deep woods of the Appalachian Mountains, and you’re likely to see an abundance of wildlife. Keep your eyes open for wildflowers, birds, squirrels, chipmunks, snakes, and maybe even a black bear! We’ll stop for lunch halfway through the day and then arrive at the campsite after 10 miles. We’ll set up camp, make dinner, and share some time around the campfire before bed.
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Day 3: Hike Out (3 miles, 394’ Elevation Gain): Our last day will be the shortest, so we’ll sleep in and take our time getting packed up. This day is mostly downhill (yay!). We’ll make our way down the trail back to our vehicles (about 3 miles) and finish our hike around 12 pm. Afterwards, feel free to join us on a short walk to a restaurant for lunch and a trip to a local gift shop for some souvenirs.
Daily mileage may vary. Your guide may make adjustments to the itinerary to best fit the group's needs and experience level.
What to Bring:
Your guide will provide you with a detailed gear checklist a few weeks before your trip that’s tailored to your trip location and expected weather. You’ll be expected to bring your own clothing, footwear, food, and medications. You will also have the opportunity to ask specific gear questions during your Pre-Hike Virtual Orientation with your guide. Here are some general guidelines for your gear:
- Clothing: You’ll need a system of layering for your backpacking clothes. Remember that cotton kills! Cotton clothing has a tendency to absorb water, become heavy and uncomfortable, and takes a long time to dry! Athletic clothes with breathable fabrics are much better. You won’t need to bring a clean set of clothing for each day. Instead, you’ll want to pack an outfit for hiking, an outfit for sleeping, a warm layer, and a rain jacket. An extra pair of socks and underwear are a good idea, too.
- Shoes: Generally, a pair of comfortable running shoes or trail shoes along with a pair of wool hiking socks are better suited for the terrain and weather of the Appalachian Mountains than heavy hiking boots. Many backpackers also choose to bring a pair of lightweight sandals or camp shoes to wear in the evenings. Whatever you wear, make sure to test them out at home before bringing them on a week-long trip!
- Toiletries: Toilet paper, toothbrush and toothpaste, a small bottle of soap, and hand sanitizer are all you need! Leave the deodorant, make-up, hair products, lotions, and other scented items at home. Embrace your natural self while backpacking!
- Food: On trail meals are included in this trip (Day 1: lunch and dinner, Day 2: breakfast, lunch, and dinner, Day 3: breakfast). Meals are designed to be lightweight and easy to prepare in the backcountry. Each hiker in the group will be responsible for carrying some part of the group meals (for example, a container of peanut butter or pack of tortillas). You will also need to bring your own snacks for the trip. We recommend 2-3 snacks per day, which could be energy bars, trail mix, beef jerky, etc.
Meeting Location:
This trip will meet in the small mountain town of Hot Springs, NC. We recommend that you book a stay nearby the night before your backpacking trip so that you can start your hike well rested. There are several lodging options in Hot Springs and also in the nearby town of Asheville, NC. If you are flying, the nearest airport is in Asheville, NC, which is about a 45 minute drive from Hot Springs.
Cancellation Policy:
- Your trip cost includes a 15% non-refundable booking fee.
- Participants may cancel a trip up to 60 days before the start date of the trip for a refund, minus the 15% booking fee.
- If a participant cancels a trip between 59-30 days before the start of the trip, a 50% refund will be offered.
- If a participant cancels a trip between 0-29 days from the start of the trip, no refund or trip credit will be offered.
- We hike rain or shine! Backpacking is a challenging endurance sport, and it can be uncomfortable during inclement weather. We do our best to make sure hikers are adequately prepared for adverse weather. However, safety is our biggest priority. In the case of severe weather that could affect the safety of our hikers, our guides have the discretion to cancel a trip. In this case, a full refund or transfer credit will be offered.
Trip Transfer Policy:
- A participant may request 1 transfer from one trip to another according to the Transfer Policy. A second transfer request will be treated as a cancellation according to the cancellation policy.
- A participant may make a transfer request more than 60 days from the start of the trip with no additional fee.
- A transfer request made from 30-59 days before the start of the trip will incur a $100 per person transfer fee.
- No transfer requests can be made from 0-29 days prior to the start of the trip. This will be treated as a cancellation, with no refund or transfer credit offered, according to the cancellation policy.
Our guides work hard to provide you with excellent service, professional guidance, and a safe and memorable backpacking trip. If you feel your guide has done an exceptional job, please consider showing your appreciation with a tip. The industry standard for tipping backpacking guides is 15-20% the total cost of the trip.
Explore the Wild with an Experienced Backpacking Guide
Hi, I'm Nicole, founder of Wildwood Hiking Company! I started Wildwood after completing my thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail in 2022, a 2,194 mile trek from Georgia to Maine over the course of 6 months. My time on the trail was life-changing and empowering, and my experiences helped me gain the strength and courage to go out and build a life I love! I hope to share the joy and beauty of nature with others through backpacking.