This 6 day / 5 night guided backpacking trip is the perfect way to get the full Appalachian Trail experience! Whether you are an aspiring thru-hiker or novice backpacker looking for a more challenging adventure, this trip is for you!  You'll hike alongside an experienced backpacking guide for approximately 50 miles over the course of 6 days on the Appalachian Trail near Hot Springs, NC. Explore the beautiful rolling hills, wide-open mountain views, and winding woodland trails of the Appalachian Mountains along the TN/NC border, one of the oldest mountain ranges in the world. Learn about the history of the Appalachian Trail and experience the life of a thru-hiker, those who take on the 2,200 mile journey from Georgia to Maine!  You'll hike for 4 days, climbing over Max Patch, and making your way down into the small mountain town of Hot Springs.  You'll spend the evening in town, with an opportunity to shower, resupply, and spend the night in a hiker bunkhouse.  Then continue on for another 2 days of hiking, where you'll get views of the French Broad River from Lover's Leap and on to the Rich Mountain Fire Tower, where you can hike up for a sunset or sunrise view.

Itinerary:

• Day 1- Meet & Greet, Snowbird Mountain (8.3 Miles, 3,000’ Elevation Gain): Meet your guide in Hot Springs, NC around 9 am.  Before you get on the shuttle, your guide will help you with a full gear “shakedown" to help make last minute adjustments to your packs and your gear.  Then, you’ll take a shuttle to the trailhead (about a 1.5 hour drive) and start hiking to your first campsite.  The first day includes a steep climb up Snowbird Mountain, with some nice views from the top. You'll continue on to your campsite where you’ll set up camp, make dinner, and spend some time together around the campfire before heading to bed.

• Day 2: Max Patch (8.4 Miles, 2700’ Elevation Gain):  You’ll make breakfast, break down camp, and make your way through the forests to the open grassy summit of Max Patch.  Here, you'll take a break to soak in the beautiful 360 degree mountain views before making your way down the mountain to the next campsite.  We may end the evening with some games or a campfire before drifting off to sleep in your tent.

• Day 3: Bluff Mountain (10 Miles, 2,000' Elevation Gain): This is a long day, so we'll break down camp early and head out to climb up and over Bluff Mountain.  We'll be mostly under tree cover this day, so keep your eyes open for birds, deer, squirrels, chipmunks, and maybe even a black bear! 

• Day 4: Hot Springs (7.6 miles, 1100' Elevation Gain): You'll make your way through the winding woodland trails today, crossing several streams as you head back into the town of Hot Springs.  When we get to town, we'll head to the bunkhouse where you can do laundry, take a hot shower, and get ready for the last two days of the hike.  You can walk into town for some shopping and restaurants, or even schedule a soak in the mineral tubs at the Hot Springs Spa and Resort.

• Day 5: Lover's Leap (8.7 miles, 3,000' Elevation Gain): We'll check out of the bunkhouse and start the hike with a climb out of Hot Springs and up to Lover's Leap, where you'll get wonderful views of the French Broad River below.  Continue on to the campsite near Rich Mountain Fire Tower. 

• Day 6: Sunrise at Rich Mountain Fire Tower (5.3 miles, 391' Elevation Gain):  We'll start the day off early with a climb up the Rich Mountain Fire before sunrise with our headlamps on.  Bring your coffee and enjoy the gorgeous sunrise views from the top of the fire tower! After breakfast, you'll hike back into Hot Springs by taking the old Appalachian Trail loop.  We'll finish the day around 4 pm.

This is a sample itinerary; the exact route, camping locations, and daily mileage are subject to change.  Your guide may make adjustments to the itinerary to best fit the group's experience levels, the trail conditions, and the weather.

What to Bring:

Your guide will provide you with a detailed gear checklist before your trip that’s tailored to your trip location and expected weather.  You’ll be expected to bring your own backpacking gear, clothing, personal items, and meals.  You will 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:

• Gear: You will need to provide your own backpacking gear for this trip, including a backpack (recommended 50-65L capacity), trekking poles, tent, sleeping pad, sleeping bag, cook kit, and water filtration system.  Your guide will carry maps/GPS and first aid for the group, but you are welcome to bring your own if you'd like.  If you don't have your own gear, we offer gear rentals for an additional charge.

• 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, such as synthetic fabrics and wool, 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! 

• Meals:  You will be responsible for bringing your own meals for this trip.  We recommend packing lightweight, calorie-dense foods, with a total of 3,000 0 3,500 calories per day.  Your guide will provide some example meal plans for you during your virtual orientation. 

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 (about a 45 minute drive from Hot Springs).  If you are flying, the nearest airport is in Asheville, NC.  

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.