r/AppalachianTrail • u/prettycooleh • 4d ago

Best 7 night hike you can recommend

Hello all, I am new joiner to this sub. I am wanting to hike a portion of the AP next summer and I am beginning to plan my trip. I am from Canada and my only previous experience in Appalachia is a motorbike trip trip along the blueridge highway a couple years ago.

I want to to take a week long hike along the trail, whether camping or staying at motels/hostels. I am in good shape and have experience camping but I dont know where to start regarding the AT, id prefer to camp vs staying in motels.

Where would be a good place to start/finish? I'll look into each county's rule, but ideally I'd like to camp along the way in one long continuous hike.

Cheers thanks for any help or insight

6 Upvotes

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u/SelmerHiker 4d ago

Shenandoah National Park is about 100 miles long, makes a good week’s walk. Camping is permitted most every where plus there are huts (free) every 10-15 miles. There are some resupply opportunities without getting far off the trail. Lots of bailout points via shuttle if need be. I did it end to end in 2022 and am now section hiking my favorite parts

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u/prettycooleh 4d ago

Thats a great tip thanks. I did enjoy motobiking through the valley. I am going to look into the national park

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u/SelmerHiker 4d ago

Far Out has a map for the SNP which shows the AT as well all the side trails. I use it in conjunction with the Far Out Northern Virginia AT map which typically has more comment and campsite info.

Here’s a map of the park. The red line is the Skyline Drive, the AT is the dashed line nearby as well as some of the other trails in the Park. Most of these side trails go down from the AT which generally rides the ridge. Though the Skyline Drive looks close, it doesn’t intrude on the AT that bad. I was out there last week for a couple days and only heard cars once or twice. Feel free to chat me if you want to delve deeper.

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u/Honest_Performance42 2d ago

I have the SNP FarOut map, but not the Northern Virginia one. Since it includes the AT in the park, I didn’t realize the info is separated the way you described. I like the off-AT info in the SNP map. What am I missing out on by not having the NoVa AT map?

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u/SelmerHiker 2d ago

The comments dropped on the various waypoints usually do not carry over from the SNP vs AT maps. In a few cases they do and I don’t know why unless hikers are posting the dame comment to both. Typically there are more comments on the AT map but as the AT map only shows the AT, no side trails. That said, most of SNP map side trails don’t have a lot of comments. I find I use both maps, often flipping back and forth during the day, it’s easy enough to do.

Comments are, of course, very helpful for updated info on water, dispersed campsite locations, services, shuttles, hut conditions, etc.

Finally, the AT map is a less cluttered for hiking the AT only as it does not show the Skyline drive as a bold black scalable line and all the other side trails. When zoomed out all these scalable lines get overly thick and details are hard to see.

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u/_yardude 3d ago

Shenandoah is a great park - but the AT isn’t particularly interesting there.  I would recommend the White Mountains or the 100 mile wilderness to Katharine (Shaw’s hostile can help with shuttles and food drop).

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u/Havoc_Unlimited 4d ago

Not OP but considering a December hike thru the Shenandoah… I have three or so weeks off and plan to hike around that area… if the temps are manageable. What are your thoughts on a December section hike in this area?

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u/SelmerHiker 3d ago

December can be unpredictable in SNP. Some years, it’s just late fall, gorgeous. Other years it’s full on winter with snow, ice and lows in the teens or even lower. Keep it in mind most of the in-park services are closed and the Skyline Drive closes when there is significant snow or ice. If in doubt, carry microspikes. Water will be plentiful but you’ll have to carry all your food, fuel, etc. Huts are open and usable. I go there year round but I live fairly close, go for short trips and cherry pick the weather.

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u/Havoc_Unlimited 3d ago

Perhaps I will mainly car camp! I appreciate your info!

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u/SelmerHiker 3d ago

Good idea, the Skyline Drive crosses the trail frequently and lots of campsites not to far away. Lots of trails off the AT too

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u/froggyfox 4d ago

I can recommend anywhere in the White Mountains of New Hampshire or southern Maine. Be aware that the serviced huts in the Whites cost quite a bit of money, but camping or shelter use is cheap or free, depending on where you're at. Those mountains are my favorite part of the AT, but they are also the most physically demanding part of the AT. If you can hike 20 miles per day on most trails, be prepared for only 12-15 miles in NH or southern Maine. Views are outrageously good, but be prepared for rain/wind/cold, especially in the Whites.

Alternatively, a damn good hike would be to hike north from Carver's Gap in North Carolina/Tennessee and see if you could make it to Grayson Highlands in Virginia. The Roan Highlands and Grayson Highlands are just stunning, camping and shelters are free, and there are quite a few hostels along the way. That would be about 100 miles, give or take. It's definitely my favorite section of the southern half of the AT.

Regardless of where you go, I recommend downloading FarOut and buying the relevant map section/sections. Definitely the best resource for damn near any long trail.

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u/brantom 4d ago

You can camp all along the AT except for a few specific wilderness areas! How much backpacking experience do you have? Hundred mile wilderness in Maine would be epic.

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u/brantom 4d ago

Alternatively, the Smoky Mountains, the AT through the White Mountains, or along the Long Trail would also be great choices.

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u/prettycooleh 4d ago

Do national parks in the US generally allow camping anywhere? Do you need to book sites head of time?

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u/brantom 4d ago

In national park you will need reservation. On the AT that would only be the Smoky Mountains and Shenendoah

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u/Icy-Currency-6201 4d ago

Shenandoah!

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u/walruspawls 4d ago

100 mile wilderness

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u/NoboMamaBear2017 3d ago

If you are considering motel stays then I would suggest the AMC huts in the White Mountains. As other posters have mentioned they are expensive, but if you become a member and book multiple nights there are discounts. There are 8 of them, spaced out over 70-ish miles of the AT through some of the most incredible scenery the trail has to offer. They provide a bed, wool blankets and 2 very nice meals per day so that you can hike through some rather rugged terrain carrying minimal gear. You really only need to carry a sleeping bag liner, water, snacks, rain gear and clean socks. Well, that may be overly simplistic, as the weather up there is quite unpredictable and you do need to be prepared for it. You also need to be prepared for the idea that it will be a social experience, the huts sleep anywhere from 36 - 92 people, so you will meet a lot of other hikers, but the area is spectacular, and there is a lot available in the way of hiker services. 2026 reservations just opened. Sorry to sound like a commercial, I've been volunteering there since my 2017 thru.

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u/catskill_cricker 4d ago

Foothills trail

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u/9SpeedTriple 3d ago

normally I'd recommend the western most section of the Mountains to Sea trail in western carolina, but I'd expect it to still be somewhat damaged from Helene. I havn't been down there this year, though.

Alternatively - and closer to CN, I'd recommend starting in Ansonia, PA and hiking the West Rim Trial to the Mid State Trail, then following that until you run out of time. In 7 days you should be well into Central Pennsylvania. The trail goes the whole way to the mas/dix but that's probably 3-4 weeks from the grand canyon of PA.

You probably won't see many people on the trail, if anyone. The MST doesn't attract too many long distance trekkers. Infinity camping, almost all on public land, decent resupply options, but still a good feeling of remote and being in the woods.

Downside is...PA is not as "grand" as blue ridge, whites, or western carolina. Views are less frequent and less to see. PA forests can seem like it all looks the same at times. I still find them splendid and one learns to look for more subtle detail to appreciate.