Mount Sterling Appalachian Loop
Asheville, NC
5.0 (20 reviews)Trip Highlights
- Appalachian Trail Hiking
- Beautiful Waterfalls
- Amazing Views
- Majestic Backcountry Camps
- Wildlife Viewing Opportunities
- Fascinating Natural & Cultural History
- Guides Choice Trip
Description
This is a truly fantastic trip, arguably our best overall and selected as the Guides Choice Trip in the Smokies. It ascends two peaks (Mount Cammerer on the Appalachian Trail and Mount Sterling with some of the best views in the whole park), it features old growth forests, a fire lookout constructed out of rock, plenty of historic sites, the highest backcountry campsite in the Park, waterfalls, a swimming hole and beautiful creekside hiking. The historical route we follow was used by Native Americans, settlers, loggers, and livestock herders before the national park was formed. We retrace their footsteps on this amazingly beautiful and diverse Appalachian adventure!
This trip is a loop hike, so there’s little backtracking and each day features new and exciting scenery. We start low in the valleys and follow a series of mountain creeks high into the mountains, where we are rewarded with amazing hiking and out-of-this-world views! We’ll thoroughly explore the ecology of the Smokies, which is phenomenally diverse, from the temperate rainforests to the high peaks. This Great Smoky Mountains trip‘s exhilarating hiking and majestic camping leave most guests with an awesome sense of accomplishment and rejuvenation.
$1005 Per Person
DIFFICULTY LEVEL 4
Our difficulty ratings are based on a scale of 1-5, tours with a rating of 1 being least difficult, tours with a rating of 5 being most difficult
- Backpack Weight:
- 30-40 pounds
- Daily Hiking Distances:
- 5-8 miles
- Most Elevation Loss:
- 4070 feet
- Most Elevation Gain:
- 2820 feet
- Quality of Trails:
- Well maintained
- Additional:
- This trip requires significant elevation gains and losses that make it a Level 4, moderately strenuous trip.
Participants should:
- be active and healthy
- exercise several times per week
- be comfortable hiking, biking, running, or swimming for several hours without many break
SOLITUDE LEVEL 3
1 least solitude, 5 most solitude
We rate this Great Smoky Mountains backpacking trip a solitude 2. You can expect as much as an hour of solitude at a time.
TRAVEL TO ASHEVILLE
All Smoky Mountains National Park trips begin and end from Asheville, North Carolina. Asheville has an airport served by Allegiant Air, Delta, United, and US Airways. One can also fly into Greenville, South Carolina or Charlotte, North Carolina and drive to Asheville. It is a 1.5-hour drive from Greenville to Asheville and a 2-hour drive from Charlotte on good roads.
FROM ASHEVILLE AIRPORT
Asheville Airport Express (http://www.ashevilleairportexpress.com, 1-828-691-1121) runs shuttles to and from downtown. Also a number of taxis are usually available on the curb in the Arrivals area.
FROM GREENVILLE/CHARLOTTE
Asheville Airport Express also runs daily vans from Charlotte and Greenville to Asheville. Cost per shuttle is $235 from Charlotte and approximately $120 from Greenville.
CAR RENTALS
Avis: 800-331-1212; Hertz 800-654- 3131; National: 800-227-7368; Thrifty: 800-367-2277; Alamo: 800-327-9633
TAXES AND FEES
North Carolina does not charge sales tax on services, so there is no sales tax for this trip.
All trips in Great Smoky Mountains National Park have a 5% fee required by the National Park Service. This fee is applied when your reservation is made and is passed through directly to the national park.
There are no other taxes or fees associated with this trip. Feel free to give us a call at 1-800-715-HIKE (4453) with any questions!
Private Trips
Traveling in perfect company is a wonderful thing! With our private trip offerings you can book a trip exclusively for your group. Whether it’s with family, friends or colleagues, private trips are a fun and enriching way to explore the outdoors.
Private trip pricing is based on a sliding scale, depending on the number of people in your party. Rates are per person and do not include sales tax and national park fees (where applicable) or guide gratuity. Give us a call at 800-715-HIKE to get the ball rolling!
Private Rates FOr This Trip
- 2 People: Rate x 2
- 3 People: Rate x 1.3
- 4 People: Rate x 1.1
- 5+ People: Rate x 1
*all rates are per person
Backcountry Campsites
BACKCOUNTRY CAMPSITES
Our Great Smoky Mountains National Park backpacking trips primarily utilize backcountry campsites vs. shelters. The shelters – particularly along the popular Appalachian Trail – are very crowded and often plagued by rodent infestations and other undesireable qualities. The backcountry campsites on the other hand have wonderful solitude, are often nestled near creeks, and in general offer a cleaner, much more authentic and rewarding wilderness experience. Our backpacking itineraries therefore may follow the Appalachian Trail (which requires staying in shelters) for a day or part of a day, but in general we have decided on quieter, more scenic loop hikes that provide quality camping and a genuine wilderness experience.
Feel free to give us a call at 1-800-715-HIKE (4453) with any questions you have about campsites or our use of the Appalachian Trail!
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