Portered Creeks & Peaks
Asheville, NC
5.0 (4 reviews)Trip Highlights
- Lighter Backpack
- Scenic Camps
- Sweeping Appalachian Views
- Hike on the Appalachian Trail
- Wildlife Viewing Opportunities
- Beautiful Waterfalls
- Family Friendly Itinerary
Description
If you’re interested in an exciting, scenic, diverse hiking/camping experience of the Great Smoky Mountains and would prefer to hike with a lighter backpack (than on a backpacking trip), this trip is for you! Great for families, couples and anyone who wants a backcountry trip with a high level of comfort on the trail, this trip does not disappoint. Porters will carry our gear and food in, set up camp, and on the final day they will break camp and transport everything out for us. We combine the best of two worlds – big Smoky Mountain views and beautiful creek side hiking – in one family-friendly itinerary that allows guests to enjoy the backcountry while hiking with minimal weight. The historically rich route we follow was used originally by early Native Americans, then settlers, loggers, and livestock herders after them. We’ll retrace their collective footsteps on a rejuvenating and adventurous Appalachian adventure!
For Families: this trip is an excellent choice for families with school-age children, and it can be easily adapted for the activity level your family is looking for. Also, the day hikes on Days 2 and 3 are optional and can be replaced with easier hikes if desired.
Please Note: Porters transport all camping gear (tents, sleeping bags, sleeping pads…etc.) as well as food. They also set up and break down camp. Guests are responsible for carrying their clothing and personal items.
$975 Per Person
$1175 Per Person
DIFFICULTY LEVEL 2
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:
- 15-20 pounds
- Daily Hiking Distances:
- 5-12 miles
- Most Elevation Loss:
- 2820 feet
- Most Elevation Gain:
- 2820
- Quality of Trails:
- Well maintained
- Additional:
- This trip follows well-maintained trails. If we do both day hikes on Days 2 and 3, the trip will have significant elevation gains and losses and long days of hiking.
Participants should:
- be active and healthy
- exercise several times per week
- be comfortable hiking 6-8 miles per day in hilly or mountainous terrain
SOLITUDE LEVEL 4
1 least solitude, 5 most solitude
We rate this Great Smoky Mountains portered 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
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
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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