Shining Rock Wilderness
Guided Backpacking Trips
3 Days, 2 Nights 22MI / 35KM
Trip Highlights
Our Appalachian guides feel this is one of the top backpacking trips we run east of the Mississippi River!
When it comes to trails, views, summits and flora/fauna, Shining Rock is the place to be! We pick you up in Asheville and shuttle in from Brevard through the Cradle of Forestry area (where American forest conservation began). We’ll stop at Looking Glass Falls, a stunning roadside waterfall, on our way to our starting trailhead. The first day of hiking features 360º views as we ascend into the higher mountains, over knobs and mountain summits! After lunch we enjoy a flatter trail the rest of the way to camp, watching the forest change in front of us as we hike. Day 1 ends at a very special spot, where we camp for two nights, near the extremely unique rock feature of Shining Rock. Your guide will give you the insider’s tour of this amazing area before we settle down for dinner. The second day we will hike to the top of a nearby, famous mountain, which is relatively challenging, but only with light day packs. If we reach the summit we will eat lunch on a massive ledge with views of all the areas we have been hiking up to this point. Our final day we will work our way back the way we came along the same trail, which provides very different, and equally spectacular, views as the way up.
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Remarkable Quartzite Summit
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BIG Appalachian Views
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Diversity of Wildlife
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Ecologically Diverse Forests
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Sunset Dinner From Atop Shining Rock
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Stunning Appalachian Waterfalls
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Ascent of Famous Cold Mountain
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Trip Details
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Trip Type
Guided Backpacking Trips -
Trip Length
3 Days, 2 Nights -
Daily Hiking Distance
4-9 mi -
Group Size
1-8 Guests
- day by day itinerary
- logistical and travel information
- gear and clothing lists and more
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Is This Trip Right For me?
This trip travels over some rocks and a few washed out areas on trail but then moves to a moderately flat trail to camp. Day 2 will be the toughest gaining steep elevation over rocks and roots to the summit of Cold Mountain and returning to camp the way we came. The old saying “Up hill both ways” will describe this day perfectly. Day 3 is an easy day back to the trailhead.
Difficulty Level
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Solitude Level
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Trip Itinerary
Please Note: We always do everything in our power to follow the set itinerary, however it can change occasionally based on temporary access restrictions, weather, lodging/campground availability, guest ability/injury, natural events like fires and flooding, and other potential causes. Normal terms and conditions apply to trips with itinerary changes.
Day 1
Shuttle to the trailhead: 1-hour drive from Asheville
Hiking Mileage: ~ 5 miles
Elevation Gain: 1000 feet
This multi-day Appalachian hiking trip to the Shining Rock Wilderness starts with a drive through the city of Brevard and a stop at an amazing roadside attraction, Looking Glass Falls. From here it is a short drive to our trailhead along the famed Blue Ridge Parkway. Our hikeis along the scenic Art Loeb Trail over multiple 6000’ peaks. As we cross over Black Balsam Knob and Tennent Mountain we’ll enjoy huge views of the surrounding Appalachian Mountain Range. Lunch today is either on the summit of one of these two peaks or in the grassy meadows of Ivestor Gap. Eventually we’ll hike on to our two night basecamp near Shining Rock Gap. After settling in we’ll enjoy a sunset dinner, prepared fresh by your guide, on the unique and other worldly summit of Shining Rock, a mountain capped with white quartzite rock outcroppings.
Day 2
Hiking Mileage: 5 or 9 miles
Elevation Loss/Gain: 750 or 1795 feet
Today we get to enjoy the Appalachian High country with one of two options. The first option is hiking up to an amazing summit view from atop Cold Mountain, whose name you might recognize from Charles Frazier’s historic fiction novel based in this region during the Civil War, “Cold Mountain”. Our summit brings us to a height of 6,030 feet. After lunch at the summit we’ll hike back toward Shining Rock Gap and our comfortable, scenic camp for one more, much deserved, hearty Appalachian dinner prepared by your guide!
Our second option is just to shorten this hike to turn around and have lunch along a scenic ridgeline called “the Narrows”. This shorter hike will allow for extra time to relax and explore the quartzite rock outcroppings of Shining Rock further before another hearty dinner prepared by your guide.
Day 3
Hiking Mileage: 4.1 miles
Elevation Loss: 2550 feet
Shuttle to Asheville: 1-hour drive to Asheville
Today we will break down camp and work our way back to where we began our trek. On the way we will stop and enjoy multiple views along the trail that oversee all of Pisgah National Forest. Today’s lunch is at one of the many amazing viewpoints of the famous Blue Ridge Parkway. While enjoying the views and a delicious lunch we will recount the highlights of our Shining Rock Wilderness adventure and then have a short drive back to Asheville for the conclusion of our trip.
Trip Dates
Click on a date to register. You can also click here to request new dates or book through customer service.
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What's Included
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Top-of-the-line tent, backcountry sleeping pad and multi-day backpack
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High quality, synthetic sleeping bag (professionally laundered after every use)
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Bear cannisters for food storage
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Use of trekking poles
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All meals are included from breakfast the first day through lunch on the last day
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Trained hiking guide(s) with years of personal wilderness and hiking experience, medical certifications, and a passion for leading people into breathtaking landscapes. See Guide Bios.
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Roundtrip transportation from your hotel in Asheville, North Carolina to the trailhead and back
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Entrance fees and national park permits
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Emergency equipment including a company-issued first-aid kit and communication device
What's Not Included
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Clothes, raingear, and footwear -
Sunscreen, toiletries and personal items
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Water bottles and a headlamp or flashlight
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Guide gratuity (industry recommendation is 10-20% of trip cost)
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No camp fires allowed in Wilderness Area
Accommodations
Backcountry Sleeping
TENT CAMPING
Sleeping on backpacking trips is in premier 1-person, 2-person or 4-person backcountry tents. Solo travelers, and anyone else who requests it, are issued single tents. Top-of-the-line self-inflating sleeping pads and synthetic-fill sleeping bags (professionally laundered after every trip) are also provided.
Backcountry Cuisine
FRESH & DELICIOUS
Meals from breakfast Day 1 through lunch the last day are fully included and prepared by your guide. We never use dehydrated backpacking meals, instead serving freshly prepared, delicious backcountry cuisine made with a variety of common and specialty ingredients that travel well in the wilderness.
Amazing Campsites
IN THE ACTION
Campsites vary by destination, trip and even by the individual day of a trip. However, you can expect to camp in beautiful areas that put you right in the action to make the most of your trekking adventure. We carefully design our itineraries with campsites in mind.
Trip Logistics & FAQs
Where Do We Meet?
You will meet your guide and group at the Holiday Inn in downtown Asheville (standard rooms are $99-$140 for our guests, 828-225-5550) for an orientation meeting at 5:00 PM the evening before the trip begins. We’re happy to give you a ride to this meeting if you’re not staying at the Holiday Inn. Your guide will then pick you up the next morning for transport to the trailhead. For Private Blue Ridge Mountains Tours your guide can meet you at any hotel in Asheville at an agreed upon time.
Click here to see a printable, downloadable trip information packet with more detailed guidance about flights, shuttles, recommended lodging and more.
Travel to Asheville, NC
All North Carolina 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, 828-231-1053) and Harry’s Car Service run (828-774-8178) 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.
CAR RENTALS
Avis: 800-331-1212; Hertz 800-654- 3131; National: 800-227-7368; Thrifty: 800-367-2277; Alamo: 800-327-9633
Start/End Times
Your guide will inform you of the first day’s pick-up time at the orientation meeting. Generally, you can expect it to be between 5 and 8 am, although the exact time will depend on current weather and road conditions. We will drop you off at your hotel on the final day normally before 5 PM (this time is not guaranteed, as a variety of circumstances can influence our exact return time).
Safety Precautions
Your safety is our top priority. Our hiking tours are led by professional hiking guides, all of whom are wilderness-certified first responders or EMT’s, each with years of guiding and wilderness experience. Guides adhere to standardized risk management protocols in case of any potential or actual incident, and all tours carry an emergency communication device and comprehensive first-aid kit. Additionally we have a “24/7” system through which guides or guests can reach Wildland support personnel at any time.
If you have any further questions about safety, please contact us at 1-800-715-HIKE (4453) for more information.
Age Restriction
Age restrictions on this trip are as follows:
- 12 and older to join scheduled tours (mixed groups)
- 10 and older to join private tours, with final approval on a case by case basis
- specific logistical requirements (such as porter or stock assist) determined on a case by case basis
Reviews
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William G
5 months agoRewarding Experience
Great trip and even better guide! Grace works hard to make it a wonderful and rewarding experience. Thank you Grace!
Joe G
5 months agoGreat Experience
Sophia was an excellent guide and her knowledge and experience was well beyond her age.
Amber W
6 months agoStellar
This trip far exceeded my expectations. Our guide, Grace, was incredibly knowledgeable about the area and often shared stories of the history of the land. She identified several plants for us and imparted so many lessons about backpacking and hiking in general, such as how to hang our food/toiletries to protect both us and the bears, how to filter water, how to distinguish ground water from spring water (in NC), how it's a better strategy to go slow and steady than fast with frequent stops (tortoise vs. hare). The customer service Grace provided was stellar. I told her on Day 1 that it is my goal to thru-hike the AT. From then on, she often referred to, "When" you hike the AT, rather than "IF". That meant the world to me, knowing that she has faith that I can and will reach my goals. Grace cooked every meal for us, choosing an exciting and varied menu for each day. She also frequently took pictures of the group for us.
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