Table of Contents

Introduction...... 8

Preparing for Your Trip Gear Checklist...... 10 Choosing and Using Your Gear...... 11 Packing Your Pack...... 22 Selecting Your Overnight Hike...... 23

On the Trail How to Hike...... 26 Trail Etiquette ...... 27 Finding, Choosing, and Setting Up Your Campsite...... 27 Eating on the Trail...... 31

Safety Natural Hazards...... 32 Hunting Season ...... 36 Injuries and Emergencies in the Backcountry...... 36

North Carolina Mountains

Great Smoky Mountains National Park Mt. Cammerer...... 40 Hemphill Bald ...... 43 Icewater Spring...... 46

4 Ba c k p a c k i n g Ov e r n i g h t s —NC Mo u n t a i n s /SC Up s t a t e Poke Patch...... 49 Forney Creek...... 52 The Narrows...... 55 Deep Creek ...... 58 Bryson Place...... 61 Goldmine Loop...... 64 Shuckstack Tower...... 67 Twentymile...... 70 Gregory Bald ...... 73

Nantahala National Forest Joyce Kilmer–Slickrock Wilderness Area Slickrock Creek...... 77 Joyce Kilmer ...... 81 Naked Ground Hangover...... 84 Stratton Bald...... 87 Big Snowbird...... 90 Nantahala River Area Wesser Bald Tower...... 94 Standing Indian Area Standing Indian Mountain...... 97 Whiteoak Stamp ...... 100 Highlands Plateau Area Panthertown Valley...... 102 Panthertown Waterfalls ...... 106 Chattooga Cliffs...... 110 Whitewater Falls...... 113

Table of Contents 5 Table of Contents (cont.)

Gorges State Park Horsepasture Waterfalls...... 117 Gorges Loop ...... 120

Pisgah National Forest Appalachian District Max Patch Shelter...... 125 Pisgah District John Rock...... 128 Butter Gap ...... 131 Deep Gap...... 134 Caney Bottom...... 138 Clawhammer Mountain...... 141 Buckhorn Gap...... 144 Big East Fork ...... 147 Flat Laurel Creek...... 150 Shining Rock Gap...... 153 Graveyard Ridge...... 156 Grandfather District–Linville Gorge Spence Ridge...... 160 Linville Gorge...... 163

Mt. Mitchell State Park Commissary Ridge...... 168 Crest of the Blacks...... 171

Montreat Wilderness The Seven Sisters...... 175

6 Ba c k p a c k i n g Ov e r n i g h t s —NC Mo u n t a i n s /SC Up s t a t e South Carolina Upstate

SC State Parks (Mountain Bridge Wilderness) Middle Saluda River...... 180 Naturaland...... 183 Pinnacle Pass ...... 187 Raven Rock...... 191

Chattooga National Wild & Scenic River Pig Pen Falls...... 195 Chattooga River Trail...... 198 Big Bend Trail ...... 201 Ellicott Rock Wilderness...... 204

Appendices Appendix A—Resources Contact Information...... 208 Appendix B—Hike Routes on the Appalachian Trail...... 210 Appendix C—Hike Routes with Waterfalls...... 210 Appendix D—Hike Routes where No Hunting is Allowed...... 210 Appendix E—Summit Bagging...... 211

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