AT Section Hike - North Carolina Roan Highlands @ 75.6 AT miles (79.9 total)

Hi All - this REPLACES the "SAVE the DATES!!" posting for the North Carolina Roan Highlands Section in June 2025. Please create a new sign up for yourself at this event posting if you plan to join us for this trip. All future event details/updates for North Carolina will be posted here.

(Massachusetts in Oct-25 is still listed as a Save the Date posting - more details coming when re-posted as a separate event.)

Updated: 5/21 4:55PM [prior update: 5/20 9PM]
Current plan is below / more detail is in the spreadsheet

Day: 0 | Date: 6/14 (Sat) | Optional travel day & overnight stay? <-- at your discretion

Day: 1 | Date: Sun, 6/15
***PARKING: Park cars before NOON for the week at The Appalachian Station at 19E, 9367 US-19E, Roan Mountain, TN 37687 / T: 423.732.0450 / E: [thestation193@outlook.com](mailto:thestation193@outlook.com) / COST: Sun-Thu: $5 per day per car + Fri: $10 per car / they are on FarOut & Facebook too – LEAVE DAY 3 RE-SUPPLY WITH NATE***
Shuttle: NOON with Nate of AT Traveling Lite Shuttle & friend, Doug / T: 817.239.4266 / E: [nathangressett@gmail.com](mailto:nathangressett@gmail.com) / at least $240 total for the group, could be more depending on final # of hikers.
Travel about 1 hour to Sam's Gap
Mileage: 7.7
Start: Sam's Gap
End: Bald Mtn Shelter
· Water: Seemingly reliable spring located ~200' from shelter
· Privy: Yes; "last NOBO privy for quite a while"
· Shelter: Yes with "space for about 10" double-decker shelter
· Tent sites: Plenty of tent sited for a group (comments quote: "tons", "lots")
· Trees for hammocks: no comments I saw, but, from limited picture, seems like tree situation is good enough
· Bear protection: Food hang cables
· Notes: Sounds like a really nice big area

Day: 2 | Date: Mon, 6/16
Mileage: 10.6
Start: Bald Mtn Shelter
End: No Business Knob Shelter
· Water: Yes, about .2 south along the AT; seemingly reliable
· Privy: No
· Shelter: Yes with "space for about 6"
· Tent sites: Yes "for 4 or 5 tents"
· Trees for hammocks: no comments I saw, but, from limited picture, seems like tree situation is good enough
· Bear protection: None provided
· Notes: More of a typical AT shelter
***RE-SUPPLY DAY – SHUTTLE DRIVER RE-SUPPLYING US AT THE END OF DAY 3 AT/NEAR CAMP ~8:45PM, $100 total cost for the group***

Day: 3 & re-supply very near camp ~8:45PM at camp | Date: Tue, 6/17
Mileage: up to 21.6 with 3.6 miles road-walk detour & 18-miles AT hiking
Start: No Business Knob Shelter
End: Unaka Mtn Rd/Beauty Spot Gap near grassy bald at NOBO mile ±356.3
· Water: Seemingly reliable spring "half-mile NOBO"
· Privy: No
· Shelter: No
· Tent sites: >20 / comments quote "20-30"
· Trees for hammocks: no comments I saw, but, from limited picture, seems like tree situation is good enough
· Bear protection: None provided
· Notes: RE-SUPPLY SHUTTLE ARRIVING ~8:45PM AT CAMP

Day: 4 | Date: Wed, 6/18
Mileage: 14.5
Start: Unaka Mtn Rd/Beauty Spot Gap near grassy bald
End: Clyde Smith Shelter
· Water: comments quote: "its a walk down to the water but it was flowing good. No mice or bear problems" (5/2/25)
· Privy: No
· Shelter: Yes, "large lean-to" about .1 off AT "sleeps about 10"
· Tent sites: comments quote: "lots of tenting behind the shelter"
· Trees for hammocks: no comments I saw, but, from limited picture, seems like tree situation is good enough
· Bear protection: None provided / bear stole "2/3 of our food" comments quote 5/18/25 from PCT hangs
· Notes: 5/18 bear activity (most recent) plus it seems this area has had a share of activity

Day: 5 | Date: Thu, 6/19
Mileage: 15.6
Start: Clyde Smith Shelter
End: Overmountain Shelter (closed; tenting ok)
· Water: Seemingly reliable spring located off a side trail
· Privy: No
· Shelter: No, closed, unsafe
· Tent sites: big grassy field for 14 tents
· Trees for hammocks: no comments I saw, but, from limited picture, seems like tree situation is good enough
· Bear protection: None provided

Day: 6 | Date: Fri, 6/20
Mileage: 9 .2 + .7 to parked cars = 9.9
Start: Overmountain Shelter
End: Roan Mtn & The Appalachian Station at 19E

-- Link to more details of itinerary, options, amenities available, etc (Excel spreadsheet):
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/16P90x2-wlFd-7zQ-jfk_4f07GeiqbmQU/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=114693654048787153216&rtpof=true&sd=true
Please review to get an idea of trip pace, cadence and elevation gain/loss.

-- North Carolina trip dates were strategically chosen to match projected "peak" rhododendron bloom times in June in the Roan Highlands area. | 2nd half of the trip - Roan Highlands State Park - largest natural rhododendron garden in the world!

-- Hike 6 days: Sun-Fri, 6/15-6/20 | Travel back home on the 20th or 21st depending on overnight stay preference on last day.

-- Start at Sam's Gap (AT mile 320.0) and finish at US 19E (AT mile 395.6) | Personal vehicles will be left at our finish point - US 19E. Chris & Pam will coordinate shuttle cost, re-supply cost + tip split evenly among all passengers.

-- 13.3 average hiking miles per day. Longest day is 18-to-21.6 miles (depending on how you handle 3.6 mile Erwin road walk detour) in the 1st half of the hike. Average elevation change = 6,039' per day (total up plus down per day). Most elevation change in a single day = 7,191' (up plus down) over 18 miles. Largest total single day uphill: 4,160'

-- Re-supply shuttle at night #3 8:45PM at camp. Those interested can split-up their food-carry & leave with shuttle driver Nate on 6/15. Any re-supply staging cost split evenly among those participating. Option for town food before hiking on day 1, during hiking day 2 (Erwin, TN), and after hiking on day 6. Pack your food and re-supply accordingly.

-- General intention is to sleep at relatively established areas each evening large enough for a group of perhaps 10; stealth sites will likely be an option each day as well for 1-3 hikers, plus hammock users will not need tent-sites.