Trip Suggestions? – Southeast US

Have you considered Savage Gulf in TN? It would be easier than anything on the AT,the Smokies, or the Bartram Trail. It would probably be easier than the Foothills Trail too.

Figure out how many days you can be out and how many miles you want to hike per day and I might be more help.

Savage Gulf is pretty close eto me but I haven't been yet. Is it nice?

I had not heard of it before but after checking it out, it looks nice. After looking at my schedule closer, I'm thinking a 3-4 day trip with 10-12 mile days depending on the difficulty possibly more if there is a lot of flat areas.

Check out the Bartram/ AT loop(52 miles). Great views and plenty of water. You can leave your car at the NOC, but check with them first in the outfitter store.

http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip/60410

Sheltowee Trace is 280 miles long. It starts in Tn at Pickett State Park and ends up in Ky.

http://www.sheltoweetrace.com/

Depending on where you are located, do some searches on the Big South Fork National River & Recreation area. It's a beautiful area that will offer solitude and a good trail system. Has parts of the aforementioned Sheltowee Trace and also a TN version of the John Muir Trail. This JMT is about 50 miles long.

Ryan

Love Big South Fork, I miss living in Cookeville, TN and being close to it. Funny that you mention the foothills trail, I recently became aware of it and am contemplating hiking it as well.

Same here. I used to live in Cookeville too, went to TN Tech from 01-04. Those were the days…

Ryan

Savage Gulf is a neat place. It has the Cumberland feel somewhat like Big South Fork, that is different than the Appalachians.

You should check out the BMT, its pretty awesome. It was a favorite destination on mine while living and going to school in Boone, NC

The Art Loeb will get you pretty much everything you'd see on an AT thru in 30ish miles. You can do it in 3 days or stretch it to 4 with some side hikes or if you really want to take it easy. The only logistical issue is that you'd need a shuttle. If you decide you want to pursue this one, PM me and I might be able to shuttle you depending on timing.

The GA section of the BMT is awesome. There is a BMT/AT/Duncan Ridge loop that is probably some of the hardest hiking I've done.

The GA bartram is easy peasy after the climb to rabun bald but is a wonderful trail I'll actually be there on labor day weekend.

The Coosa backcountry loop in Vogel state park is a challenging overnighter.

Slickrock creek/ Joyce Kilmer wilderness have some awesome trails. The view from the top of the hangover is probably the best in the southeast.

There are many possibilities in the cohuttah/big frog wildernesses. Jacks river and the conasuaga river are wild and beautiful.

The Benton MacKaye and the AT form a figure-8 so there are at least three loops that can be done from them. It's rough terrain from what I've read, and I'm not sure what the time frame would be, but that's an option.