Looking for a 500 mile / one month trail in June

[German Tourist]

Having already hiked the entire Triple Crown plus Arizona Trail, Florida Trail, Benton MacKaye and Pinhoti Trail I am now looking for new trail recommendations in the US.

I will fly to the US from Germany with a three months visa and hike the Grand Enchantment Trail in April/May. Therefore I am now looking for a trail that I can do afterwards in one month before my visa runs out.

• The trail must be around 500 miles or one month long.
• It must be doable in June.
• I want to hike one entire trail, not only parts of a longer trail.
• I am looking for an existing trail, not a self made route.
• As I do not have a car (and don’t want to rent one) the terminus should somehow be accessible by public transport or a shuttle service.
• It can be anywhere in the US.

So far I have only come up with the Sheltowee Trace in Kentucky. I have also considered the Ozark Highlands and Ouochita Trail in Arkansas, but could not figure out how to get from one trail to the other without a car.

Any ideas or suggestions? Thank you for your help!

Christine Thuermer aka German Tourist

 

[Bonzo]

Sierra High Route might be too short, and I’m not sure about access…hmmm… 🤔

Does that count as an established trail?

I’ll give this some thought and research.  And I know who I’m looking up next time I’m in Germany. 😉

[Bonzo]

Quick thought: Colorado Trail?  Haven’t done it so I don’t know much about that one, but it might be doable in June.  You’ll have snow, though. 🤔

[David Hartley]

How about the Finger Lakes Trail in western and upstate NY? The main trail is 580 miles long. Certainly not as scenic as western trails, and not a wilderness trail, and there is some road walking (but fairly scenic road walking), but June would be a good month (there are a lot of hunting closures in May). Lots of solitude too – you will mostly see only a few day hikers here and there on the trail itself.

The FLT travels through NY State’s very rural Finger Lakes region, skipping along the southern end of the Finger Lakes before heading southeast into the Catskills. The trail starts at the PA/NY state border in Allegany State Park and finishes at the top of Slide Mountain in the Catskills. The North Country Trail shares the FLT for much of its route in NY before splitting off and heading into the Adirondacks. The trail itself travels through a series of State Forests, a few State Parks, private land, and rural road walks. It also travels through or close to a number of nice small towns along the way (Ellicottville, Hammondsport, Watkins Glen, Ithaca, etc.) as resupply options – although that gets a little leaner after Ithaca.

Reaching the western start of the trail by public transportation should be relatively easy – the town of Salamanca NY has Greyhound bus service and from there you could catch a roughly 30 minute Uber to the trailhead, just over the border in PA. Not sure about the availability of public transportation at the eastern end of the trail though – although it is not that far from several towns. The closest town with public transportation options might be Kingston NY.

You can find out more about the trail and get maps, etc. here: https://fingerlakestrail.org/

[German Tourist]

@Bonzo: Having hiked the PCT and the CDT already the Colorado Trail and the Sierra High Route are not that interesting because the trails coincide partially. Plus June can be a bit early for both depending on the snow year. But definitely feel free to ask me anything about hiking in Germany!

@David Hartley: I will have a closer look at the Fingerlands Trail. So far I was a bit deterred from it because my old hiking buddy Buck 30 wrote a not so enthusiastic report about the FLT.

 

[jscott]

Well, your conditions somewhat limit the possibilities. June is already too hot (for me at least) for hiking in the canyons of the southwest. And June may be too early for the Pacific Northwest if you want to avoid tons of snow. there aren’t a lot of ‘single’ 500 mile trails that you haven’t already hiked. I’d suggest just kicking around the Sierra off the PCT–you can easily connect up a lot of disparate trails without having to drive–but you seem uninterested in that. Personally, I would rather explore new regions of stellar high country with the likelihood of good weather (Sierra) rather than settle for less interesting areas because of pre determined criteria limiting choice.

You can really get away from people quite easily in the Sierra if you avoid the PCT. Many of the best parts of that range are off the PCT as well. I keep coming back to it because it’s a rare area that will easily allow for extended, non repeating miles without having to use a car to connect things up.

[Kevin Babione]

Here’s an east coast option to consider:

• Hike the 250 mile Tuscarora Trail from south to north where it meets up with the AT near Harrisburg, PA
• Take advantage of a BPL member who lives nearby (me) to shuttle you from the Tuscarora Trail to the Mid-State Trail where you can do whatever portion of the 500 KM trail you want.

It doesn’t meet all of your requirements, but might come close.  While the MST is 500 KM (yes, it’s measured in KM) or 310 miles, a portion of the southern section is in state game lands so there’s no camping permitted and the last 30 miles or so to the NY border are mostly on roads and not a lot of fun.  I’ve hiked most of the MST and can confidently tell you that you’ll see more wildlife than you will people and I believe the Tuscarora Trail is similar.  I also think that there’s some kind of connector from the Tuscarora directly to the MST but would have to dig further into that if this has any appeal for you.

I also haven’t looked at transportation options…

[HkNewman]

If ending up in New Mexico anyways at the end of the GET (Grand Enchantment Trail), and the weather/fire restrictions aren’t too bad, you may want to try one of the northern NM loops utilizing the Pecos (east of Santa Fe).  The state train (the Rail-Runner) is running again between Santa Fe and southern Albuquerque if that helps.  There’s also a Santa Fe bus that goes up towards the ski area via Hyde Park and western wilderness boundary though double check if it’s running past ski season.
Think at least one set of plans are in the same website as the GET.

https://simblissity.net/downloads/n-nm-loop-data-book.pdf

From the blog …

https://blisterfree.wordpress.com/2012/04/01/introducing-the-northern-new-mexico-loop-2/amp/

Add also pmags has hiked it ..

https://pmags.com/the-northern-new-mexico-loop-an-overview

These may entail a slight bit of the CDT and a Rio Grande swim (though I’d bet some local adventurers may give you a hand) .. plus there’s rideshare coming out of the Albuquerque or Santa Fe area.

Just to comment on the temperature, I’ve usually found late May to June to be perfect in the northern NM mountains barring any weird weather.

Add: GET or northern NM, Albuquerque is known for a lot of property crime.  When you get there, try staying north of Central Av or even Lomas (except by the airport if flying back.. which will be fine).

[David Hartley]

@German Tourist – I think your friend’s description of the FLT is pretty spot on – and compared to the various national scenic trails it is definitely not as grand or interesting. As jscott said – your constraints are pretty limiting for a single 500 mile/30 day trek. The northern rockies and the cascades will be snow bound. Anywhere south of PA in the east will be hot and humid already, and the southwest will also be very hot. I was going to suggest something similar to Kevin as another alternative – knit together multiple hikes in PA. Good luck.

[obx hiker]

Well there’s the option of a truncated version of the Hayduke say from section 9 or 10 north but June might be a little warm and that corner of the world is currently drier than normal which could change but adds another consideration. Still different from your other trails; even the Arizona Trail though with inevitable similarities to that and the NM portion of the CDT. Reading the Monkey Wrench Gang would add a measure of historical color to the adventure

You’ve done the AT and the BMT but for my 2 cents the best eastern trail would be to take the MST from Clingmans Dome to Grandfather Mountain, catch a cab over to 19E or arrange a shuttle with Roan Mt. Shuttle and hike back south to Clingmans. June would be perfect for that route. Edited to add that it’s mostly elevated enough that heat/humidity should not be a problem and where it dips there are also swimming bathing opportunities! (@ Linville Gorge and Harpers Creek in section 4 of the MST; the waterfalls stretch!)

[German Tourist]

@jscott: I can imagine that my conditions sound a bit odd, so please let me explain the reason behind it: I am an author of hiking books. I am not quite sure yet if I will ever write about this trip, but if I do so I want to have hiked the trail in question entirely. I had hoped to come to the US with a six months visa to be more flexible concerning the trail length but US embassies in Germany are overworked right now and I will not be able to get this type of visa in time. Therefore I am restricted to the visa waiver programme which only gives me three months in the US.

@Kevin Babione: Mid State Trail sounds very interesting and has the advantage of having a Guthook aka FarOut App which would reduce planning time considerable. I had not heard of the Tuscarora Trail yet but it sounds very interesting, especially in combination with the MST. Biggest problem seems to be how to get to and from the trail. Neither website lists any shuttle services.

@HkNewman: The Northern NM loop has been on my list, too – especially since it is a loop trail starting/ending in Santa Fe. I have contacted Blisterfree already to find out more. My only concern is that two relatively hard and demanding trails in a short time might be a bit too much – and unfortunately I don’t have much time for planning either.

I am wondering that nobody has commented on the Sheltowee Trace. There are also very few trip reports about it. Is it that boring/unpopular or am I missing something?

 

 

[obx hiker]

A link to the interactive trail map for the MST. This trail covers a different series of mountain ranges or ridges in North Carolina than the AT or BMT. The elevations are as high or higher than all but a few sections of the AT in the same area. There are more balds (Mountain tops without trees) and anyway doing a loop with the AT would bring you across all the Roan Mt. Balds and the highest AT ridgeline along the Smokies Crest. Of course if you are focused on doing a complete trail for the purpose of writing a guide such a route would not work.

Another great trail you could complete entirely would be the Long Trail in Vermont. It’s only 272 miles but maybe you could do that and one other of similar length. It should be perfect in June.

[Russ W]

Long Trail = 300 miles

Mountain-To-Sea Trail 1,100 miles

[David Hartley]

Northern New York (ADKs), White Mountains/New Hampshire, and Vermont in early June = black fly season. Maine too for that matter.

[BlackHatGuy]

“I had not heard of the Tuscarora Trail yet but it sounds very interesting”

IIRC (and I’m old so I might not), the Tuscarora Trail has lots of road walking. I remember doing part of it quite some time ago and had no inclination to do more because of the road walking (and it wasn’t remotely interesting road walking). They may have changed it to get rid of some of the road walking since I did it (at least a decade ago), worth checking if you remain interested in it. FWIW.

[obx hiker]

Yikes on the black flies! ^^  And Russ I was suggesting the MST from Clingmans to Grandfather then turning it into a circle by going back to Clingmans via the AT from the 19E crossing just west of Elk Park, NC. From the base of the Profile Trail off Grandfather Mt. to the AT at 19E is only @ 15 miles so at this point the MST and AT again come very close together. Also Roan Mt. Shuttles is located right at this 19E crossing and they have a highly recommended and experienced shuttle operation. There are also hiker hostels nearby. Anyway sort of an NC tour and half of what I call the NC great 8 (hundred miles) the other 3oo is a southern loop from Clingmans down the AT to @ Murphy then back to Fontana via the BMT. 800 miles of great mountain hiking with about 8 climate zones of vegetation. OK maybe not 8  ;)

[Luke Schmidt]

I can’t think of any trails that have not been mentioned but here are a few more ideas.

1. Take a break from hiking and canoe the Suwanee River from Georgia to the coast of Florida. It’s got nice springs and gators. I haven’t done it myself but a bunch of friends have.

2. Check out the Oregon Desert trail for something a bit different. It’s 750 miles so a bit more then you wanted. One idea might be to bike part of it if you are into biking.

3. Finally go for a real adventure and come to Alaska. We don’t have established long trails but there are some in the works. You could be the first! Or hike the trails on the Kenai Pennisula. Or bike around the state and write about that.

[obx hiker]

A southern version along the lines of the northern ‘Great 8’  proposed above: The ‘Serpentine’ Trail

[Kevin Babione]

I’m happy to do some more digging into the Tuscarora Trail and transportation options if you’d like.  Feel free to PM me with questions.

I’m also a little embarrassed (and in awe) that a “German Tourist” has hiked more of my country than I’m ever likely to.  Good for you!

[Kevin Babione]

I received an email today from Far Out announcing that they now have a guide to the Standing Stone Trail in PA.  That’s the trail I was thinking about that links the Tuscarora Trail to the Mid State Trail.  It’s 84 miles long and runs from Cowan’s Gap State Park to the Alan Seeger Natural Area (which is connected to the Mid State Trail by the Greenwood Spur).

So – Here’s my modified suggestion for you:

• Begin your hike at Cowan’s Gap State Park on the Standing Stone Trail and hike the full length of it to the Alan Seeger Natural Area (84 miles)
• Follow the Greenwood Spur just 1.2 miles until it meets up with the Mid State Trail at Detweiler Junction (mile 126.2 in the Far Out App)
• Head north on the Mid State Trail 175 miles to Hills Creek State Park (mile 300.9 in the Far Out App)

That gives you 260 miles of trail, all but 1.2 miles of which would be covered by the Far Out app.  I’ve hiked the MST for that entire section.  It runs through a number of PA State Parks so there are options for showers and, with some planning, resupply.  The MST north of Hills Creek is mostly road walking so I don’t recommend it.  There will be a couple of sections in that 175 miles that will have 6-7 miles of road walking, but it goes pretty quickly.  If you needed another 30 miles of hiking it’s not far from Hills Creek State Park to the northern terminus of the West Rim Trail that would give you a beautiful hike to the small town of Blackwell (and there’s an outfitter nearby that offers shuttle services).

Other than June 12-19, I’ll be around (I live near Lancaster, PA) and am very flexible with my work schedule so I could help with some or all of your shuttling.  Cowan’s Gap is just 1:30 from my home and Hills Creek State Park is about 3 hours away.

[German Tourist]

@Kevin Babione: Thanks for the information – I have just recently received the same mail and I am still deliberating my options.

[David Thomas]

To one of your points, “(don’t want to rent a car, so) the terminus should somehow be accessible by public transport or a shuttle service”, I’d strongly suggest looking on BPL for a lift once you’ve picked your route.  I’ve done some crazy trail angel stuff for BPLers in Alaska, and you have enough cred to be almost assured of a pick-up, drop-off and probably hot showers, couch-surfing, and a few resupplies.

That kind of assistance can also be really handy for bear spray, fuel, etc.

And maybe you learned this during your Triple Crown trips, but the best way to hitch hike in the US (where it’s much harder than in Europe), is to have a small German flag and pin it to your pack, so you look like an interesting tourist and not a poor, un-showered American.

[Ben C]

I live in Kentucky and have done parts of the Sheltowee. The southern sections in the Big South Fork are nice. I have not done it all, but I don’t think the northern sections are as nice. It’s abit mixed.  It’s also relatively low. It will be hot, humid, and buggy in June.

[Mark Wetherington]

I’d second what Ben C said about the Sheltowee. I think April or October would be the ideal times for that trail and the southern sections are definitely nicer (aside from the Red River Gorge portion, which is phenomenal). June would be pretty miserable.

[Steve S]

So what about the Oregon Desert Trail????

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