A Guide to the Grayson Highlands

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If I could only hike one area of Virginia for the rest of my life I would pick Grayson Highlands. It is one of the wildest and most scenic areas of Virginia and it has a good trail system.

ARTICLE OUTLINE

Introduction
Overview
- Forest and Balds
- Ponies
Trail System
- The Lollipop Loop
- The AT from Elk Garden to Rhododendron Gap
- The Loop
- Access points to the loop
- Options to extend the loop
- Shortcuts
- Really Big Loops (Iron Mtn/AT loop)
Luke's Favorite Hikes
- Weekend Loop for Strong Hikers seeking solitude
- Hikes with Kids
- DIAD Loop
- Ultimate Loop
Planning

# WORDS: 3040
# PHOTOS: 20

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Viewing 19 posts - 1 through 19 (of 19 total)

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Sep 10, 2013 at 10:21 am #1307517

Stephanie Jordan
Spectator

@maia
Locale: Rocky Mountains

Companion forum thread to:

A Guide to the Grayson Highlands

Sep 10, 2013 at 12:15 pm #2023729

Jacob Smith
BPL Member

@wrongturn
Locale: The Soda

Grayson Highlands is also a great place for Tenkara fishing. There are trout in quite a few of the streams.

Sep 10, 2013 at 12:31 pm #2023734

Ken Thompson
BPL Member

@here
Locale: Right there

For non members interested in the area look here.

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/search.html?q=grayson+highlands&x=0&y=0

Sep 10, 2013 at 4:22 pm #2023770

Ryan Smith
BPL Member

@violentgreen
Locale: East TN

I just did the Grayson Highlands/Mt Rogers hike this past weekend. Fox Creek to Damascus – 41 miles or so. It is truly a great hike that gets you out of the typical green tunnel that most Appalachian hikes entail. The Art Loeb trail is another similar hike that is just as beautiful. The only real negative to the Highlands is that half the hike smells like cow & pony crap.

P.S. – Those ponies will literally attempt to rape you for a Butterfinger.

Ryan

Sep 10, 2013 at 5:27 pm #2023786

Stephen M
BPL Member

@stephen-m
Locale: Way up North

Very timely article as have been looking for above treeline areas that are within a 10 hour drive for me.

Sep 10, 2013 at 5:36 pm #2023787

Luke Schmidt
BPL Member

@cameron
Locale: Alaska

Not technically above treeline Stephen but about as close as you are going to get in the mid-Atlantic. As others have mentioned your other main choice would be the Shining Rock Wilderness Area which is a bit farther south (maybe an hour or so, depending on where you're coming from).

Sep 10, 2013 at 5:56 pm #2023792

Stephen M
BPL Member

@stephen-m
Locale: Way up North

Hi Luke,

I am coming from Michigan, any more than 10 hours makes more sense for me to fly out west.

Is camping allowed on the treeless parts?

Sep 10, 2013 at 6:27 pm #2023800

Luke Schmidt
BPL Member

@cameron
Locale: Alaska

Yep you can camp pretty much anywhere. Off the top of my head the only areas I can think of where you can't camp are a small area around deep camp and the area around the Old Orchard Shelter. I think the prettiest spots are north of Thomas Knob.

Sep 10, 2013 at 6:52 pm #2023806

Stephen M
BPL Member

@stephen-m
Locale: Way up North

nice one Luke, next thing is to convince my buddies to go :-)

Sep 10, 2013 at 7:41 pm #2023825

Luke Schmidt
BPL Member

@cameron
Locale: Alaska

You need to convince "ny" buddies to go? Is that a misspell for "My" or NY as in New York? If you're in New York the "daks" are closer. If you're somewhere else head on over. Unfortunately I don't live there anymore or I'd invite you out for a burger.

Sep 10, 2013 at 7:46 pm #2023828

Stephen M
BPL Member

@stephen-m
Locale: Way up North

Hi Luke,

yep, that was a typo.
The Dajs are 10 hours for us also, they are also the nearest big mountains to me.

Sep 10, 2013 at 8:57 pm #2023850

Luke Schmidt
BPL Member

@cameron
Locale: Alaska

Stephen you must be living in the depths of hikers purgatory:( Since everything is far away I'd save Grayson for your early spring and fall trips and go someplace a bit cooler in the summer.

Sep 11, 2013 at 9:29 am #2023953

John Elbare
BPL Member

@jelbare
Locale: Florida

I have been there three different times. Great backpacking area. Worth the drive from Florida.

Sep 11, 2013 at 9:42 am #2023960

Ben C
BPL Member

@alexdrewreed
Locale: Kentucky

For "above treeline" areas in the southeast, don't miss the Roan Highlands and some of the balds of Slickrock

Sep 11, 2013 at 9:47 am #2023966

Stephen M
BPL Member

@stephen-m
Locale: Way up North

Hi Luke,

I live in Mid Michigan, I am about 2~3 hours from some ok places and 5 hours from the likes of Pictures Rocks in Michigan's Up and Lake superior provincial park in Canada. I am not pushed about summer here but
winter is really good.

I am lucky enough as get back to Ireland/Scotland twice a year and out west the same amount.

Sep 11, 2013 at 11:49 am #2023992

Tim Haynes
Member

@timalan
Locale: Mid Atlantic

Crazy timing — my wife and I were in the Grayson Highlands this past weekend as an anniversary celebration. Spent three days on the AT trails from Fox Creek down to Damascus, passing through the highlands, and it was awesome. The Highlands part is easily the most beautiful and enjoyable hiking I've done in VA.

For people looking for a similar (but smaller scale) hike, the Dolly Sods area of West Virginia has some of the same feel in places. Different in other ways. Both are incredibly beautiful and are my favorite two hiking areas within ~5 hours of Northern VA/DC area.

Sep 11, 2013 at 6:14 pm #2024119

Pat Comer
BPL Member

@wpcomer
Locale: Aborokas

My absolute favorite place in the East to get a sort of Western "fix". I refuse to ever sleep in Thomas Knob shelter again due to the mice though. One falling into my mouth in the middle of the night while sleeping was enough fun for a lifetime !

Sep 12, 2013 at 5:59 pm #2024411

Tom Clark
BPL Member

@tomclark
Locale: East Coast

I used to live in northeast TN so Grayson and Roan were my two favorite places. I think they are both wonderful winter camping spots, but agree that you need to be careful of the weather. They are not Ranier or Mt. Washington, but they can have much worse weather/wind at their peaks and gaps than adjoining areas.
Tom

Sep 13, 2013 at 10:13 am #2024537

Ryan Smith
BPL Member

@violentgreen
Locale: East TN

Pat,

Thanks for that. Don't think I can ever sleep in a shelter again. :)

Ryan
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