I’ll always be proud to tell people I was born and raised in Asheville, North Carolina. Black bears stared back at me through the windows of my childhood home, and a mere 3 miles away I was tottering atop fallen trees on the Blue Ridge Parkway before my lips could form the word, “hike”.
I moved away from my hometown in 2022, trading mountains for the Live Music Capital of the World. But, little did I know, my opportunity to explore the magical mountains near where I grew up would come sooner than later.
I learned about the Appalachian High Route in June of this year, and true to thru-hiker form, I immediately scrapped all future hiking plans to focus on this roughly 330-mile loop that provides access to nearly all the 6,000+ foot peaks in the Appalachians.
The route begins and ends in Burnsville, a 40-minute drive from my hometown, and follows Black Mountain Crest Trail for ~13 miles up to Mount Mitchell where it connects to the Mountains-To-Sea Trail for ~155 miles, then switches to the Appalachian Trail for ~135 miles.
The Burnsville Connector then directs hikers along ~26 miles of road-walking and trails to loop them back to the beginning — incidentally, right to the front steps of a thru-hiker owned brewery.
As I followed the Blue Ridge Parkway via the Mountains-To-Sea Trail all the way from Mount Mitchell to Clingman’s Dome in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, I experienced unparalleled levels of solitude and often went days without seeing a soul.
It was unexpected, but remarkably fulfilling to totally engulf myself in the woods that had surrounded me my entire life, breathing new air into my memories and tugging on nostalgia at every turn.
I entered the Great Smoky Mountains with an intention to level with that particular section of the Appalachian Trail. During my 2019 AT thru-hike, I had traversed the park in an ill-advised 4 days — and paid the price for it with the rapid development of overuse injuries, including shin splints and severe achilles tendonitis, not to mention hypothermia.
Though the weather for my AHR trek was characteristically rainy, and I spent most days traveling through a thick blanket of fog, I tackled the miles slowly and steadily, being mindful to opt for blue blazes and bag peaks where I could.
The Applichinan High Route is for the hiker who swoons at the Smokies and yearns to bag 6,000-foot peaks. The little known fact that 53 of the 54 tallest peaks on the East Coast are in the southern Appalachians may play into the rise of this route’s popularity over the coming seasons. I can’t brag enough on the sights, landmarks, solitude, and experience this trek has to offer.
To learn more about the creation of the AHR and view a map >>> https://jenniferpharrdavis.com/blog/hiking-appalachian-high-route
Enjoy my gallery with 51 pictures of the AHR below ⬇️ Click the photos to view full screen.
- Katie 'Oats' Houston
9 comments
Katie "Oats" Houston
Thanks all for the kind comments on this article, I’m always humble by the kindness of the hiking community!
JZ: Do you have any suggestions of sections for someone who can only do a couple days at a time? From the Mountains-To-Sea section of the route, trailheads are incredibly accessible from the Blue Ridge Parkway. I recommend checking out the Friends of the Mountains-To-Sea Trail Guide for Segments 1-3 to find overlooks you can leave your car and plan your adventures from there. The Appalachian Trail has plenty of access points as well, but may require a bit more planning/length of stay through the Great Smokey Mountains National Park.
Craig: I was fortunate enough to have family in town that met me at the Folk Art Center, Pisgah Inn, Waterrock Knob, and Newfound Gap. Asheville, Cherokee, and Gatlinburg are all decent resupply towns and with a hitch are reasonably accessible for a thru-hiker from trail. There’s also developed campgrounds like Moonshine Creek Campground you could potentially leave a box at.
I’m working on a trail profile of the AHR, but until it’s out I hope this helps!
JZ
Great post, Katie. Do you have any suggestions of sections for someone who can only do a couple days at a time? I always enjoy your posts. Keep up the great work!
cindy
Great descriptions and photos, Katie – thanks for sharing! I too, am one of those few who have been in AVL since birth – 60+ years! Still hiking strong and have done most of the peaks in day hikes or shorter backpack trips. Life obstructs a thru-hike for me now, but perhaps soon. This is a great route and close to home!
Craig
Hi, what was your resupply strategy?
Todd Fletcher
Well done. And a brilliant set of photos too. The picture of the red eft brought me to my childhood in the foot hills of the Adirondacks. I will look at this loop for a future hike. Perhaps this coming summer. Thank you for sharing your adventure!
TurtleMan
That’s a lovely set of photos and an engaging write up. Gives a good sense of the trail.
Will
Oats,
I may have found my next Appalachian adventure. I’ve section hiked from Springer Mtn, Ga to Dragon’s Tooth, Va. My goal is Harper’s Ferry…then maybe some specific section hikes. The Appalachian High route may be that which I seek. It’s a challenging distance (300 miles), interesting and diverse terrain, a brewery ending and it’s relatively close to home. Thanks…Diesel
60-40 is my trail name
thanks for the insights, story and pics. makes we want to be there again
Bart Carrig
Very impressive effort Katie. It took all I had to hike the Wind River range, Wyo. for 6 days in August, and I thought that was an immense effort. I just can’t fathom doing 330+ miles (no matter how you break that up). You have great strength and fortitude. I’ll bet more than 90% of people who tried to undertake your task would find it impossible to complete. It’s inspiring that you have the determination and skill to pull that off, and I’m happy for you that you accomplished this great goal. Congratulations.
Bart