This all looks very familiar...

April 14, 2008 8:50 PM

US backpacker bored with the Southern Deciduous Forest ecosystem. Any suggestions in the Southeast?

Some friends and I will be going on a hike this summer. It's become sort of a tradition; in summer 2006 we backpacked the Appalachian Trail around Blood Mountain (Georgia) for a few days, and last summer we hiked the Foothills Trail (South and North Carolina). We're becoming somewhat bored with the same old same old in Appalachia, especially after our 7 days on the Foothills Trail, and are looking to change things up a little bit.

I'd like some suggestions on where we could look for a 4+ day adventure somewhere in the US Southeast that would take us somewhere other than these deciduous forests we've become so familiar with. (I'm based in Florida, so I know that the pine flatwoods [e.g., Ocala NF] are an option, but they could be even worse what with the flatness and the heat.) We could consider traveling a little ways if necessary. Oh, and we're all pretty experienced and capable, so don't hold back.

Thanks for your help!

posted by dondiego87 to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (11 answers total)

Perhaps a little farther north than you would like, Shenandoah National Park in Virginia and the Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia have plenty to explore in the time period you're mentioning.
posted by netbros at 9:15 PM on April 14, 2008

I'm originally from Arkansas, and know that Buffalo National Park is a destination for many hikers, canoers, and spelunkers. It's a great spot (inexpensive too!)
posted by nikksioux at 9:32 PM on April 14, 2008

I agree with netbros: you will have to travel to new geography/geology/climate. And you need a big enough park area to manage a 4+ day backpacking trip. The Smoky Mtns are probably more of the same old same old. Maybe you could try the Mt. Rogers region in Virginia, which has large roadless areas with enough elevation to support a spruce-fir forest.
posted by TDIpod at 9:42 PM on April 14, 2008

While I haven't explored it personally, but used to live just 25 miles southwest so I know the region, the Francis Marion National Forest located just north of Charleston, SC would be a complete change from the type of forest you have already been to.
posted by netbros at 9:48 PM on April 14, 2008

Explore the high elevation heath balds of the Appalachians. There are some along the Appalachian Trail in the Smoky Mountains, in Mt. Rogers National Recreation Area, and in the Grayson Highlands.
posted by driveler at 10:55 PM on April 14, 2008

For a change, gain elevation. Close to home, check out Dolly Sods http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolly_Sods in West Virginia. Very cool place and wilder than you might think. A bit more of the drive gets you to the High Peaks of the Adirondacks which are still nice if you avoid the easier hikes full of camera toting day hikers.
posted by Patapsco Mike at 4:50 AM on April 15, 2008

Paddle camping in the Okefenokee would be a change of pace.
posted by TedW at 5:59 AM on April 15, 2008

TedW beat me to it. Seconding Okefenokee.
posted by saladin at 6:39 AM on April 15, 2008

I wouldn't necessarily give up on the Smokies. Blood mountain and the foothills trail are a good 2,000 feet lower than, say, Clingman's Dome or Mount Mitchell- and that's as much elevation as you're going to get without going out west.
posted by Dr. Grue at 7:54 AM on April 15, 2008

A nice complement to the Francis Marion National Forest would be America's second-newest national park, Congaree National Park, just south and a little east of Columbia. Combine your backpacking with a little canoeing/kayaking. Beautiful and unspoiled.
posted by dinger at 7:19 AM on April 16, 2008

Response by poster: Cool, thanks for all the suggestions!
posted by dondiego87 at 8:21 AM on April 17, 2008