Grayson Highlands help

[wsp_scott]

The family and I did a little dayhike at Grayson Highlands this summer and now I want to go back for some backpacking. A friend and I are looking at the first week in October for 3 nights (basically 2 short days and 2 longer days of hiking). We would like to see some big views (sunset/sunrise/stars) but it is hard to tell from the Nat Geo map where those viewpoint/campsite locations are. From poking around online (especially midatlantichikes.com) it appears that there are a large number of views, I just need help stringing them together.

So, with that introduction, anyone want to suggest a loop starting from Massie Gap that would give us something like 5 mile, 10 mile , 10 mile and 5 mile days and would provide memorable views? Even suggestions of trails or locations that I can investigate/google would be appreciated. We both have hammocks and neither of us want to go to ground, so campsites with a view and hanging spots would be appreciated.

thanks

[Gqgeek81]

Views from in camp might be challenging. There are plenty of trails that cross wide open balds, but they don't always come close to somewhere decent to hang. Most of the established places nearby are more suited for tents, but there are still lots of options.

Probably the classic location for this where Pine Mountain Trail and Crest come near the east end of Cliffside trail. 36.667586, -81.511812
That's a popular spot, especially on the weekends. I wouldn't try for it at all on a Friday or Saturday unless you can get there early and don't mind potentially being crowded.

I would consider something like this:

Day 1:
Hike up Wilburn Ridge to the AT and out to somewhere around Thomas Knob shelter. There are views from the AT. If you want to push it further, hike the AT out to Brier Ridge or maybe just do summit of Mt. Rogers after you make camp. You can bag the peak, but there are no views from the summit itself.

About Brier ridge: at about 36.651679, -81.549549 the AT comes right out to the edge of the forest and there's a spur out onto Brier Ridge which is bald. You can use this to connect to a few of the horse trails but most of them are pretty rough and muddy. If you turn left and hike down the hill, you'll come across the VA Highlands Horse trail after a hundred feet or so. If you take that into the woods, there's a camp another hundred feet or so. Something like 36.651728, -81.547315

You can also continue on the AT through Deep Gap (a short section is off limits to camping, go past that) and find a short spur on the left up to a good camp, but no views.

Day2:
Continue on the AT through Elk Gardens and up to Whitetop. Make camp in the balsams about 36.636680, -81.604342. The best of the views here are actually further out towards Buzzard Rock or higher up on the mountainside. You could make camp and then hike out that way in the evening. If you hike up the gravel road towards the summit, you'll see a side trail heading West towards Buzzard Rock. You could go that way + the AT back to make a circuit of the mountainside as a ~2.5ish mile evening hike if you want. Or just hang out right on the edge of the forest there. Water is from a good spring at 36.632016, -81.604071. You can also check out Lover's Leap overlook up near the communication towers.

Day 3:
Hike back to Elk Garden but then take the VA highlands horse trail from there back to Deep Gap. Once in Deep Gap, hop back on the AT. The two get very close to each other in the gap and there's an obvious spur but it's not on the maps. Take the AT a few hundred feet north and turn on the Mt. Roger's trail. Take that trail around the mountain to Lewis Fork Spur and then either of the Lewis Fork trails (I'd take the right side for an easier climb). Then take Cliffside up to the afore mentioned prime ridgeline camp near Pine/Crest. Water is in a fenced in spring at 36.668699, -81.511400 which is NOT where the NatGeo map shows it to be.

Day4
Hike Crest or Pine to the AT and back down Wilburn Ridge. You have a few options up and down Wilburn ridge so you can avoid doing the same thing twice here if you want. Hiking UP the Rhododendron Gap trail on day 1 would be the easy route and then down the AT on day 4 for something different. If you hike Rhododendron Gap to Crest on day 1, you can easily walk through some camp sites to get to the AT around 36.656135, -81.524328

You may want to check the drive times. Massie Gap in Grayson is the classic starting point, but if you're coming from KY, it might cut 20-30 minutes off your drive to just park at Grindstone Campground. They have a backpacker's lot similar to Grayson.

A more classic loop would be to hike the AT up or down Wilburn ridge, out past Wise Shelter, up the side of Stone Mountain and down to Scales. You then complete the loop using Crest or Pine Mountain to get back to Wilburn Ridge. This would be a bit on the short side for 3 days. It can be done as a single day hike.

[wsp_scott]

Thanks for all of those details. I'll trace this out on the map and see if I have any questions for you.

[biggiefrye45]

Had a wonderful campsite north of the thomas knob shelter on the AT. Great views and open pastureland, and water just up the trail at the shelter.

[mwm]

If you have a four-wheel drive truck you can drive on the forest service road all the way to the area known as the scales. Went up the hill west of there and found some areas you can set up a hammock and a fenced-in springhead to keep the cows out. From there we set off on separate day hikes. Beautiful country.

[TallPaul]

I don't have any specific trail advice for 4 days of backpacking. I've taken three days to cover a 12-14 loop starting at GH backpackers parking area to Thomas Knob, back to the Crest trail, thru Scales then on the AT to Wise shelter area and back to the car.

I like low mile days in GH as you are on or near the balds. Great place to sit and capture a time lapse of the clouds rolling by or to go explore some rocky outcropping or climb a tree or explore a bit off trail.

Actually thinking about this more and maximizing time in the high country , I might do the loop I mentioned above and then reverse direction at the Wise shelter. For example you could hit the Pine Mountain / AT to Scales one way, and the Crest trail on the way back... etc.
Anyway, this might just be for me, as some might balk at hiking parallel trails or possibly seeing some of the same high country.

Enjoy your trip and be sure to post a trip report.

https://youtu.be/7U1wCgnbuYo

[Rogue]

Here is the map that I use. I start at Grindstone so I can get the Mt Rogers trail climb out of the way, but you can start at Massie Gap. I believe this is a 25 mile loop, but there are other trails to explore to get a few more miles easily.

Mount Rogers Map with our Route.jpg

[durunner]

I too started at Grindstone last year. First night I camped near Thomas Knob as someone else said. Getting a clean view and also true trees to hang from might be tough. However, there are small trees mixed in with open grassy areas with at least some views and a short walk to stellar. I feel like the are hundreds of potential sites for tents and many hammock areas as well. I bet it is just crazy up there on summer weekends. For me, it was a peaceful mid week in November. Only one tent down the hill a bit and no one else. Also, my night was perfect, but I think the balds can get quite windy.

[Gqgeek81]

The park is one of the most popular in the East and during the last half, a decade I've been visiting seems to be getting more so. Holiday weekends are going to be crazy busy.

Weather changes quick. It seems that about half the time I climb Wilburn Ridge, I get into a random cloud blowing icy drizzle on me for several minutes. About the time I get up to the main ridgeline where Pine and Crest are, it passes. The weather changes very quickly.

You occasionally see people make comments about there being few places to hang. It really depends on where you are at. If you have your sites set on a specific point on the map, it might disappoint you, but there are still unlimited places to hang overall and probably 70% or more of everyone I see up there are in hammocks.

If you are trying to hang from a Fraiser fir or a red spruce, it's going to be like approaching a Chrismas tree. Established sites exist where you can get to the tree trunk, but otherwise, you'd need a saw and a lot of time and a complete disregard for LNT. Some of these sections of trees are so thick you can't even really walk among the trees.

Most people would like to hang up on the balds or at least around the edge of them somewhere. That is specifically where the trees are most likely to be conifers that make doing so the hardest. Don't hold your breath and expect to have to move downhill or further into the woods to find something. It's also where years of hikers carving out tent sites exist. Many of these established sites will work for a hammock or two but it may be tricky to accommodate a group of hammockers. Other sites won't have anything that will work unless you have a tent. All of these sites will be right beside the trail and will fill up quickly.

There is also the issue of all the horse poop on the ground in some of these areas. When the lowest branches have been cut away and you're in the main areas the ponies are, expect the ground to look like a horse stall in a bar. The ponies shelter from the weather under the overhanging branches and in some cases leave literal piles of poop over every square inch of space. When you're tired and just want a pair of trees, it starts to feel personal.

If you get into the more deciduous forest sections, you can hang from millions of places.
If you stare at the satellite photos, you can see the color contrast from balds to conifers to deciduous forest.


This is very incomplete, but I have a Google Map with various notes and campsites marked you can view here.

tinyurl.com/vagrayson

[wsp_scott]

Thanks everyone for all the information. Here is what I am thinking for this trip, tell me if this makes sense. It turns out my friends can't join me, so I'm by myself and I'm planning on lots of hiking to keep me occupied. I get bored sitting around by myself and I'm pretty comfortable with 15 mile days.

I should note, one of my priorities is astrophotography, so I really want some open views when I set up camp. It doesn't have to be from the hammock, but I'd like to be able to walk a short distance and set up my tripod.

I'm planning on starting at Grindstone. Do you just find the campground host to pay? Is there a day use parking lot near the spur to the Mt Rogers Trail?

Day1:Start at Grindstone and hike to somewhere near Thomas Knob. It sounds like I should be able to find trees to hang from and still be able to walk a little bit to see sunset/stars/sunrise without too much trouble.

Day 2: Slackpack towards Elk Garden and maybe keep going Whitetop Mountain, then back to camp at Thomas Knob. I would take the AT one direction and the VA Highlands the other way.

Day 3: Slackpack the AT towards Scales with maybe a detour over First, Second and Crest Trail back to camp at Thomas Knob.

Day 4: Back to the car by way of Pine Mountain and Lewis Fork trail.

It seems like this would hit all the highlights of the area and let me cover lots of miles without a pack on my back. It also gives flexibility in distances on day 2 and day 3. Does this sound like a stupid plan? Is there anything I would be missing?