This ambitious new trail will be over 700 miles long when completed, running the length of North Carolinafrom Clingman’s Dome in Great Smoky Mountains National Park to Cape Hatteras National Seashore on the Atlantic coast.
A 20-mile-wide corridorwithin which the trail will runhas been established, and more than a third of the trail is now finished and open. It traverses some rugged mountains, offering outstanding vistas, and also covers much gentler terrain. Difficulty ranges from easy to strenuous.
Camping Regulations: Trailside camping is feasible and legal only along some sections at this time. Where the trail is on National Forest lands one may camp almost anywhere. Campsites should be well off the trail and away from water sources.
A permit is required for camping in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (see the National Park entry page 220 for complete regulations). On private lands camping is prohibited except at approved sites or with the landowner’s permission.
For Further Information: North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation, 512 North Salisbury Street, Raleigh, NC 27611; (919)733-4181.
NORTH CAROLINA CAMPING RESOURCES
USEFUL GUIDEBOOKS
Guide to the Appalachian Trail in North Carolina and Georgia Harpers Ferry, WV: The Appalachian Trail Conference, 1989.
Guide to the Appalachian Trail in Tennessee and North Carolina Harpers Ferry, WV: The Appalachian Trail Conference, 1989.
Hiker’s Guide to the SmokiesMurlless, Dick, and Stallings, Constance. San Francisco: Sierra Club Books.
Hiking in the Great SmokiesCarson, Brewer. Holston Printing Co.
Hiking Trails of Joyce KilmerSlickrock & Citico Creek Wilderness AreasHoman, Tim. Atlanta: Peachtree Publishers, 1990.
North Carolina Hiking Trailsde Hart, Allen. Boston: Appalachian Mountain Club Books, 1988.
100 Favorite Trails of the Great Smokies and Carolina Blue RidgeCarolina Mountain Club.
Walks in the Great SmokiesAlbright, Rodney and Priscilla. Old Saybrook, CT: The Globe Pequot Press.
INFORMATION ABOUT STATE PARK CAMPGROUNDS
North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation, 512 North Salisbury Street, Raleigh, NC 27611; (919)733-4181.
STATE HIGHWAY MAP AND TRAVEL INFORMATION North Carolina Division of Travel and Tourism, 430 North Salisbury Street, Raleigh, NC 27611; (800)VISIT-NC.
