Grayson Highlands Backpacking (Mt. Rogers, AT Trail, Bouldering, Stargazing, and PONIES)

OVERVIEW

Hey guys, now that it is warming up outside, it’s a great time to go backpacking! And what better place to celebrate this weather than going to a fan favorite, Grayson Highlands!

This backpacking trip is a beginner friendly backpacking trip through the The Mt Rogers/Grayson Highlands loop. This is an iconic section of the Appalachian Trail, located in the southwestern hills of Virginia. It’s a beautiful route with plenty of chances to see wild ponies, the thing I’m most excited about, as well as a chance to stargaze at night and climb around on some rocks right off the trail (light bouldering — we won’t be bringing any climbing equipment, but just playing around)!

Here’s is the route we will be taking: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/virginia/grayson-highlands-mount-rogers-loop

Itinerary:
Saturday 4/30:
9pm – Leave Echols
1pm – Get to Grayson Highlands
1pm – Hike to Thomas Knob Shelter (9 miles)
6pm – Setup Camp and Eat Dinner
8:13pm – Sunset
9pm – Stargaze

Sunday 5/1:
6:32am – Sunrise
7am – Wake up, Breakfast, Pack up
8am – Start Hiking (0.5 miles)
8:15am – Mt. Roger’s Summit
8:30am – Start Hiking (2 miles)
9:30am – Bouldering
10:15am – Start Hiking (3 miles)
12:30pm – Leave Grayson Highlands
5:00pm – Get Back to Cville

What to bring:
– Backpacking Backpack
– Sleeping Bag
– Sleeping Pad
– Layers (it can get quite cold camping at night here and pack for rain as well, including pack cover)
– Food – bring trail snacks as well as sat lunch/sat dinner/sun bfast/sun lunch
– Food setup (food items/stove/fuel/mess kit/utensil)
– Water bottles (2-3 liter capacity)
– Misc (headlamp, system to pack out trash, etc.)
– Hiking boots/sturdy shoes

We’ll bring
– Pocket rocket, pot, and fuel
– Tent

If you’re missing any gear on the list, grab it from the gear room! Gear room hours are sent out via email every week. If you have any questions please message one of us!