NC & TN, NY, or Canada

“My boyfriend and I are taking a week off in August. We may backpack for a few days somewhere or just do dayhikes. Canoeing is also an option. Still undecided.

Where should we go?

We have thought about Algonquin Provincial Park in Ontario, The Adirondacks, or a combo of North Carlonia and Tennessee (GSMNP, Pisgah NF, Nantahala NF, etc).

Which is your favorite? What are the best hikes in that place?

Tell me where to go and why... (and don't say "to he!!")”

“I've never been to Algonquin Provincial Park in Ontario. I've been to all the others and the 'dacks are my favorite. There are tons of dayhikes and backpacking trips nearby everywhere. Canoeing is also option always close by with lakes and rivers everywhere.

I have a couple of books on the 'dacks. One is the 50 best dayhikes and another is for the trail descriptions closer to the Keene Valley, Saranac Lake and Lake Placid. I can come back with the specific books if you'd like.

Just my 2 cents.”

“Algonquin's nice, but even though I'm Canadian, I love the 'Dacks. I have a book on canoe routes in the 'Dacks, I'll post the title to-morrow.”

“The English/Lit major in me really really dislikes finding spelling errors in my own work...

The state I referred to as North Carlonia should obviously say North Carolina.”

“BLAME CANADA!”

“Thanks Tarp Rat. As usual, Your input is very helpful.”

“Thousand Islands between Canada and NY? I have a friend who does canoe trips there each summer for three weeks. I'll try to get the details from her. We are all going nuts with end of school nonsense.”

“Being a native of North Carolina and since I just drove through the Nantahala Gorge 2 hours ago I have to recommend the Carolina Trek.The Nantahala is beautiful,cool and clean and you canrent anything that you need at the N.O.C. The GSMNP is also very nice but I would recommend hiking at Joyce Kilmer/Slickrock area sinec it is just as close to the Nantahala as is the GSMNP and would more than likely not be as crowded.”

“Who the F are you anyway?”

“tarabull from Michigan. At least, I think that's what my bio says.”

“Algonquin is nice. The closest put-in point to me is Lake Opeonga, which you'll share with power boats. I did a nice 4-day loop north and east of the lake, with a mix of river and lake paddling, camping on islands, hardly any other people, several short portages and a 3 1/2 miler. You will need permits (can't remember if we had to get them in advance or when we got there), as there is a limit to backcountry population and length of stay. You should also get a route map in advance so you can plan it all out. I can give you phone #'s and addresses if that's where you want to go.

Lots of nice places in the Daks, but they can get crowded. More opportunity for hiking there than in Algonquin. Again, I can give you an address to send for the canoe route and/or trail booklet. I'll be going up to the Daks in about a week for 3 or 4 days of canoeing. Fortunately, I can go mid-week, so the crowds ought to be thinner.

Wherever you end up, have fun!”

“The Adirondack trail guide book I have is for the High Peaks region. I found a site for the Adirondack Mountain Club which sells trail guides and canoe guides based on the region you'd like to visit. Just click on "Shop Online" button and browse what is available. Speaking from experience, the hiking guide books are very good.

The book I have for the 50 hikes in the 'dacks is old and out of print, so I wouldn't trust it any longer. It was last published in 1983. It had both backpacking trips and day hikes.”

“You can get books on the 'Dacks from ems online. One advantage to the Adirondack Park is that it's free and there are several State campgrounds that are almost unbelievably inexpensive - and they all have showere now. I don't use campgrounds as base camps any more as I usually stay at the Alpine Club of Canada's 'farm house' at Keene for Cdn 10$ (about nothing in real money, i.e. U.S.$)

I'll be using my tent trailer at trail head parking lots as base camp to do Allen, Santanoni etc.

Canadian parks are getting expensive, both provincial and federal. This would be all right if the services and up keep were assured, but it seems the administration people think of the parks as a cash cow for U.S. tourists. Nothing matches the park management I've seen in the U. S.”

“My 2 cents...If you are from Michigan and the trip is in August, don't come to NC. Sorry Spam, but I think NC should be saved for October-April. The NC mountains are beautiful and I plan to do a week or two on the NC-TN border someday, but it won't be in the summer!”

“Steiny - We have the canoe route map. It's huge! We had to hang it on the kitchen wall to take a good look at it.

I believe we need advance reservations. And I have been told that they fill up quick. Not sure how true that is for mid-week trips.

Skiracer - Thanks for the info. You are one of several people who have mentioned the High Peaks region. I guess that must be the place to be.

Gremlin - Thanks. I have heard there are some hike-in "lodges" for backpackers. Any ideas about that?

SwissMiss - I was afraid it might get too hot in the summer months. I really want to go to Graceland so that is why we put NC and TN into the equation. Perhaps Elvis will have to wait...”

“I would go to the Adirondacks.. Its strange but I get a nostalgic feeling when I go to the Adirondacks. The 'Dacks cover 6 million acres and have over 2000 miles of trails so you can't go wrong. Try going to www.adirondacks.org for some samples of hikes. Let us know what type of hiking you desire and I'm sure a lot of us can help you out with suggestions. One thing that you need to prepare for is mud....but its well worth it. Its amazing but there are some areas in the 'Dacks that seem like people haven't been there in ages. The area at West Canada Lakes in the Adirondacks is where I met Jerbear for a 2 man TT trip. The one trail we took looked like nobody had been down there in forever....and another trail must af had about 100 blowdowns! The lakes were beautiful though so it was worth it.”

“first of all Graceland is a long ways from the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. If you want to do that I recomend the Red River Gorge in Kentucky. If you go to the Smokies do not I repeat do NOT stay in the Elkmont campground. to many bear attacks in that campground in the past little few. the rest of the park is beautiful(hence the most visited park in US) but it will be very busy then so get reservations somewhere. I love this park and go there almost everyweekend but really and truly if you are looking for a great vacation i would come to the Smokies in the fall.”

“In the Lake Placid region there is the Adirondack Loj, but you can drive to it. In the Keene Valley region there is Johns Brook Lodge to which you have to hike for about 40 minutes. JBL is really nice and there are a huge number of high peaks and many lower ones that make fantastic day hikes. The ADK lodges are a little pricy for a Canadian school teacher with only monopoly money, about US45$ with breakfast and dinner (which is about a kajillion Cdn$), but they are beautiful. Read up the post for the ADK site and reserve. You might have trouble getting a spot. Good luck.”

“My friend from Canada says that her family does two week canoe trips in Algonquin Prov Park, not Thousand Isl like I first thought. She goes to a string of lakes, including Smoke Lake.

I recently bought a book at Campmor called Kids on the Trail about the Adirondacks Trails. Campmor had a lot of books on the 'Dacks, maybe online too.”

“Pick a geographic region, pack up the car and backpack and then start driving. Watch the weather and go where it's not raining. If you go to North Carolina and Tennessee, I have the Delorme topo map books that you could borrow.

BTW, did you still need the stuff on Lake Superior PP? I got sidetracked with other things.”

“The beauty of travelling by car is the ability to change destinations constantly.

Algonquin isn't going to happen since we waited to long for reservations.
NC & TN won't be the place cause it sounds like it will be too hot.
NY (Adirondaks) sounds too crowded...

SO - now we are thinking about heading east. We can get to NH or ME in a long day's drive. Now the questions is... which one has the better backpacking? less crowds in August? We only plan to backpack for three days (two nights) so what suggestions do you all have for me?
I have checked some websites, but would prefer to rely on your experiences.

RL - No, I do not need the Lake Superior info any longer. We ended up at Pictured Rocks. I will eventually go to the Lake Superior park but not this year. Thanks though!”

“Go to the Whites!!
...there is more flexibility on where to pack. Parts of it are crowded, but there are also some opportunities for solace and beauty.

Acadia is an awesome place(was there in March for the first time) but it seems more limited and too easily accessed by vehicle in most places. Uphill Klimber can probably tell you more...”

“Thanks AmyG. I just took a look at your pics of the Whites trip you took earlier this month. It looks fabulous.”

“NH or ME would be a LONG day's drive. The upper NY thruway alone, from Buffalo to the MA border, seems to go forever. I live in western MA just below the VT border. Feel free to make it a stopover if you'd like.

Whites are usually a mob scene. Vermont's Long Trail is usually less crowded, if you stay south or north of the Mansfield/Camel's Hump area. There are some really nice sections. It's point-to-point, but I'd be glad to help you with shuttling cars; hell, I might even join you if you want some company. You can check out the LT at www.greenmountainclub.org.

Nice canoeing in Maine up at Attean Pond - a three day trip on lake and river with several short portages and a 1 1/2 miler. Shouldn't be too crowded. Moosehead Lake offers lots of options, but it's all surrounded by paper company lands. Between their fees and state fees, it can turn into a pricey trip. Rangeley Lake area offers lots of possibilities, but are liable to be crowded.

If you want to see Acadia, go to Isle au Haut. You get there by mail boat from Stonington. You will need advance reservations; a snap to get at the last minute in September, maybe harder in August. Isle au Haut is about 12 sq miles, about half of it NP. About 90 year-round inhabitants. NP entry is limited to 50 dayhikers and 36 overnighters a day. You will have to stay at one of the shelters. You can bp 5 miles in to the sites or, in season, the mailboat goes right to them, for dayhikers. Lots of really nice overland and oceanside trails for dayhiking. I was there at the end of one September, and had the entire NP to myself for 4 of the 7 days I was there. The red squirrels are more tenacious than any bear I've ever met. Definitely treat your gear and food as if you are in grizzly country.”

“Everyone's help is much appreciated.

We will probably end up somewhere that doesn't require reservations since we are such procrastinators...”

“Dacks still don't need reservations. Permits no longer; before they were for groups of ten or more. Now groups are limited to 9 or fewer.”