Private Backpacking Trips
Featured Itineraries

Dates available March - October

Join us for a Private Backpacking Trip in beautiful Western NC!  We offer trips on trips on the Appalachian Trail, Art Loeb Trail, and Mountains to Sea Trail, as well as within Pisgah National Forest and Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  This reservation secures your trip dates, guide, and your choice of one of our most popular backpacking itineraries.  After booking, our Admin team will review the itinerary with you to ensure it is a good fit for your group's fitness and experience level.

We are also happy to plan a fully custom trip for you!  If you don't see an itinerary below that is a good fit or if you prefer a custom Private Backpacking Trip, please complete our Private Trip Interest Form or reach out to our office by phone (828-713-5451) or by email (trips@blueridgehikingco.com).

Cost:

Trip price varies depending on the trip length and the number of hikers.

Private Backpacking Trips are available for 1-9 hikers for trips on the AT or within Pisgah National Forest, or 1-7 hikers for trips within Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  

In addition to your guide, this price includes backpacking gear for the trip, all on-trail food, transportation between the meet-up location and the trailhead, and any necessary backcountry permits.  It does not include personal items (clothing/shoes, toiletries, etc) or gratuity for your guide.  Add-ons such as lodging at the Appalachian Trail-er bunkhouse the night before your trip may incur additional fees.
 

Sign-Up Details:

In order to sign up for a Private Backpacking Trip, please go to our Trip Calendar and select the desired trip start date.  If a private trip can be booked online on that date, you will find it listed there.  When you book, please use the Trip Preferences box to tell us which of the trip itineraries listed below you'd like to select.  A member of our Admin team will follow-up to review the itinerary with you to ensure that it is a good fit for the fitness and experience level of all members of your hiking party.

A few weeks before the start of the trip, we will be in contact via email with an information packet for you to fill out.  This includes a waiver, health form, and gear request form.  Please complete and return this form at your earliest convenience.  At that time we will also send a detailed packing list, and any trip-specific information.
 

Trip Difficulty Ratings:

All itineraries listed below have a minimum and ideal fitness level rating (on a scale of 1 to 10) and an experience level rating (beginner, novice, intermediate, or advanced).  For more information about our difficulty and experience level ratings, please see our Trip Difficulty Page.
 

Featured Itineraries:

Most trips meet at either our Appalachian Trail-er bunkhouse in Hot Springs, NC or at our retail location in Asheville, NC. All trips begin with a pack shakedown, where your guide will hand out food and gear and teach you how to pack your pack. They may look through items you have packed to make sure you're not bringing too many personal items. They'll talk through the trip itinerary and trail etiquette. Pack shakedown usually lasts 1-2 hours. After the pack shakedown, you'll head to the trailhead to begin your hike! Shuttle time depends on the meetup location and trailhead location, but is typically around 1 hour.

Itineraries are subject to change based on participants needs and abilities, campsite availability, and weather and trail conditions. Most trips finish early afternoon the last day. Please let our Admin team know ahead of time if you have time commitments the last day of your trip.
 

Private Intro Backpacking Trip:

Pink Beds
7 miles with 600ft of elevation gain
Fitness Level: 2 (minimum) or 2-4 (ideal)
Experience Level: Beginner
Trip meets in Asheville, NC or Pisgah Forest, NC.
Spend 2 days hiking creekside through a mountain wetland. This itinerary is about as flat as possible in Western NC, with beautiful wildflowers, creeks, and great bird watching opportunities. This is a great place to learn the basics of backpacking for beginners, kids, older adults, or families! Daily mileage is approximately 3.5 miles per day, leaving plenty of time for detailed backpacking instruction.
 

2-Day Itineraries:

Walker Knob
8 miles with 1,700ft of elevation gain
Fitness Level: 5 (minimum) or 6-7 (ideal)
Experience Level: Beginner-Novice
Trip meets in Asheville, NC
This out-and-back hike in Montreat Wilderness is a great first backpacking trip for hikers with a high level of fitness. This trip climbs up through a dense forest with numerous creek crossings, passing Greybeard Falls (which sometimes runs dry in the summer), before arriving at Walker Knob Shelter. Camp in the 3-sided shelter with beautiful southern views, then return to the trailhead the same way on Day 2. Trip is 4 miles per day. Optionally, add a 1.5 mile out-and-back to the summit of Greybeard Mountain after setting up camp on Day 1.

John Rock Loop
10 miles with 2,600ft ft of elevation gain
Fitness Level: 3 (minimum) or 4-5 (ideal)
Experience Level: Novice
Trip meets in Asheville, NC or Pisgah Forest, NC
One of our favorite loops in Pisgah National Forest features mountain views and waterfalls. This area is very much a choose-your-own adventure, with the ability to make changes on trail to add or decrease mileage. Anyone joining this family-friendly hike should be able to complete a 7-mile hike with a daypack. Daily mileage is approximately 5-6 miles per day.

Deep Creek Loop
15 miles with 3,700ft of elevation gain
Fitness Level: 4 (minimum) or 5-6 (ideal)
Experience Level: Novice
Trip meets in Asheville, NC
This 15-mile loop in the Deep Creek region of Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a fantastic family- or beginner-friendly loop filled with waterfalls and seasonal wildflowers! It features lots of water - Deep Creek and Indian Creek; Juney Whank Falls, Tom's Branch Falls, and Indian Creek Falls. This low elevation hike can get hot in the summer, so we recommend it for April - June or September - November. Daily mileage is 7-8 miles per day.
Group size is limited to 7 hikers. Itinerary is finalized 25 days before trip start when National Park backcountry camping permits become available.
 

3-Day Itineraries:

Sam's Knob Loop
19 miles with 4,000ft of elevation gain
Fitness Level: 3 (minimum) or 3-4 (ideal)
​Experience Level: Beginner-Novice
Trip meets in Asheville, NC
Explore 6,000ft peaks and the unique flora of high wetlands in Pisgah National Forest. This hike shows off three 6,000ft peaks with 360-degree views - Sam's Knob, Black Balsam Knob, and Tennent Mountain. Daily mileage ranges from 3-7 miles. Because of the high elevation, temps are much cooler than in Asheville. This is a great trip to escape the summer heat, or a beautiful spring/fall loop for folks who are prepared for the colder temperatures.

Appalachian Trail from Max Patch to Hot Springs
20 miles with 5,200ft of elevation gain and 8,200ft of elevation loss
Fitness Level: 4 (minimum) or 5-6 (ideal)
Experience Level: Novice
Trip meets in Hot Springs, NC
This 20-mile point-to-point hike is a great sampling of what the Appalachian Trail has to offer in the Southern Appalachians! You start your trip with mountaintop views from Max Patch before descending into tree cover for the remainder of your trip. This itinerary is mostly rolling terrain with three challenging climbs. Daily mileage ranges from 3-10 miles. Hikers should be able to complete a day hike of 12-13 miles, and should be able to climb 10 flights of stairs without taking a long break.

Big Creek Loop
18 miles with 5,100ft of elevation gain
Fitness Level: 4 (minimum) or 5-6 (ideal)
Experience Level: Novice
Trip meets in Hot Springs, NC or Asheville, NC
This 18-mile loop in Great Smoky Mountains National Park features the waterfalls of Big Creek, views from Mt Sterling, and the beautiful Baxter Creek Trail! Baxter Creek Trail is one of the most wildflower-diverse areas of the park, making this a favorite during spring and summer wildflower seasons. This is a popular loop; itinerary is sometimes reversed in order to secure campsite reservations. Daily mileage ranges from 5-7 miles.
Group size is limited to 7 hikers. Itinerary is finalized 25 days before trip start when National Park backcountry camping permits become available.

4-Day Itineraries:

Appalachian Trail North from I40 to Hot Springs
33 miles with 6,700ft of elevation gain and 6,800ft of elevation loss
Fitness Level: 5 (minimum) or 6-7 (ideal)
Experience Level: Novice-Intermediate
Trip meets in Hot Springs, NC
This 33-mile point-to-point hike is a great sampling of what the Appalachian Trail has to offer in the Southern Appalachians!  You start your trip with a climb up Snowball, then hike mostly rolling terrain with a few challenging uphill sections for the remainder of the trip.  The high point is Max Patch, a grassy bald with 360-degree views, which you'll pass late on Day 2.  Daily mileage ranges from 7-10 miles.  Hikers should be able to complete a day hike of 12-13 miles with a daypack.

Appalachian Trail South from Sam's Gap to Hot Springs
44 miles with 7,000ft of elevation gain and 9,400ft of elevation loss
Fitness Level: 6 (minimum) or 7-8 (ideal)
Experience Level: Novice-Intermediate
Trip meets in Hot Springs, NC
If you're looking for more of a challenge, tackle this 44-mile point-to-point trip on the Appalachian Trail. This lesser traveled stretch of the AT features classic Appalachian forests, rocky ridgeline terrain, and the sweeping views of Firescald Knob and Rich Mountain Fire Tower. Daily mileage ranges from 4-14 miles per day. Hikers should be able to complete a day hike of 18 miles with a daypack.

Art Loeb Trail Thru-Hike
32 miles with 9,100ft of elevation gain
Fitness Level: 6 (minimum) or 7-8 (ideal)
Experience Level: Intermediate
Trip meets in Asheville, NC or Pisgah Forest, NC
If you're looking for a challenge, tackle the 32-mile Art Loeb Trail!  This rugged and remote trail travels through Pisgah National Forest and Shining Rock Wilderness, traversing 6,000ft ridgelines for the first half of the trip before dropping into a lush forest for the second half.  Daily mileage ranges from 8-12 miles per day.  Hikers should be able to complete a 15 mile day hike and climb 10-15 flights of stairs without taking a break.
 

What we Provide:

Food: BRHC provides all on-trail food. Your guide will pass out the food for your trip on the first morning. You will be expected to carry your own individually packaged food (such as oatmeal packets) and some shared community items (such as a jar of peanut butter or a block of cheese). We do our best to cater to requests, but options are limited because it is important to keep food lightweight and fresh foods can be heavy and bulky. If you have food allergies or dietary restrictions, please notify your guide or our admin team ahead of time. 

Individual Use Gear: BRHC provides high quality, ultralight, cottage industry backpacking gear to make your experience as comfortable as possible.  We offer the following five pieces of gear at no additional cost:
Backpacks - We use a lightweight 60L pack. We will ask for your height and weight in order to fit the pack appropriately to you.
Tents - We have one-person tents and two-person tents available. Please let us know if you would like to share with a friend.
Sleeping Bags - We use 20 degree sleeping bags with sleeping bag liners.
Sleeping Pads - These will insulate you from the ground and provide some cushion and comfort. We provide hikers with a closed-cell foam pad, for its excellent combination of weight and durability. Inflatable sleeping pads are available for an additional fee.
Trekking Poles - These will provide you with some added stability while hiking, and may be used to set up your tent.

Community Gear: BRHC provides all community gear for the trip, including water filters and back-up chemical treatment; camping stoves and fuel; bowls, spoons, and cups; trowels, toilet paper, and hand sanitizer; first aid kit; and map and compass.
 

What to Bring:

We will send all participants a detailed packing list a few weeks before the trip. You are expected to bring your own clothing/footwear, personal gear (such as headlamps and water bottles), medications, and approved optional items. Generally, comfortable trail shoes are better than heavy hiking boots. Please do not pack any cotton - if it gets wet, it does not dry quickly and will not keep you warm. Athletic clothes are a good option. You will need only one outfit to hike in, one outfit to sleep in, a raincoat, and a warm layer. You will not need a new set of clean clothes each day. Because temperatures in the spring can be cool, you should also pack a set of baselayers, a hat, and a pair of gloves. We recommend bringing at least 1 hard-sided plastic water bottle (ex: Nalgene) to use as a hot water bottle in your tent/sleeping bag if overnight temperatures are cold. You will not need any make-up, hair products, scented products or deodorant. Just bring a toothbrush and toothpaste and enjoy going all natural for the trip!
 

Cancellation Policy:

Trip cost includes a 15% non-refundable administrative fee. Hikes may be cancelled up to 1 month before the trip for a refund (minus the 15% admin fee). Within 1 month, a 50% refund will be offered. Within 1 week, a refund will only be offered if Blue Ridge Hiking Company cancels the trip due to severe weather. We are unable to offer exceptions to this policy due to extenuating circumstances; we strongly recommend all hikers purchase travel insurance to cover their trip.

Hikers may reschedule their trip once (at least 2 weeks before their trip) free of charge. Additional changes to their reservation date may result in rescheduling fees.

We hike rain or shine!  While it is incredibly rewarding, backpacking is an endurance sport, and it can be challenging and/or uncomfortable at times.  Maintaining a positive mindset, even when it is uncomfortable, is key to enjoying your time in the wilderness.  With our focus on lightweight gear, our goal is for your pack to weigh around 25-30 lbs or no more than 25% of your body weight, whichever is less.

If your guide does an exceptional job, please show your appreciation with a tip.  Our team of highly trained professional guides never expects but always appreciates a tip.  Industry standard gratuity for a guided backpacking trip is 15-20% of trip price.

If you have any questions regarding this trip, you can reach our office by phone at 828-713-5451 or by email at trips@blueridgehikingco.com.