Hammock Camping in Linville Gorge - Grand Loop Backpacking Trip
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- čas přidán 23. 05. 2022
- Hammock Camping & Ultralight Backpacking on a 40 mile Grand Loop of the Linville Gorge Wilderness.
For this 3 day backpacking trip, I headed back down to North Carolina’s Pisgah National Forest for some hammock camping and another attempt at the “Grand Loop”, a roughly 40 mile trek with 11,000 feet of gross elevation gain.
This video is sponsored by Upstart.
www.upstart.com/sintax
The Linville Gorge Grand Loop is not a single official trail. It’s actually a patchwork of several official and unofficial trails. In fact, due to the extensive network of unofficial trails in the Gorge, there isn’t really any one “real” way to do the loop. The basic goal is simply to circumnavigate the gorge, hiking along the Linville River on the west side, and along the ridge top of the gorge on the east side. Whatever trails you decide to use is really up to you.
The upper ridges stand an average of 1,400 feet above the river banks below, with trails frequently descending down to the river and back up again on rugged terrain, without signage or trail blazes, and minimal use of switchbacks. This can make for some challenging hiking, that I personally believe to be some of the toughest on the east coast. The pay off is a heavy sense of adventure compared to traditional trails and some amazing mountain top views of the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains.
My mid-May temperature range for this trip was between 45° and 85° with no rain in the forecast until the end of the third day. This allowed me to get my backpack’s base weight down to around 9 lbs by leaving my puffy jacket and extra base layers at home. I simply packed a long sleeve shirt and my ultralight rain jacket for supplemental warmth at camp if needed.
I went with a minimalist hammock camping setup for this trip. There are plenty of trees and fun unofficial campsites in the Gorge that make it ideal for hammocks. Water is plentiful in the lower regions of the gorge. For the ridge sections, you’ll have to be more careful, but I was able to take advantage of several springs on the ridge that were still flowing at the time of my trip.
For an easier read and GPS info, check out my full blog post
www.sintax77.com/hammock-camp...
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Trailhead: Linville Falls Visitor Center , 35°57’16.9″N 81°55’40.2″W
Warrior Ln, Marion, NC 28752
Trails Used, Day 1
Erwin’s View Trail
Marion Wright Trail
Linville Gorge Trail
Camp along LG Trail on the Linville River near Chimney Run
There are a ton of campsites along the river in this area.
Day 1 Mileage: 11.5 miles
Day 1 Gross Elevation Gain: 1,936′
Day 1 Gross Descent: 3,602′
Trails Used, Day 2
Linville Gorge Trail
Mountains to Sea Trail (MST)
Cross the Linville River
Continue on the MST towards Shortoff Mountain
Jeep Trail (has a spring for water along it)
Rejoin MST
Refill Water at the spring by Saddle Camp
Camp in Chimney Gap
Day 2 Mileage: 11.8 miles
Day 2 Gross Elevation Gain: 3,297′
Day 2 Gross Descent: 2,185′
Trails Used, Day 3
MST
Little Table Rock Trail
Spence Ridge Trail
Ledge Connector Trail
Ledge Trail
Hawksbill Mountain Trail
Jonas Ridge Trail
Devil’s Cliff Trail
Red South Trail
Brushy Ridge Trail
Red North Trail
Hill 3065 Trail
Gulf Ridge Trail
Gulf Contour Trail
Day 3 Mileage: 15.7 miles
Day 3 Gross Elevation Gain: 5,621 feet
Day 3 Gross Descent: 5,063′
Total Mileage: 39 Miles
Total Gross Elevation Gain: 10,850′
FTC Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission for purchases made through some of my links.
Notable Backpacking Gear
ULA Ohm 2.0 Backpack bit.ly/2Sq1FPH
Dutchware Pack Cover bit.ly/2O8N7AL
Dutchware Gear Half-Wit Hammock bit.ly/3yShE0I
Hammock Gear Phoenix 30 Underquilt bit.ly/3LzBPDv
Hammock Gear Burrow 40 Top Quilt bit.ly/2qlZgJn
Hammock Gear Dyneema Hex Tarp bit.ly/3GadwLh
DIY Cat Can Alcohol Stove
Vargo Windscreen Pot Stand amzn.to/2M3uRuG
Toaks 750ml Titanium Pot amzn.to/2GR7AJX
Sea to Summit Long Handled Spork amzn.to/39NcNmR
Potable Aqua Water Purification Tablets with PA Plus amzn.to/3uYZ1TP
Outdoor Research Helium III Rain Jacket amzn.to/2BiSnB1
Outdoor Vitals Satu Adventure Pants bit.ly/3r4nhDI
La Sportiva Wildcat Trail Running Shoes amzn.to/3hyKrMi
Wright Socks (great for blister prevention in wet conditions). amzn.to/2XqbOSP
Nitecore NU25 Headlamp amzn.to/2YVsp0A
Spot X Satellite Messenger amzn.to/3adSjBr
Casio ProTrek FR-30 Smartwatch amzn.to/3dtY7Xj
Benchmade Bugout EDC Folding Knife amzn.to/2JVfBS5
Mountain House Backpacking Meals amzn.to/3lBAgdv
Packit Gourmet Backpacking Meals www.packitgourmet.com/
Korean Coffee Sticks amzn.to/2VXijcS
GoPro Hero 8 Black amzn.to/2D8n6lL
GoPro Shorty Tripod Grip amzn.to/2MPhGOM
To hell with Netflix.cant beat a midweek Sintax77 video.
Hi Sintax. I'm a long-time viewer & backpacker from the UK who's been unable to hike now for just over 2 years due to chronic illness. Your videos make me feel like I'm back outside (from the comfort of my bed/sofa) & that's very much appreciated. Thanks for another trip!
Took my children to Linville Gorge/Falls. We didn’t hike far, just to enjoy the park for the day, pretty. I’m retired army and have done a bit of orienteering with topo maps. Mountainous areas help with navigation but are more difficult. You did good. As you know, it’s easy to get lost, especially when alone. Appreciate your work, from East Tennessee.
Let’s just take a moment to appreciate that he has walk twice as far to get all those shots hiking towards or away from the camera.
Sketchy trails, poisonous snakes, elevated bear activity, severe drop offs, potential weather, rugged mega-miles....you're my spirit animal Sintax.
Best hiking video I’ve ever seen 👏
I like how real you are about hiking and camping; it isn't all "perfect", and it doesn't need to be. Thanks
I think I heard Whooo buddy!! Off in the distance
All clear in sector 7
@@sonnyboywannabe on dee knot, not dee toggle!
The hammock king! 💪
Lol and watch out for the 4footers
How can a hour and a half video never get boring?!! You are never lost for words which makes your videos so fun to watch!
What a perfectly captured report of the wins/losses, ups/downs, achievements/fails of just about any hike. The intensity of risk analysis...from wet boots to dry downfall. Thanks for posting and capturing the small decisions backpackers make that make or break!
So glad you got back out and completed this! It’s such a challenging but rewarding loop. You just can’t appreciate the difficulty of hiking in the Gorge until you actually do it. We hiked the grand loop a couple of years ago in the opposite direction. You stayed at one of my favorite campsites night one…your reaction was similar to mine the first time I found it. I’ve also drank the river water at least a dozen times with no Ill effects…yet. Ledge trail is no joke, I’ve done it 4 times now and still manage to get turned around each time 😂. Curious to know what your favorite or most memorable part of the loop was? Thanks for another great video
One of the best routes in the Gorge and with the unofficial Scramblers maps on Avenza not that hard to stay on track
@@michaelbroyer3918 how do I find the specific scramblers map? I have the Avenza linville gorge map but what is the scramblers map everyone keeps talking about ???
@@1asphaltcowboy the scramblers maps a 3 map series of the gorge with great detail. North. Central. South.These maps show most of the unofficial trails
Avenza is a must in the Gorge
@@1asphaltcowboy check the avenza store. let me know
Even though those last few miles looked rough, I am betting that you are going to look back on this trail and have nothing but a huge smile on your face! What an adventure! I just love watching your hikes.
Been hiking the Linville Gorge since the 1970's, used to climb on Table Rock, got married on the top of Hawksbill. The gorge has never been logged so you have some of the biggest trees in the state. It is by far one of the roughest trails in NC. I'm glad you came back and hiked it.
He will have a huge smile caise je plugged in some insurance ad on this vodeo
@@gregprice155
LINVILLE gorge has been lodged. Particularly on the north end
I disagree. The Linville gorge has never been industrial logged within the gorge it's self. That is why you can find poplar trees that are absolutely huge, as well as other species of trees.@@robertunderwood1011
I work in a boilerhouse in st. Louis mo. sterling d boiler built in 1929. some maintenance on day shift but on night shift it's mainly monitoring them. which has led me to your channel, which has led me back into the wood for a few adventures. nothing to epic but a great just to be out there. thanks for the inspiration. now it's time to plan a trip to eagle rock loop in Arkansas.
Amazing trail wonderful nature save nature enjoy the nature wow Hammock Camping in Linville Gorge - Grand Loop Backpacking Trip
That was a very awesome adventure. I certainly wouldn’t have the stamina and positive attitude to hike through the woods with no trail. So happy you made it back unscathed to your truck.💪🏆🏆🏆
Thanks for taking us with you. Fantastic hike! 🌲🥾🌲
Wow! Great job finding your way home! Thanks for the beautiful hike!
Glad you completed the loop! Beautiful scenery. Thanks for sharing.
Oh my thank you. I love your adventures. You show great scenery and tell interesting things
So happy to see another video!! The views were absolutely beautiful! Glad you made it back ok. Thanks for sharing your travels!
Glad to see another one of your adventures pop up in the feed. Definitely a nice surprise to see given other things.. Thanks for sharing as always and take care.
What a great adventure and awesome footage of the area! thanks for sharing this with us.
Great video as always!
Keep them coming!
Another great video,thanks for all your hard work to do these super great videos.
Nothing like leaving video proof of your illegal trail walking. You know, there might be something to the idea of "unofficial" trails not being the best paths to take. Thanks for sticking it tout and keeping us "in the loop" with you. As always, best editing and photography on CZcams.
Totally wrong dude. The unoffical trails are sometimes the most beautiful trails in Linville gorge. You’d miss the best places in it if you didn’t use them.
Long time fan here. Loved this one. Thanks.
Another marvelous adventure in a gorgeous (or gorge-s) area complete with a nail biting end. Excellent!!
Wow! Fantastic and very challenging hike. Good to see your positive attitude and woodsmanship result in success!
Glad you got back on the horse and didn’t let it get the best of you. Great trip! Thanks.
Outstanding video Sintax you never disappoint. Take Care
You did it.👌 this was a type B fun trip. To be enjoyed when thinking back and not while doing the trail.👍👍
What an awesome trip this was. Thanks for sharing. I’m glad you knew where you were going. I have no sense of direction. Lol. Thanks it was a lot of fun. 😊🔥🙋🏻♀️🔥
You did it! I love these videos...thx so much Sintax77
Good stuff Sintax. I've been in the same position at the end of the trip just needing to make the final push and mentally and physically exhausted. Those are the trips I've learned the most about myself.
I’ve tried this trail 3 times. Failed each one for the reasons you experienced. Getting lost is so easy in the Gorge. Redemption for you and trail slippa!! Love your videos. Thanks for all the hard work and confirming the difficulty Gorge.
As an App State grad, I am extremely fond of the Gorge. Great to have you visit the Old North State!
Glad to see your back, hope you enjoyed your break 👍🏴🏴🏴👍
Great video! Glad you figured out The Ledge Trail! I have done it 5 times and always with a full pack. The one time I was hiking up the Ledge I did lose the trail and got a bit angry, Yet I knew the trail was directly under the cliffs and crawled my way back to the path.I have done the Grand Loop twice and we both shared some of the same campsites!!
Oh wow, I was feeling your pain at the end!! Glad you made it all the way through 👍
Attempted this in November 2021 starting at hawksbill. Realized we were in trouble right away after going 1mph on the ledge trail. Ended up realizing we had to bail and dangerously forded the river to get to the Devils hole trail and hike 1300' straight up to get out. That place is wild. Impressed you went back and did it.
Thanks for taking that tough route again. Helps me decide to not even bother when I do that one.
I used to watch this channel religiously back in 2014 and 2015. Had a random thought about sintax and he’s still crushing the trails and the videos! No more Subaru life I see 😂
Wow! What a trip. Thanks for sharing.
Good job as always
I really enjoy your videos, I never miss them...
I go to the gorge several times a year and it was fun following along with my Avenza app while watching this video. Made some notes for my next trip. Thanks!
That's awesome! Happy to hear that. There's so many places to explore down there, it's pretty cool.
Your videos are great! You have a great attitude but something always goes wrong. Yet, you persevere- thanks for sharing these.
cool video man, thanks for keeping me entertained while i work from home. i could use one of those hammock siesta right about now!
Awesome!! I thoroughly enjoyed the trip! Every time I hike I have some problem so I can fully relate. Thanks for the gorgeous views and great nature sounds. I had to stop listening to you because an owl was hooting outside my window lol! Lovely
Linville Gorge is a spooky and magical place... nice job capturing it
Oh man, that NE section of the Grand Loop is a nightmare to navigate! I went the opposite direction as you, and got it over with first. Brave man saving the longest and hardest day for the last day. Well deserved burger after that trek
Lol.great video ,awsome hike...so green this time of the yr..thanks for sharing
I'm glad you went back to Linville.
What a beautiful trip!
I know some of your winter camping stuff gets more views, but these summer solo trips are my favorites. Great job
You did it! Wow what a sketchy trail in the sketchy parts! I was relieved when you found your way out and so glad to see you in the Jeep at the end and out of the rain. You are a master at finding your way out of messed up trails. I dont think I'd find my way out. They'd be looking for me with a helicopter. On the upside, the rhododendron were beautiful, as were the views.
Hi Shawn 👋 thanks my friend, appreciate you, stay safe and take care 👍✌️Good to see you made through ok, that part of the trail definitely has some weirdness to it, quite odd. 👍🤷♂️
Thanks for the content!
Man I thought you would bypass that trail for sure but kudo's for doing it. I watched the first one a couple of times. That was gnarly stuff drinking from puddles and such. By the way when you got lost there the second time I said to myself that trail is haunted and I know what that's like. I have had the same thing happen to me a couple of times. You think there's no way that trail was there like that. Glad you went back and a great hour and a half spent watching it. Thanks.
Hitting that closed area was trail gangster.
Live near the gorge and we always have reports in the local paper of rescues that had to be made of lost hikers. You did good route finding for sure. Even a simple day hike in the gorge can be tricky..such a unique place.
I have hiked this area many times and it never gets easier. Some of the best technical hiking in the country and it's not for the faint of heart. This place is legit and you can get in trouble around every corner so beware and very careful if you hike the LG. Good job on this Sintax.
Sintaxx I lost you for awhile, glad I found you again
I’m a new subscriber to your channel and I’ve really enjoyed going along with you on your hikes with you . Two of the three videos I’ve watched were in the mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina. My favorite areas . This video had some very beautiful scenery. I wish I were younger and could do what you’re doing but I’ll just have to live vicariously through your videos . I like that you give information about the areas that you are hiking through also .
Another great video man. I love seeing a fellow Delawarean out in the backcountry. The elevation gain made my legs hurt just hearing you say it in the beginning...lol.
Represent! ...yeah, I think my legs can still feel that Shortoff ascent :)
Amazing scenery and crystal clear water. I will be thinking about you while I have an Carl’s Jr. Super Star with cheese and two large 🍟.
Hi Everyone , Marie from South Wales UK 🇬🇧
I just Love coming along these Adventures . It's Stunningly Beautiful the USA , but I would love to see Bears etc or Even Sasquatch. Stay Safe 😄🐿🦫🐻🐻👣👣👣👣❤
Thanks, Marie. Those are tough to catch on camera because they're usually running away, but come to think of it, the last time I actually had one make it into the video it was down in North Carolina as well. No luck with the Sasquatches so far...
@@sintax77 Your So Brave putting just a Hammock Up , Anything could Walk Into Your Camp . Stay Safe 😯🐻🐻👣👣❤
Love it when you’re in my neck of the woods.
Weather can make such a big difference, you had great weather this trip.
I thought this was one of your better videos.Some nice views and as usual good commentary.
Good grief! What a hike and yet, since you made it ok,. It was one of this Tennessee girl's favorites. It looked so much like my beloved Smoky Mountains. I loved the views and the beautiful pink flowers. Normally I would say they are rhododenron, but I did not think they bloomed until early June, but with the warm days and global warming, that's what it looked like. You were pretty close to the Ashville area, I think, and I have driven through the Pisgah National forrest on the way there, on a visit to the Biltmore. FYI, the Vanderbilt's hired gardeners who planted rhodendenron, and the plants liked the area so much the seeds blew and spread the lovely bushes all the way throughout the Smokies. Several years ago hubby and I took a day hike in the Smokies in June and the flowers just made a beautiful canopy all over the trail. Anyway, I am thankful you did not fall off the cliff or step on what looked like a rattler. I had to look and look to even see it as it blended in with the terrain so well, More power to you, You stuck with it, and make it through, I loved your literary reference to Narnia. CS Lewis would be proud and so is this old English teacher. I'm off next week to my beloved Smoky Mountain Roost where I have a full kitchen, a hot tub, a/c, internet, etc, but I am going to have sone trees cut to restore my Mountain View, and I will do some early morning straight up and down hikes in my hood, but if I don't get up early enough in the morning I'll hike at the Pigeon Forge community Center where the a/c is blasting. It's a good thing I have your vids so I can enjoy more adventurous hiking vicariously,
This is awesome great video
Which I knew u was coming I camp at table rock a lot. I would glad to meet u and say hey. Love ur videos
Great job…I lived in Boone, NC for five years. You made me miss it. I’ve hiked that area and have gotten myself landlocked between rock walls and steep ledges, too. I always look forward to watching your adventures. Thanks for keeping us entertained and to live vicariously through your hikes. Take care.
Thanks, Todd. Glad you enjoyed the vid. I've done some pretty intense bushwhacks in the past, but that landlocked feeling as you correctly describe it, is pretty uniquely overwhelming.
Next time you're in North Carolina and it's cheeseburger time, a regional chain called Cook Out has great ones.
Great info. I do the hammock thing too. Beautiful scenery. need to see what's out there, too much sniffing and creepy steps around my tent at night 😆. And I can't carry heavy stuff anyway.
Learning about this trail. Going out this weekend to Attempt the Grand Loop for the 2nd time. The first time destroyed me
Beautiful hike. I suggest you zoom in on some of those beautiful flowers. They were all over the place. Be safe.
Way to hang in there. It can be disheartening to get turned around, and end up adding miles to your goal. But, thumbs up to ya for hanging in there !👍
Dude! Walked those trails and know how hard they are. Thanks for visiting my state and trails! Nothing like the gorge. Love the channel. Does two years make me an OG?
Official OG staus granted!
NC native here. I grew up in the gorge, so I was avidly following your route. When you went for the spring down the slope from Saddle Camp, I inwardly cringed…that’s such a steep climb back up from the spring. Not to mention the MST up to the Amphitheater side trails…well done conquering Ledge! I’m betting you slept soundly after that trip!
Oh, yeah - I slept good after that one. No kidding on the Saddle Spring. That's just downright mean, haha
Nice trip through Fanghorn Forest, BTW.
I really needed a new video. My foot pain from diabetic neuropathy is so bad I had to cancel a Yosemite trip next month.
Bummer, man. Hope you can get back out there soon!
Awesome vid. I have watch it twice. Bushwhacking is never no fun. Glade you made it back to the Jeep! And got that cheeseburger. When I go backpacking on a 3 day trip once I finish I go get Chinese buffets and chow down.
I love the shot at 20:22 with the little salamander under your foot while collecting water. Almost missed it until it moved.
Cool Snake! We almost stepped on a Prairie Rattlesnake out west a few years ago. That wouldn't have been good getting bit by one of those.
Its so beautiful
Tough hiking great views! Good long shower and check for ticks.
Those mountains you see in the clouds on day 3 are the Black Mountains. Highest bunch in the east coast (Mt Mitchell would be furthest left as you look at those). That’s another good hike there on the Black Mountain Crest Trail (BMCT). I did it in winter but it would be amazing in summer too.
Welcome to NC bro!
Great work my friend. I love the videos. Welcome to NC! Although, I have one suggestion about your pronunciation of Appalachian. Having lived here most of my life as well as having graduated from Appalachian State University - it is
App-uh-latch-in. But Linville is amazing. Keep up the great work.
first campsite was fantastic, the rest epic.
Watching sintax bushwhacking through that underbrush I kept imagining Eastern back rattlers lurking! One bite…way down in that gorge, he’d be done!
👋 thanks 😊 🙏 for sharing
Lived in the area in the early 70's and my friends and I spent a lot of time hiking the Gorge. No GPS or cell phones back them, just vague paper maps. Good times. If we smelled a musty smell while hiking there usually was a rattle snack close by
Interesting, I'll have to keep my nose on alert for that next time. I can't imagine how much slower I would have gone without a GPS to spot check periodically. Hat's off to you, man.
Couldn’t get a close look at that plump dangernoodle you almost stepped on .not as dark as his Pennsylvana cousins. Those guys blend right in.
Another great trip.
I live about 10 miles from the end of Linville gorge during summer and early fall we constantly see fighter jets they train at the gorge and over the lake it’s pretty awesome
Great trip. Been to Gorge several times. Not sure if you used the Avenza app on the first trip?? It shows where you are without a signal. We used on Ledge Trail about 4 years ago and made it with only 1 hiccup. Stayed at your second night camp before. Was hoping you would have pushed past that knowing you had a lot to see and the Ledge takes a lot more time. Gorge is always awesome and so much to see. Great video.
Love this video and the gorge.
What app are you using that shows All the water spots and camping spots along the trails
Thanks for great videos
Awesome hike! I always enjoy the first warm season hike of the year. question though, if he knew the trails were so hard to follow especially his second time through, why didn’t he use the GPS unit more often? Set way markers at certain intersections, and hike with it in hand in places like the ledge trail? Don’t follow it blindly but if your gunna carry the weight use it more then once every couple of hours or after you get lost. Might have saved you a couple miles of backtracking and a few hours so you could get enjoy that cheeseburger time