3 days of Solo Backpacking, Hiking & Tent Camping on a section of the Appalachian Trail in Virginia’s Grayson Highlands.

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For this 3 day, 2 night backpacking trip, I headed out for some hiking and solo camping in the Lewis Fork Wilderness and Mt Rogers National Recreation Area, within the larger George Washington and Jefferson National Forest.

More trail info & GPS data
https://www.sintax77.com/camping-with...

With an emphasis on exploring the wild pony grazing areas surrounding Pine Mountain rather than grinding out mileage, I created a modest loop by combining a portion of the Appalachian Trail with the Virginia Highlands Trail. This gave me a super laid route with my campsites for the first and second nights located in the same general area, separated by less than a couple of miles.

I had a backup plan to do a larger 22 mile loop similar to the one I did in this area a few years back, but I knew from that trip that there was a good possibility I would want to slow things down and soak in the sights around Pine Mountain. Overall, I was very happy with my choice, but there are many more spots to explore if you’re planning your own trip. Here’s my previous larger loop    • Hiking the Grayson Highlands - Solo B...  

The Grayson Highlands are known for high winds & unpredictable, rapidly changing weather, but luckily for me, the mid September forecast called for an ideal temperature range of 55 to 80 degrees. This allowed me to use an ultralight backpacking setup with minimal extra clothing and gear. My shelter for this trip was my Outdoor Vitals 1p tent in “fast and light” mode – which just means that I left the main tent body with bugnet at home and set it up using only the tent fly, poles and ground cloth.

Trailhead: Elk Garden 36°38'46.7"N 81°34'59.0"W

No fee or permit required for parking or backcountry camping. Hike begins on the other side of the road.

Trails Day 1

Appalachian Trail North (white blazes)
Setup camp about 200 yards before the Thomas Knob Shelter.
I set up my tent on the ridge in a medium sized clearing with an established fire pit right near the boundary sign for Jefferson National Forest. There are many other established camping spots for tents or hammocks in the woods on the other side of the trail leading up to the shelter. A reliable piped spring is 150 yards behind the shelter. A bear box for food storage is nearby as well.

Day 1 Mileage: 4.3 miles
Day 1 Gross Elevation Gain: 1,487'
Day 1 Gross Descent: 550'

Trails Day 2

Continue on the Appalachian Trail North
Right (south) on Crest Trail
Setup Camp near the intersection of Crest Trail and Rhododendron Gap Trail
A large campsite with amazing views, a campfire pit, a nearby bear box, and water source. Follow the spur trail in front of the campsite downhill and past the metal gate to the creek.

Day 2 Mileage: 1.6 miles
Day 2 Elevation Gain: 313'
Day 2 Gross Descent: 329'

Trails Day 3

Southwest on Crest Trail
Right (northwest) on Virginia Highlands Horse Trail
In the video I mentioned a possible creek crossing, but it's best to just refill water at camp.
Return to the Elk Garden Trailhead

Day 3 Mileage: 4.7 miles
Day 3 Elevation Gain: 234'
Day 3 Gross Descent: 1,152'

Trip Total Mileage: 10.6 miles
Trip Total Elevation Gain: 2,034'

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

Mt Rogers High Country Map https://amzn.to/3ovxrNI
ULA Ohm 2.0 Backpack https://www.ula-equipment.com/product...
Dutchware Pack Cover https://dutchwaregear.com/product/wat...
Outdoor Vitals 1p Tent http://bit.ly/2WHh940
Hammock Gear Burrow 40 Top Quilt https://www.hammockgear.com/premium-b...
Unigear Sleeping Pad https://amzn.to/2Nu3nvV
DIY Cat Can Alcohol Stove
Light My Fire Mini Fire Steel Striker https://amzn.to/30S3rxm
Toaks 750ml Titanium Pot https://amzn.to/2GR7AJX
Vargo Windscreen https://amzn.to/2M3uRuG
Sea to Summit Long Handled Spork https://go.magik.ly/ml/v9xv/
Potable Aqua Water Purification Tablets with PA Plus https://amzn.to/3uYZ1TP
RevolutionRace GP Pants https://amzn.to/3Daldz8
RevolutionRace Campfire Shirt https://bit.ly/RRPLAYGROUND
La Sportiva Wildcat Trail Running Shoes https://amzn.to/3hyKrMi
Nitecore NU25 Headlamp https://amzn.to/2YVsp0A
Benchmade Bugout EDC Folding Knife https://amzn.to/2JVfBS5
Casio ProTrek F-30 Smartwatch https://amzn.to/3dtY7Xj
Spot X Satellite Messenger https://amzn.to/3adSjBr
Packit Gourmet Backpacking Meals https://www.packitgourmet.com/
Korean Coffee Sticks https://amzn.to/2VXijcS

Camera Gear

GoPro Hero 8 Black https://amzn.to/2D8n6lL
GoPro Shorty Tripod Grip https://amzn.to/2MPhGOM