Join us for a group backpacking adventure through the stunning Roan Highlands, where you'll soak in panoramic vistas and traverse scenic rolling hills over 3 days and 16 miles. The timing of this trip is perfect for early fall color and less crowded trails during the week. Group tour means that you’ll meet other like-minded outdoor enthusiasts and step into the world of backpacking with ease.
Arrive in Hot Springs, NC in the afternoon or evening hours and meet your guides at their bunkhouse. Pack your things for tomorrow and have a good rest at the bunkhouse for the night.
You can also meet your guides in the morning of Day 1 if this suits you better.
No meals are included on this day.
Meet your guide and fellow hikers at 8am to start your trip! Your trip begins with a pack shakedown. Your guide will pass out your gear and food, teach you how to pack your backpack and go through what you’ve packed to make sure you don’t bring too many extra items. Around 10am, you’ll shuttle to the trailhead to start your hike (drive time is 1.5 hours). You’ll hike over Jane Bald and Grassy Ridge Bald before arriving at your campsite.
Meals: Lunch, dinner
Hiking: 3.5 mi
Elevation gain: 650 ft
Elevation loss: 1,100 ft
Wake up and break down camp. After a hearty breakfast, hike a short distance to your second campsite and set up camp, then continue hiking to Little Hump and Hump Mountain without your backpacks. After enjoying the view, return to your campsite.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Hiking: 2 mi with and 7 mi without backpacks
Elevation gain: 200 ft with and 1900 ft without backpacks
Elevation loss: 650 ft with and 1900 ft without backpacks
After breaking down camp and breakfast with a view, we’ll return to the trailhead via the AT. The shuttle will take us back to Hot Springs, NC. The hike generally finishes early afternoon on the last day.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch
Hiking: 5.5 mi
Elevation gain: 1,750 ft
Elevation loss: 850 ft
Itinerary is subject to change based on a variety of factors, including weather, trail conditions, and participants needs and abilities. Please inform our admin team ahead of time if you have a time constraint on the last day of your trip.
Included:
Not included:
Expect full days on trail—you’ll be active and moving consistently, with more mileage and elevation than a casual overnight. These trips reward you with classic mountain scenery and a real sense of accomplishment, but they ask something of you first. Previous camping or backpacking experience helps, but it’s not required.
For both itineraries, you can expect:
3-Day Roan Highlands Backpacking
Over three days, you’ll cover 19.5 miles (31.4 km), with up to 2,150 ft (655 m) of elevation gain on your biggest day. You should be comfortable walking 10 miles (16 km) over hilly or mountainous terrain, or 12 miles (19 km) on flat ground, while carrying a 25-30 lb (11.5-13.5 kg) pack the whole way.
3-Day Max Patch Backpacking
Over three days, you’ll cover 20 miles (32 km), with up to 1,350 ft (415 m) of elevation gain on your biggest day. You should be comfortable walking 13 miles (21 km) over hilly or mountainous terrain, or 16 miles (25.7 km) on flat ground.
Check the day-by-day itinerary for exact mileage and elevation on each day.
Equipment to bring:
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Group sizes and pricing
Min. age requirements
If your group has participants under the age of 18, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.
These trips are recommended for hikers age 14 and up. All hikers under 18 must be accompanied by a responsible adult.
Both the Roan Highlands and Max Patch itineraries are point-to-point backpacking trips with full daily mileage and elevation gain, so kids joining should already be comfortable hiking and carrying a pack.
Regardless of the itinerary you choose, the night prior to the hike is spent at the guide’s bunkhouse. This is a shared bunkhouse and a single occupancy room isn’t available.
However, you’ll spend 2 nights camping, and your guides are providing tents free of charge—you can either choose a single or a double tent! The default is a double tent, so just leave a note at checkout if you’d like to have a single one.
Regardless of the itinerary you choose, the starting point is the same—Hot Springs, NC. To get there, most people fly into the Asheville Regional Airport (AVL), 1 hour away. From there, you can rent a car or take a taxi to get to your meeting point.
You will meet your guide at their Appalachian Trail-er Bunkhouse (200 Lance Ave, Hot Springs, NC 28743). Make sure to arrive a day prior to the start of the adventure, and overnight at the bunkhouse.
Your guides provide the shuttle from Hot Springs to the trailhead as part of your trip, at no additional cost.
We highly recommend that you cover all your bases with insurance. To make your booking and traveling experience as carefree as possible, you’ll be offered to simply insure your trip with Redpoint at checkout.
Redpoint—the official 57hours insurance partner—tailors protection packages for adventure travel, offering a comprehensive travel program, even in remote locations! Trip cancellation, natural disasters, pandemic coverage, medical evacuation, primary medical expenses—regardless of the travel interruption that may happen, Redpoint will have you covered.