Explore a section of the Appalachian Trail with a group of your peers and an experienced guide! Your days will be filled with exploring interesting sites on the trail, and nights will be spent around the campfire and under the stars. Backpacking at Max Patch will show you the beauty of the A.T. and maybe even give you the motivation to do a longer hike. With each mile, you’ll feel more confident and get a more refined sense of self than you had before!
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 9am to start your trip! Your trip begins with a pack shakedown. Your guide will pass out your gear and food, and will teach you how to pack your backpack and will go through what you’ve packed to make sure you don’t bring too many extra items. Around 11am, you’ll shuttle to the trailhead to start your hike (drive time is 1 hour). You’ll hike to Max Patch for lunch, then continue to your campsite at Walnut Mountain.
Meals: Lunch, dinner
Hiking: 7 mi/ 6 km
Elevation gain: 1,000 ft/ 305 m
Elevation loss: 1,100 ft/ 335 m
Wake up and break camp. Day 2 covers mostly rolling terrain, with a couple of challenging climbs throughout the day (up Bluff Mountain and Deer Park Mountain).
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Hiking: 10 mi/ 16 km
Elevation gain: 1,350 ft/ 415 m
Elevation loss: 3,300 ft/ 415 m
Wake up and break camp. Start your hike with a short uphill section, then descend into the town of Hot Springs. Hike generally finishes early in the afternoon on the last day.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch
Hiking: 3 mi/ 5 km
Elevation gain: 400 ft/ 121 m
Elevation loss: 1,400 ft/ 430 m
Itinerary is subject to change based on a variety of factors, including weather, trail conditions, and participants needs and abilities. Please inform us ahead of time if you have a time constraint on the last day of your trip.
What you get on this adventure:
What’s not included:
This 3-day, 20-mile backpacking trip is ideally suited for hikers with good fitness levels and no prior backpacking experience. However, all hikers should have prior hiking experience and be comfortable enough on trail that they can hike for up to an hour on their own. Hikers using all of the gear typically carry approximately 25-30 lbs/ 11.5-13.5 kg, including food and water.
Hikers should be active 3-5 times per week (eg. walking 30 minutes). This is similar to someone who works an active job (eg. retail work or construction).
Your guide will send you a detailed list of everything you’ll need a few weeks before the trip.
Here’s a list of things your guide can provide at no additional cost:
We will ask for your height and weight in order to fit the pack appropriately to you. Please let us know if you’d like to bring your own gear.
Here’s a list of the equipment you need to bring:
Dress comfortably and for the weather in clothes you can move in. Please pack synthetic or wool athletic clothing rather than cotton. Cotton does not dry quickly and will not keep you warm when wet. For most trips you will need only one outfit to hike in and one outfit to sleep in.
You will not need a new set of clean clothes for each day, make-up, hair products, scented products or deodorant. Just bring a toothbrush and toothpaste and enjoy going all natural for the trip!
Hikers are able to choose their meals and snacks from an assortment of trail-friendly options. That way, each hiker gets the types and amount of food that best suit their needs and preferences. Exact menu options vary throughout the season, but generally consist of the following:
Most dietary restrictions can be accommodated with advanced notice.
Lodging is provided at the guides’ bunkhouse on the Appalachian Trail. The bunkhouse can accommodate up to 10 hikers in 2 bunkrooms (one sleeps 6, the other sleeps 4). There are 2 full bathrooms. Additionally, all guests have access to our common areas – a living room, kitchen and dining room, and large front porch.
WiFi access, linens, and morning coffee/tea are provided for all overnight guests. The bunkhouse has a live-in caretaker.
Group sizes and pricing
Min. age requirements
All tours for women will be guided by female guides.
Our all-women’s hiking trips are about comraderie, teamwork, feminine energy, and great conversations under starry skies. All these pieces come together to create profound, encouraging, and transformative adventures in some of the most impressive natural destinations in the world, led by some of the best women guides in the business.
This hike includes several exposed balds, so weather can change quickly, and can be up to 20 degrees cooler than in Asheville, NC. June and September are the best times to visit, for the summer rhododendron blooms and fall foliage.
This hike will happen 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 lbs/ 11.5 kg (or no more than 25% of your body weight).
To get to Hot Springs, NC, most people fly into the Asheville Regional Airport, 1 hour away. From there, you can rent a car or take a shuttle service to get to your meeting point.
You will meet your guide at Blue Ridge Hiking Company’s Appalachian Trail-er Bunkhouse (200 Lance Ave, Hot Springs, NC 28743). The guide will choose the appropriate terrain and your adventure is ready to begin.
We highly recommend that you cover all your bases with both emergency medical and travel insurance.
With medical insurance, if you have an accident or medical emergency on or off the mountain, you’ll avoid paying out of pocket for costly expenses. This covers everything from hospital treatments to emergency air transportation and more. Travel insurance covers canceled flights, natural disasters and other scenarios that may interrupt your travel plans.
We also expect clients to respect local regulations and take measures to protect themselves, guides and the communities they’re traveling to. For more information on tourism and safety on the Appalachian Trail, please refer to the official website of the State of North Carolina.
If you need assistance selecting the right insurance for your group, let us know and we will be happy to help!