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Smoky Mountains Fireflies Backpacking Adventure

Itinerary
Smoky Mountains Fireflies Backpacking Adventure
Guide(s)
Adam Kampouris, Heidi Nisbett, Matt Dobson, Amy Hunsucker, Hannah Brock, Blue Ridge Hiking Company
Trip options

Booking for a group?
Reserve spots for 5 or more people, and get $12 off for each

Add-ons

Note down your height and weight for the backpack (and of other people that you’re booking for).

Your guides offer one-person or two-person tent rental free of charge! Let us know if you’re joining alone or with someone else, and what your preference would be.

All meals while on trail are included in the price of this trip. Special dietary requirements can be accommodated, please let us know down below if you have any.

Choose cancellation flexibility option

Things come up, and sometimes plans need to be changed. Check out our cancellation flexibility options.
57hours flexibility options
Deposits

When booking a trip, you can either pay for it in full or reserve your spot with a 30% deposit. The remaining 70% of the trip price is to be paid 90 days prior to departure, at the latest.

Cancellations

After 48 hours, booking fees are non-refundable in all cases. You can choose one of 57hours’ flexibility options:

Basic
  • In case of cancellation within 48 hours after booking, the amount paid is fully refundable.
  • For cancellations 60 or more days before the trip, you are eligible for a 70% refund of the trip price.
  • For cancellations 0-59 days before the trip, there is no refund.
  • Booking fees are non-refundable after 48 hours grace period.
Flexible
  • In case of cancellation within 48 hours after booking, the amount paid is fully refundable.
  • For cancellations 60 or more days before the trip, you are eligible for a full refund of the trip price.
  • For cancellations 30-59 days before the trip, you are eligible for a 50% refund of the trip price.
  • For cancellations 0-29 days before the trip, there is no refund.
  • Booking fees are non-refundable after 48 hours grace period.
Super Flexible
  • In case of cancellation within 48 hours after booking, the amount paid is fully refundable.
  • For cancellations 30 or more days before the trip, you are eligible for a full refund of the trip price.
  • For cancellations 0-29 days before the trip, you are eligible for a 50% refund of the trip price.
  • Booking fees are non-refundable after 48 hours grace period.
Smoky Mountains Fireflies Backpacking Adventure
Itinerary
Smoky Mountains Fireflies Backpacking Adventure
People
1 Person
Date(s)
--
Duration
2 day
Guide(s)
Adam Kampouris, Heidi Nisbett, Matt Dobson, Amy Hunsucker, Hannah Brock, Blue Ridge Hiking Company
Reserve deposit (30%) $0
Second Payment Amount: $0

  • The Great Smoky Mountains are renowned for its fauna and flora diversity, and it’s a terrific place to have your first overnight experience in the backcountry! Join us on this 2-day trip where we’ll take our time, enjoy the wilderness, and show you the ropes of life in the wild. We’ll go in May or June, when thousands of fireflies will lighten up the darkness of the forests, creating a true spectacle. We’ll secure the permits, organize trailhead transfers, all meals, and provide you with all the camping equipment you need.

    • We will meet at our shop in Asheville at 9am for a pack shakedown. The guide will pass out your gear and food, and teach you how to pack your backpack. Once all your gear is packed, you’ll move your vehicles to an overnight parking area, and then drive to the trailhead (1 to 2-hour drive) in our shuttle vehicle. From the trailhead, hike to the campsite along mostly wide and well-graded trails.

      Meals: Lunch and dinner
      Hiking: 2-4.5 miles / 3.2-7.2 km
      Elevation gain: 350-700 ft / 105-215 m
      Accommodation: One or two-person tents

      Hikers from the back in the Smoky Mountains

    • Pack up camp and hike back to the trailhead. Hike generally finishes mid-afternoon on the last day. 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.

      Meals: Lunch and dinner
      Hiking: 2-4.5 miles / 3.2-7.2 km
      Elevation gain: 350-700 ft / 105-215 m
      Accommodation: One or two-person tents

      Happy hikers in the Smoky Mountains

    • Itinerary is subject to change depending on campsite availability and the securing of permits. Itineraries will be finalized 25 days at the latest before the trip departure.

    • What you get on this adventure:

        • An experienced, local hiking guide with extensive knowledge of the area
        • 2-day Smoky Mountains backpacking trip
        • Backpacking gear
          • Backpacks (lightweight 60L packs)
          • Tents (either a one-person tent or a two-person tent if you’re sharing with a partner or a friend)
          • Sleeping bag (20-degree synthetic sleeping bag with sleeping bag liners)
          • Sleeping pad (closed-cell foam pad—excellent combination of weight and durability)
          • Trekking poles
        • Community gear (water filters, camping stoves and fuel, bowls, utensils and cups; trowels, toilet paper, and hand sanitizer; first aid kit; navigational aids)
        • Food while you’re on trail, from lunch on Day 1 to lunch on Day 2
        • Transportation between the meetup location and the trailhead
        • All necessary backcountry permits

      What’s not included:

        • Transportation to/from Asheville, NC
        • Personal items (clothing, shoes, headlamp, water bottles…)
        • Inflatable sleeping pads — available for an additional fee
        • Guide gratuities — optional
        • Travel and medical insurance — optional

    • This Smoky Mountains backpacking trip is ideally suited for hikers who have good fitness. This means that you’re active 3-5 times a week (like walking for 30 minutes) or you’re someone who works an active job.

      This is a beginner-friendly trip, meaning that hikers don’t need any specific hiking or backpacking experience. Over 2 days, you will hike between 4 and 9 miles (6.5-14.5 km).

    • You will receive a detailed packing list for this Smoky Mountains backpacking trip a few weeks before the trip, but here’s a good overview of what you need to bring:

        • Comfortable hiking clothing (synthetic or wool rather than cotton)
        • Comfortable trail shoes (better than heavy hiking boots)
        • Water bottle or hydration bladder (2L capacity)
        • Spare clothes for layering
        • Waterproof rain jacket
        • Beanie and lightweight gloves
        • Personal medication
        • Toiletries (sunscreen, hand sanitizer, bug spray, etc.)
        • Headlamp or flashlight — MUST have a red light function to use after dark so as not to disturb the fireflies
        • Inflatable pillow — available to purchase at a discounted rate
        • Stuff sacks — available to purchase at a discounted rate
        • Backpacking chair or sit pad — optional, to use while watching the fireflies
        • Sunglasses
        • Camera — optional (but recommended)

      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!

    • Group sizes and pricing

        • For this Smoky Mountains backpacking trip, the usual client-to-guide ratio is 6:1.
        • It takes a minimum of 2 people for this tour to operate. The maximum group size is set at 5 participants for group tours.
        • Private trips are offered year-round.
        • The tour is confirmed at the latest 25 days prior to the departure date (this is when backcountry permits are sorted). The trip is bookable up to two weeks before the departure date.

      Smoky Mountains backpacking trips can be arranged for larger groups. Contact us to make arrangements.

      Min. age requirements

        • If you are older than 18, you’re good to go.
        • Minors older than 13 may be permitted to join the Smoky Mountains backpacking trip on a case-by-case basis, but must be in the presence of a parent or legal guardian.
        • Families with kids younger than mid-teens are encouraged to book a private trip.

      If your group has hikers under the age of 18, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.

    • To get to your Smoky Mountains backpacking trip, you first have to get to Asheville, NC. To get there, most people fly into Asheville Airport (AVL).

      You’ll meet your guides at 9am at their shop (Blue Ridge Hiking Company (70 College Street, Asheville, NC 28801). If you’re flying in, make sure to do so at least a day earlier, since you’ll be starting your trip at 9am on Day 1.

    • We highly recommend that you cover all your bases with both emergency medical and travel insurance. To make your booking and traveling experience as carefree as possible, we partnered up with Redpoint—the official 57hours insurance partner!

      Redpoint tailors their insurance 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.

      Once your booking is confirmed and your trip is paid in full, you will be offered to purchase Redpoint’s insurance. If you need any help or require more information, let us know and we will be happy to help!

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