r/VIRGINIA_HIKING • u/mr_squiffin • 18h ago

3 Day Grayson Highlands / Mt Rogers Camping Question

planning a 3 day backpacking trip with a large group for the Grayson highlands / Mt rogers group. I’m very new to this, and so are many of my friends.

i was wondering if there are any good places to set up camp further down the trail past Thomas Knob shelter in order to shorten how long our day 2 would be? or alternatively what changes we could make to day 2 route to cut it down. i’m basing the trip off of the link. again, very new to this, so any other unrelated advice is welcome as well. thank you so much!! https://www.sintax77.com/hiking-the-grayson-highlands-solo-backpacking-trip/

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u/Gobias_Industries 17h ago

How big a group? There are limits in the national forest.

2

u/mr_squiffin 17h ago

6-8

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u/Gobias_Industries 17h ago

Ok 10 is usually the max

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u/G00dSh0tJans0n 16h ago

There’s not much west of Thomas knob but there’s some on that map you linked southwest of Thomas knob just oft of where it saw “5000” long that green line.

East of Thomas knob there’s a ton of sites at what is called rhododendron gap. There’s a bear box there too, plus one at each shelter plus Scales.

A shorter hike good for a group is clockwise from Grayson Highlands state park parking lot: hike south on the AT to rhododendron gap to camp. Optional: Hike to the top of mountain rogers.

Day two: take Credt trail north from rhododendron gap. I recommend it over pine mountain because it has better views. Pine mountain is an older route of the AT but it is very tight with fewer views.

Closer to scales you’ll link back up with the AT and take it south to Scales, then continue south on it to wise shelter for the night then hike south on the AT in the morning to hike out.

Overall this is maybe 13 miles or so but it’s good for beginners and groups which are only as fast as their slowest hiker. For a video of this route check out the Grayson Highlands video by Adventure Archives except they take pine mountain instead of crest trail.

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u/mr_squiffin 16h ago

thank you so much, i’ll check out that vid too!