20 - APPALACHIAN TRAIL - NORTH CAROLINA - Sección 1.3 - Great Smoky Mountains - Newfound Gap a Pecks Corner Shelter
Trail photos
Author
Trail stats
- Distance
- 10.88 mi
- Elevation gain
- 2,516 ft
- Technical difficulty
- Moderate
- Elevation loss
- 2,313 ft
- Max elevation
- 6,158 ft
- TrailRank
-
99
5
- Min elevation
- 5,036 ft
- Trail type
- One Way
- Time
- 6 hours 42 minutes
- Coordinates
- 1578
- Uploaded
- October 18, 2016
- Recorded
- October 2016
near Fort Harry, Tennessee (United States)
Viewed 3287 times, downloaded 42 times
Trail photos
Itinerary description
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stage 20
⇐ Link to previous stage: 19 - APPALACHIAN TRAIL - NORTH CAROLINA - Section 2.1 - Great Smoky Mountains - Double Spring Gap Shelter to Newfound Gap
⇒ Link to the next stage: 21 - APPALACHIAN TRAIL - NORTH CAROLINA - Section 1.2 - Great Smoky Mountains - From Pecks Corner Shelter to Cosby Knob Shelter
⇒ Link to the complete itinerary in North Carolina: 257.5 km - Appalachian Trail in the State of North Carolina (complete itinerary)
Tour of the Appalachian Trail , as it passes through the states of North Carolina and Tennessee (United States), from south to north, through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park , which With its 2,108 square kilometers (a surface larger than that of the entire province of Guipúzcoa, and very similar to that of the entire province of Vizcaya, in Spain), it represents one of the largest protected areas in the eastern United States, and was declared a Biosphere Reserve by Unesco (1976) and a World Heritage Site (1983).
The Appalachian Trail runs through this great National Park, along about 115 km, between the Little Tennessee River, at Fontana Dam, and Davenport, being necessary to complete this route, from six to seven days of walking, with very few options for Departure for provisioning in towns close to the route.
To spend the night in the park it is mandatory to do so in the existing shelters, with prior reservation, obtaining in advance a permit issued by the National Park Service. Camping is only allowed for ¨thru hikers¨, also under prior permission and certain restrictions.
Today's stage, between the Newfound Gap and the Pecks Corner Shelter , corresponds to section 1.3 of the trail, according to the official distribution of stages in Georgia and North Carolina, although it is also identified in the official guides as section 17.3 of North Carolina and Tennessee.
This duplicity is due to the difficulty in determining through which state the Appalachian Trail runs in this border area between North Carolina and Tennessee, since most of the route through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park precisely follows the dividing line between both states, by the crest of the mountain range.
The Newfound Gap , is located at the intersection of the AT with the US-441 route (the only road that crosses the National Park, and that allows access by road to its central area, from the very touristy and well-stocked town of Gatlinburg, TN , located 15 miles to the northwest).
Start of the trail, at Newfound Gap
Road map of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Source: National Park Service
Following that same road, but to the southeast, about 19 miles from the Newfound Gap, is the town of Cherokee (North Carolina) , inside The Qualla Boundary , at the entrance of which there is a large sign of the Department of the Interior of the US, which briefly summarizes the deportation suffered in the 19th century by the Cherokee Indian tribe, whose territory extended as far as what is now Tennessee and northern Georgia.
The sign reads: “Cherokee rule once extended far beyond the distant mountains, but the white man, with broken treaties and fruitless promises, brought trouble on the Indians and caused their banishment to an Oklahoma reservation. A few escaped capture and fled into the Great Smoky Mountains, eventually forming the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians who now live on the Qualla Reservation in the valley below."
Sure enough, in 1838 nearly 14,000 Eastern Cherokees were taken from their homes and forced to travel west to Oklahoma and Arkansas. During this six-month journey, known as the "Trail of Tears," more than 4,000 Cherokees died from exposure, disease, cold, and starvation.
This stage, which runs through the historical territory of the Cherokee, is one of the most beautiful of the entire Appalachian Trail, and the itinerary passes, among other outstanding places, Mount Ambler (1,865 m.) and by the rocky cliff Charlies Bunion (1,689 m.) , which offers a spectacular panorama towards Mt. LeConte (to the west) and towards the surrounding valleys.
Charlies Bunion and Panning
From Charlies Bunion, the number of walkers on the route decreases considerably, as the ease of access by road to Newfound Gap means that many visitors are encouraged to walk only the 7 km. of the section of path between the pass and Charlies Bunion, so that after this popular natural viewpoint, the itinerary becomes more solitary and quiet, with a very well laid out and pleasant path, which in many sections follows the edge of the ridge that separates Tennessee and North Carolina, with gorgeous views in all directions, but especially to the south.
Path carved into the rock, with pick and shovel
Beautiful view towards North Carolina, by the border edge
The stage concludes at the Pecks Corner Shelter, a refuge located 700 meters from an AT detour, following the path of the Hughes Ridge Trail .
Pecks Corner Shelter
PPI Index: 96 HKG
Total distance: 17.42 km
Desn. cumulative ascent: 782.96 m
Desn. cumulative descent: 705.34 m
Maximum height: 1857.68 m
Minimum height: 1536.1 m
Total time: 6:42:38 h
Moving time: 5:24:05 h
Stopped time: 1:18:33 h
Total average speed: 2.6 km/h
Average moving speed: 3.23 km/h
IBP index. IBP index is an automatic assessment system that rates the difficulty of a route traveled
⇐ Link to previous stage: 19 - APPALACHIAN TRAIL - NORTH CAROLINA - Section 2.1 - Great Smoky Mountains - Double Spring Gap Shelter to Newfound Gap
⇒ Link to the next stage: 21 - APPALACHIAN TRAIL - NORTH CAROLINA - Section 1.2 - Great Smoky Mountains - From Pecks Corner Shelter to Cosby Knob Shelter
⇒ Link to the complete itinerary in North Carolina: 257.5 km - Appalachian Trail in the State of North Carolina (complete itinerary)
Tour of the Appalachian Trail , as it passes through the states of North Carolina and Tennessee (United States), from south to north, through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park , which With its 2,108 square kilometers (a surface larger than that of the entire province of Guipúzcoa, and very similar to that of the entire province of Vizcaya, in Spain), it represents one of the largest protected areas in the eastern United States, and was declared a Biosphere Reserve by Unesco (1976) and a World Heritage Site (1983).
The Appalachian Trail runs through this great National Park, along about 115 km, between the Little Tennessee River, at Fontana Dam, and Davenport, being necessary to complete this route, from six to seven days of walking, with very few options for Departure for provisioning in towns close to the route.
To spend the night in the park it is mandatory to do so in the existing shelters, with prior reservation, obtaining in advance a permit issued by the National Park Service. Camping is only allowed for ¨thru hikers¨, also under prior permission and certain restrictions.
Today's stage, between the Newfound Gap and the Pecks Corner Shelter , corresponds to section 1.3 of the trail, according to the official distribution of stages in Georgia and North Carolina, although it is also identified in the official guides as section 17.3 of North Carolina and Tennessee.
This duplicity is due to the difficulty in determining through which state the Appalachian Trail runs in this border area between North Carolina and Tennessee, since most of the route through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park precisely follows the dividing line between both states, by the crest of the mountain range.
The Newfound Gap , is located at the intersection of the AT with the US-441 route (the only road that crosses the National Park, and that allows access by road to its central area, from the very touristy and well-stocked town of Gatlinburg, TN , located 15 miles to the northwest).
Start of the trail, at Newfound Gap
Road map of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Source: National Park Service
Following that same road, but to the southeast, about 19 miles from the Newfound Gap, is the town of Cherokee (North Carolina) , inside The Qualla Boundary , at the entrance of which there is a large sign of the Department of the Interior of the US, which briefly summarizes the deportation suffered in the 19th century by the Cherokee Indian tribe, whose territory extended as far as what is now Tennessee and northern Georgia.
The sign reads: “Cherokee rule once extended far beyond the distant mountains, but the white man, with broken treaties and fruitless promises, brought trouble on the Indians and caused their banishment to an Oklahoma reservation. A few escaped capture and fled into the Great Smoky Mountains, eventually forming the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians who now live on the Qualla Reservation in the valley below."
Sure enough, in 1838 nearly 14,000 Eastern Cherokees were taken from their homes and forced to travel west to Oklahoma and Arkansas. During this six-month journey, known as the "Trail of Tears," more than 4,000 Cherokees died from exposure, disease, cold, and starvation.
This stage, which runs through the historical territory of the Cherokee, is one of the most beautiful of the entire Appalachian Trail, and the itinerary passes, among other outstanding places, Mount Ambler (1,865 m.) and by the rocky cliff Charlies Bunion (1,689 m.) , which offers a spectacular panorama towards Mt. LeConte (to the west) and towards the surrounding valleys.
Charlies Bunion and Panning
From Charlies Bunion, the number of walkers on the route decreases considerably, as the ease of access by road to Newfound Gap means that many visitors are encouraged to walk only the 7 km. of the section of path between the pass and Charlies Bunion, so that after this popular natural viewpoint, the itinerary becomes more solitary and quiet, with a very well laid out and pleasant path, which in many sections follows the edge of the ridge that separates Tennessee and North Carolina, with gorgeous views in all directions, but especially to the south.
Path carved into the rock, with pick and shovel
Beautiful view towards North Carolina, by the border edge
The stage concludes at the Pecks Corner Shelter, a refuge located 700 meters from an AT detour, following the path of the Hughes Ridge Trail .
Pecks Corner Shelter
PPI Index: 96 HKG
Total distance: 17.42 km
Desn. cumulative ascent: 782.96 m
Desn. cumulative descent: 705.34 m
Maximum height: 1857.68 m
Minimum height: 1536.1 m
Total time: 6:42:38 h
Moving time: 5:24:05 h
Stopped time: 1:18:33 h
Total average speed: 2.6 km/h
Average moving speed: 3.23 km/h
IBP index. IBP index is an automatic assessment system that rates the difficulty of a route traveled
Waypoints
Photo
5,633 ft
Subida ancha y gradual con vistas laterales
Subida ancha y gradual con vistas laterales
Panorama
5,900 ft
Vista desde una pequeña cima intermedia, antes del Mt. Ambler
Vista desde una pequeña cima intermedia, antes del Mt. Ambler
Intersection
5,866 ft
Intersección del AT con el Sweat Heifer Creek Trail / Kephart Prong Trail
Intersection of the AT with the Sweat Heifer Creek Trail / Kephart Prong Trail
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Wilderness hut
5,939 ft
Icewather Spring Shelter, a escasa distancia de la cima del Mt. Khephart
Icewather Spring Shelter, a escasa distancia de la cima del Mt. Khephart
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Panorama
5,358 ft
Dry Sluice Gap. Vista montaña rocosa y sendero más estrecho y menos concurrido
Dry Sluice Gap. Rocky mountain view and narrowest and least crowded trail
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Panorama
5,763 ft
Preciosa vista hacia North Carolina, por el filo fronterizo
Preciosa vista hacia North Carolina, por el filo fronterizo
Panorama
5,488 ft
Roca y vistas hacia North Carolina, en la cresta
Roca y vistas hacia North Carolina, en la cresta
Photo
5,330 ft
Sendero excavado en la roca, con pico y pala
Sendero excavado en la roca, con pico y pala
Intersection
5,573 ft
Desvío al Pecks Corner Shelter, siguiendo el Hughes Ridge Trail
Desvío al Pecks Corner Shelter, siguiendo el Hughes Ridge Trail
Comments (9)
You can add a comment or review this trail
Hola Pablo, que bueno que nos sigas ilustrando con este magnifico sendero, ahora en esta época y con un sin fin de colores. Seguro que el disfrute es alto, ya que tu fuerza mental también lo es. Un Abrazo.
Una passssssaaaaadaaaaaa !!!! https://es.wikiloc.com/rutas-outdoor/20-appalachian-trail-north-carolina-seccion-1-3-great-smoky-mountains-newfound-gap-a-pecks-corner-s-15161592#wp-15161600/photo-9430227
Me encanta .... https://es.wikiloc.com/rutas-outdoor/20-appalachian-trail-north-carolina-seccion-1-3-great-smoky-mountains-newfound-gap-a-pecks-corner-s-15161592#wp-15161603/photo-9430263
Majestuosa vista https://es.wikiloc.com/rutas-outdoor/20-appalachian-trail-north-carolina-seccion-1-3-great-smoky-mountains-newfound-gap-a-pecks-corner-s-15161592#wp-15161604/photo-9430316
Un sosiego donde perderse https://es.wikiloc.com/rutas-outdoor/20-appalachian-trail-north-carolina-seccion-1-3-great-smoky-mountains-newfound-gap-a-pecks-corner-s-15161592#wp-15161598/photo-9430135
Para que agobiarse ..... https://es.wikiloc.com/rutas-outdoor/20-appalachian-trail-north-carolina-seccion-1-3-great-smoky-mountains-newfound-gap-a-pecks-corner-s-15161592#wp-15161612/photo-9430168
Muchísimas gracias.
Tu apoyo y el de otros montañeros que de vez en cuando me escriben, es un gran aliciente para avanzar esta pequeña/gran aventura.
Precisamente, este próximo fin de semana, espero poder terminar las últimas etapas en el estado de Vermont (otro estado más que terminamos, .... y van 9, de los 14 estados que atraviesa el sendero), y a la marcha de dos días se ha apuntado también otro montañero español que nos conoció a través de wikiloc, y que se ha animado a aprovechar su visita a Nueva York para recorrer juntos estos últimos 40 km. del Appalachian Trail en Vermont.
Un gran abrazo.
Hola Pablo, muchas gracias por compartir tan estupenda aventura. Estoy preparando un sector de la ruta, no pretendo hacerla entera ni mucho menos, sólo unos 600 km, y me gustaría poder comunicar contigo para resolver algunas dudas, si no es abusar de tu amabilidad. Estoy preparándolo todo para el próximo mes de Julio 2017.
Gracias otra vez y un fuerte abrazo,
Rodrigo.
Very nice trail!