SPRUCE KNOB IS WEST VIRGINIA'S HIGHEST PEAK. PHOTO BY MALEE OOT
Go Deeper 5 Backpacking Trips for Beginners Ready to Explore BY MALEE OOT
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eady to make the leap from casual hiker to full-on backpacker? The Blue Ridge is full of accessible escapes that are just remote enough for first forays into backcountry overnights. From spruce groves in the mountains to isolated wetlands near the coast, here are a handful of beginner-friendly destinations with easy-to-follow routes and minimal elevation change.
Explore Alpine Meadows at West Virginia’s Spruce Knob-Seneca Creek Backcountry
Spread over the flanks of Spruce Mountain, a knobstudded ridgeline in West Virginia’s branch of the Allegheny Mountains, the Spruce Knob-Seneca Creek Backcountry is a wonderland for backpackers. Crowned by 4,863-foot Spruce Knob, the highest peak in the state, the stream-laced swath of backcountry is threaded with more than 60 miles of interconnected trails, winding through upland spruce groves, alpine meadows, and mixed hardwood forests of cherry, birch, and maple. Where to Go: For a bite-size taste of the backcountry, combine the Seneca Creek Trail and the Judy Springs Trail to craft an out-and-back loaded
with spectacular backcountry camping spots. Starting from the Seneca Creek Trailhead on Forest Road 112, about five miles south of Spruce Knob, follow the stream-hugging Seneca Creek Trail for 3.4 miles, until the footpath meets the Judy Springs Trail. Near the trail junction, there’s short spur trail to the rock-encased, natural spring, and then the 0.7-mile Judy Springs Trail peels away into a mountain meadow with plenty of serene spots to stake out for the night. After sunset, listen for the competing calls of barred owls and coyotes.
See the Stars at Sky Meadows State Park
Anchored by the remains of a colonial farm, Virginia’s Sky Meadows State Park preserves a patchwork of trail-threaded woodlands and pastures in the Crooked Run Valley, just east of the Blue Ridge. Designated an International Dark Sky Park last year, the protected area is an idyllic place to admire the cosmos—and a perfect trip for beginning backpackers. Open yearround, the park’s backcountry campground offers 15 individual campsites, spaced out enough to provide the woodsy mystique of a night in the backcountry. But, it’s
not quite roughing it. Water, firewood, and drop toilets are available for backpackers, and the campsites have picnic tables and fire-rings. Where to Go: From the overnight parking area, it’s only a mile to the backcountry campground, courtesy of a family-friendly trek along the Hadow Trail, through a meadow popular with eastern bluebirds and pipevine swallowtails. Longer loops are possible too. In total, the park offers 22 miles of trails, including a 2.3-mile stretch of the Appalachian Trail that winds along a leafy ridgeline tracing the protected area’s northern edge.
Search for Streams at South Mountains State Park
Situated in an ecologically rich transitional belt between the Carolina Piedmont and the Blue Ridge, North Carolina’s South Mountains State Park is a wonderland for new backpackers. The largest state park in North Carolina, the protected area is overshadowed by the knobby peaks of the South Mountains and laced with trout streams that tumble into waterfalls, all showcased along a 49-mile trail network. And, for backpackers, there are seven APRIL 2022 | BLUERIDGEOUTDOORS.COM
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