Any hiking Dopers on board?
I possibly have the opportunity to spend a few weeks in South Carolina next summer, and whilst I will be based in the Columbia area mostly, I’d like to see what my options could be for taking off for a week and undertaking a hike along part of the Appalachian Way.
I won’t have any more than a week to spare, and probably more like 5 days or so of walking realistically, allowing for travel to and from the starting point of the hike. A preliminary look at this part of the route shows me it doesn’t quite stretch into SC, but begins in Georgia and heads north through North Carolina and / or Tennessee.
Basically, my question is this: What would be the best, most interesting and picturesque stretch of the trail that falls within easy reach of Columbia, SC? The trail within the Great Smoky Mountains National park looks a likely contender, but knowing just about exactly nothing at this stage about the geography of the area I’d appreciate any information or feedback you could offer. Also, I can’t tell much about the scale on that map, so unsure how far a good five days hike will take us along, as that will depend on terrain and gradient etc…
Early days yet, but any help / comments or information you can share about this portion of the trail or the local area would be greatly received; thanks.