Rhododendron Fest! Roan Mountain on the Appalachian Trail, TN/NC

the trail running through tunnels of rhododendron in bloom. This has been called the most beautiful section of the Appalachian Trail, and based on what we saw last time, I can believe it. Given the length of the drive and the things to see, it would be good to leave the NYC area early- to mid-afternoon Thur., and drive to campsites in northern VA for Thur. night. I plan on camping at or near Raymond R. “Andy” Guest Jr./Shenandoah River State Park near Front Royal, VA. The online reservation for this is glitchy; I am in the process of resolving this. Fri. 6/24: on the way to Roan Mt. State Park in TN, let's stop and hike Dragon' Tooth and maybe McAfee Knob just west of Roanoke, VA on the drive down. These are short hikes, with parking nearby. Maybe 4-5 miles R/T for each of these. These are rock outcroppings along the AT overlooking a nice valley and the Alleghenies. We'll stay Fri. and Sat. nights at the tent sites of Roan Mountain State Park in the eastern tip of TN, just above the NC border. You don't have to make a full four days of it if you want; you can meet us at Roan SP. The cheaper tent sites are in the C section in the eastern part of the campground, where I'm at. RESERVE ASAP; the other sites are about twice as much. Links to park location, camp vicinity and campsite area below. There may be hiking group size restrictions, so we probably will hike in groups of 12 or less. You are free to hike on your own, but there won't be a sweep to collect you if you fall behind. There is only one ridgetop trail, though, so it shouldn't be easy to get lost. Sat. 6/25 we'll hike south to the western part of Roan Mountain. We'll park in the notch by the road, hike up and back E. and N. of the road on a dirt trail, then drive up and down the access road W. of the notch. There are short paved trails here, with great floral viewing. There is great flower peeping both sides of the notch. Bring food for cooking at the campsite for at least one evening -- probably Sat. -- and food and drinks for the actual hikes. I figure we'll have dinner and drinks at the nearby town (Johnson City and Elizabethton) if possible, or buy campfire food at a grocery store otherwise. Sun. 6/26: we'll hike the short but steep Grandfather Mt. in NC to the east of RMSP. There's a some great rock scrambling here. NOTE: we'll be in the state park covering the public N. and center of the mountain; you may also hike the smaller paid "attraction" on the S. end of the mt. if you wish. That afternoon we'll drive N. up the Blue Ridge Parkway, and camp Sun. night, probably at Smith Mt. Lake State Park. Mon. 6/27 we'll pack up tents in the morning and leave for the long drive back. I thought of seeing an historical site on the way back to stretch our legs, like James and Dolly Madison's old house in VA, Montpelier, or the 18th-C. buildings in New Castle, DE. If you still want more natural scenery, one or two waterfalls in the southern Blue Ridge may be an option. For a mix of historical and outdoor (flat) trails, smaller Civil War battlefields at Brandy Station and Cedar Mountain near Culpeper, VA offer hikes of a few miles. Be advised that the Southeastern coastal states can have some nutty summer thunderstorms, and that we might have to bail on hikes for this, especially in the mid-afternoon. Speaking of which, I'll be watching the weather AND WILL CANCEL a week ahead (all but $5 refundable within a few days of cancellation) if the weather looks bad for the weekend. Food for trail and campsiteTent, air mattress, ground sheetHeadlamp with batteriesClothes for warm AND cold weather -- the weather is mutableWet-weather jacket or coatGood hiking boots -- no sandals or running shoes, clogs, what have youBackpackLiquid -- at least 2 quarts per hike would be goodWater purification drops or filter system if you plan on drinking from outdoor water.

How to find us: Fri. night: Roan Mountain State Park campground HQ. Thur. night (if making the full trip) Shenandoah River State Park
350 Daughter of Stars Dr., Bentonville, VA 22610; Phone: 540-622-6840 (tentatively).