Lost in Linville Gorge - 3 Days of Hammock Camping in the Rain

3 days of Hammock Camping in the Rain & Solo Ultralight Backpacking in the Linville Gorge Wilderness.

For this backpacking trip, I headed down to North Carolina's Pisgah National Forest for some hammock camping along the Linville River. The particular section of river I chose was surrounded by the Linville Gorge, the upper ridges of which stand an average of 1,400 feet above the river banks below. This terrain, combined with a dense network of unofficial trails without signage or switchbacks, and often uncrossable river, can make for some rather challenging and exciting hiking. Add in a forecast of fog and hiking in the rain, and you've got yourself a recipe for some true southern outdoors adventure.

For an easier read, check out my full blog post:
https://www.sintax77.com/lost-in-linv...

Despite the rain, my mid-June temp range for this trip was relatively warm at 70° - 48° or so. This allowed me to get my backpack's base weight down to around 9 lbs by leaving my puffy jacket, base layers, warmer hat, gloves etc at home. I simply packed a long sleeve shirt and a buff and used my rain gear for supplemental warmth at camp.

I went with a fairly minimalist hammock camping setup for this trip. There are plenty of trees and fun unofficial campsite gems to be found in the Gorge that make ideal for hammocks. Water is obviously of minimal concern for the lower regions of the gorge. This allows you to save some weight on trails in those sections, but make sure to stock up when your route heads up towards the ridge. Especially if you're looking to camp in one the beautiful ridge side campsites up there. The extra planning and water weight is well worth the views.

If planning your own trip, I would highly recommend visiting www.LinvilleGorge.net for maps, info and extensive GPS data including official and unofficial trails, campsites, water sources, etc. I did make an overlay map image that can be found on my blog post above.

https://teespring.com/stores/sintax77...

Trailhead Used: Linville Falls Visitor Center

Trails Used, Day 1:

Plunge Basin Trail
Yoricks Trail
Gulf Contour Trail
Gulf Ridge Trail
Gulf Ridge Connector Trail
Hill Trail
Red North Trail
Brushy Ridge Trail
Spur trail to Reference Rock for a view of the gorge
Red South Trail
Devils Cliff Trail
Jonas Ridge Trail
Hawksbill Trail
Setup camp on the summit of Hawksbill Mountain
This is a dry campsite. I saw a few campsites with room for a couple tents or hammocks in each one.

Day 1 Mileage: 11 miles
Day 1 Gross Elevation Gain: 3,613 feet

Trails Used, Day 2:

Ledge Trail
Backtrack to Red South Trail
Camp near the intersection of Red South and Brushy Ridge Trail

Day 2 Mileage: 6.4 miles
Day 2 Gross Elevation Gain: 2,613 feet

Day 3:

Continue to backtrack towards Linville Falls

Day 3 Mileage: 5.1 miles
Day 3 Gross Elevation Gain: 1,109 feet

Grand Total Mileage: 22.5 Miles
Grand Total Gross Elevation Gain: 7,335 feet

Notable Backpacking Gear:

Gregory Optic 48 Backpack, medium https://amzn.to/2zX0DGx
Dutchware Gear Half-Wit Hammock https://dutchwaregear.com/product/hal...
Simply Light Designs Trail Winder Underquilt / Underquilt Protector https://simplylightdesigns.com/collec...
Hammock Gear Burrow 40 Top Quilt https://www.hammockgear.com/premium-b...
Hammock Gear Dyneema Hex Tarp https://www.hammockgear.com/dyneema-f...
DIY Cat Can Alcohol Stove https://amzn.to/2M3uRuG
Vargo Windscreen Pot Stand https://amzn.to/2M3uRuG
Toaks 750ml Titanium Pot https://amzn.to/2GR7AJX
Sea to Summit Long Handled Spork https://go.magik.ly/ml/v9xv/
Katadyn BeFree Water Filter https://amzn.to/2WcjfYZ
Outdoor Research Helium III Rain Jacket https://amzn.to/2BiSnB1
Outdoor Research Helium III Rain Pants https://amzn.to/2MkuI5F
Outdoor Vitals Satu Adventure Pants https://satu-adventure-pants-comfort....
Outdoor Vitals Adventure Jacket, Loftek version http://bit.ly/2WHh940
Buff head wrap https://amzn.to/2NZoQ2y
Adidas Terrex Swift R2 GTX Hiking Shoes https://amzn.to/2VUJ7KW
Wright Socks (I love these for blister prevention, particularly in wet conditions). https://amzn.to/2XqbOSP
Dutchware Sit Pad https://dutchwaregear.com/product/fol...
Nitecore NU25 Headlamp https://amzn.to/2YVsp0A
Garmin Oregon 650 GPS unit https://amzn.to/2WFzsps
Spot Gen3 GPS Messenger & SOS device https://amzn.to/2EJLQhC
Casio ProTrek FR-30 Smartwatch https://amzn.to/3dtY7Xj
Peak 2 Backpacking Meals (my fave was the Chicken Alredo) https://amzn.to/38CdYAV
Mountain House Granola Breakfast https://amzn.to/2ZK95Sx
Korean Coffee Sticks https://amzn.to/2VXijcS
Oria Digital Thermometer https://amzn.to/3dqi54M

FTC Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission for purchases made through some of my links.

Free Stickers
https://www.sintax77.com/free-stickers/