The Shining Rock Wilderness Trek

“Beginner to Intermediate”

Wilderness areas were established because of this area and Shining Rock is the largest Wilderness area in North Carolina.  Many mountains in the Wilderness exceed 5,000 feet and several peaks exceed 6,000 feet. The Shining Rock Ledge is the backbone of this area. The Shining Rock Wilderness Trek is a four day backpacking trek through this magnificent wilderness. The trek hikes out of base camp either Sunday evening or Monday morning and hikes back into camp on Thursday evening. Friday is spent whitewater rafting on the Nantahala River. The trek covers 30 - 40 miles of trail. There are a number of possible routes for the trek and each route offers a combination of different highlights. Every trek includes a visit to Shining Rock (elevation 6,010 ft.), the namesake of this wilderness.