Experienced Mileage-Focused Backpacking Trips in North Carolina
Push deeper into the Southern Appalachians on custom high-mileage trips for experienced backpackers. These guided adventures take you beyond the popular trails and into the wild, quiet corners of North Carolina’s backcountry—where long days on foot lead to sweeping ridgelines, remote campsites, and a deeper connection to the landscape.
Step Into the Wild With Purpose
There comes a point in every backpacker’s journey where you want more. More solitude. More challenge. More immersion. If you’ve spent time under a pack and have the trail legs to prove it, you know the joy of covering real ground—and the reward that comes with long days spent moving through wild terrain.
Our mileage-focused trips are designed for hikers like you. These aren’t sightseeing loops or casual overnights. These trips purposeful journeys through some of the most remote and rewarding backcountry in North Carolina.
Is This Right for You?
Our mileage-focused trips are built for hikers who:
Have prior backpacking experience and want a new challenge
Feel confident carrying their own gear over multiple days
Want to hike 10–15+ mile days with purpose and pacing
Are seeking deeper immersion in remote sections of Pisgah or Nantahala
Crave meaningful time on trail—not just a sightseeing tour
Ready for More Miles and Less Crowds?
We guide experienced hikers through high-mileage routes across Pisgah, Shining Rock, the Art Loeb, and beyond. You bring your backcountry experience—we’ll bring the local knowledge, route design, and safety-first support to make it happen.
What the Experience Looks Like
Every trip begins with a conversation—about your goals, fitness, experience level, and what you’re hoping to get out of your time on trail. From there, we create a fully guided experience that aligns with your vision, whether that’s maximizing daily mileage or balancing movement with moments of stillness.
A typical itinerary might include early trailhead departures, 12-15 mile days through ridgelines or remote valleys, and quiet evenings at backcountry campsites. You’ll hike light and smart, supported by a guide who knows how to pace the days for both challenge and enjoyment.
These trips often take place in Pisgah National Forest, the Shining Rock Wilderness, or the lesser-traveled stretches of Nantahala. We’ll choose terrain that matches your desired difficulty, weather conditions, and seasonal highlights.
Why Go Guided With Adventure Grown?
You’ve got experience—so why bring a guide? Because we bring more than just safety and logistics. We bring years of lived-in knowledge of North Carolina’s backcountry: how to avoid the crowded routes, where to find water during a dry spell, when the sunrise hits just right on a southern-facing ridge.
Our guides are fellow hikers who’ve put in the miles and believe in the power of moving with purpose. You won’t be babysat—but you will be supported, challenged, and encouraged. We’ll help you fine-tune your gear, manage your pace, and make space for the kind of moments that remind you why you started backpacking in the first place.
Local expertise — Not just GPS routes, but personal trail knowledge
Real guidance — From guides who walk the walk and hike the hike
Safety & support — Wilderness medicine certified and risk-aware
Custom experience — We don’t do templates—we do your ideal trip
Book Your Backpacking Trip
If you're ready to get off the beaten path and into the real heart of these mountains, we’re here to help make it happen. We offer custom mileage-focused trips from April through November, with options to explore some of the Southeast’s most iconic and remote backpacking routes.
Whether you’re looking to train for something bigger or simply craving deep, wild miles—you’re in the right place.
Pricing
All guided backpacking pricing is listed as per day per person rates.
Equipment and meal plans are included in the daily rate.
Provided Equipment includes: Sleeping bags, Sleeping Bag Liners, Sleeping Pads, Tents, Cookware, Water Filtration, Bear Canisters, Trekking Poles, Camp Tarps, and more.
Rock Climbing Experience can be included for an additional rate on certain trips.
Gratuities are appreciated but not required.
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Prices listed as per day per person:
2 people - $300/day per person
3-5 people - $250/day per person
6-8 people - $225/day per person
9-10 people - $200/day per person
Add Rock Climbing to your overnight or custom backpacking trip for $90 per person.
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Contact us for pricing.
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Custom coaching and overnight or multi-day trips available upon request. Drop box and food resupply planning, route finding, navigation, and more!
Adventure Grown Guides share 15,000+ miles of long distance hiking trails completed between its guides. Our thru hike resumes include trails such as: Applachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, Continental Divide Trail, Mountains to Sea Trail, Benton Mackaye Trail, Wind River High Route, and more.