Choice of a 300 mi section hike - where is June the prime time?

[Mercurem]

I'm looking at various options for a month-long hike starting early June. On the AT, my first choice would have been Maine for the wilderness, mountains and solitude but obviously June is not the best time for this part. I'm not familiar with the southern half of the AT. Which 300 miles would be the nicest in this part? What about North Carolina to lower third of Virginia? With or without Georgia? I want to avoid crowded sections or very hot climate.
Thanks for your help!

[MuddyWaters]

any of it will be OK. It will be warm, nights will be tolerable after midnight, probably getting into upper 50s.


Winding Stair gap to 19E would be about 282 I think. It would get my vote for best overall. Most time at ~5000 ft where temps are better.

[Lyle]

Yeah, June in the Roan/Hump/Little Hump area is highly recommended.

[Mercurem]

Great, thanks! I've been to Roan Mountain (by car) while on a botany collecting trip many years ago and it was definitely beautiful, tough if I remember well it was mid-May so I hope the rhodos bloom until mid-June. I also remember fearing cottonmouths and having bad chigger bites, but I was generally at lower élévations . If you have tips for transportation to these trailheads from/to the nearest airport (Atlanta?) let me know.

[Mercurem]

Sorry I just saw there's a specific forum for transportation.

[Funkmeister]

Have you thought about flying to Baltimore, getting a ride to the trail, and heading north? Pretty much anywhere to Baltimore should be easy. Baltimore to the trail should not be insurmountable, and heading north till your time runs out gets you closer to home. Just a thought.

[MuddyWaters]

Great, thanks! I've been to Roan Mountain (by car) while on a botany collecting trip many years ago and it was definitely beautiful, tough if I remember well it was mid-May so I hope the rhodos bloom until mid-June. I also remember fearing cottonmouths and having bad chigger bites, but I was generally at lower élévations . If you have tips for transportation to these trailheads from/to the nearest airport (Atlanta?) let me know.

Peak of rhododendron bloom is around 3rd week of June usually.
You dont need to worry about cottonmouths or rattlesnakes

[bigcranky]

Early June is pretty nice on the trail in the South. You could do most of Virginia starting in Damascus and see how far you get going north. Or go south from Damascus to the Smokies, depending on your pace you can stop before or after the park. I'd probably do option #2, as it's a fairly easy start.

It can get a little warm and humid some days, and we start getting our typical afternoon thunderstorms, but for the most part the weather is cool at night and nice during the day. (It could also be a hundred degrees F, but that's unusual.)

[bigcranky]

Nearest airport is Tri Cities near Bristol, TN. Or Knoxville but that's a longer drive from the start. Atlanta would be a haul, 5-6 hours to Damascus. If you want to fly to Atlanta, just start hiking at Springer Mountain, which is easy to get to with help from The Hiker Hostel.

You can get trail shuttles from any of the smaller nearby airports.

[jdc5294]

The nicest part? It's the section with the least amount of people.