Winter Hammock Camping in the Smoky Mountains

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Join me for 3 days of Winter Hammock Camping, Backpacking & Hiking in the Smoky Mountains. 

For this winter camping adventure, I’ll be doing a Gregory Bald Loop Hike, incorporating campsite 13 Sheep Pen Gap, campsite 113 Birch Spring Gap, and a hike to the Shuckstack Fire Tower.  This is my second backpacking trip to the Smokies, but due to the shorter winter days, ice, and snow, I’ll be slowing the pace down a bit compared to my previous hammock camping experience there.

Route Overview – Gregory Bald Loop – Sintax77

A backcountry permit is required for all campsites in this area. You can reserve them for $4 per night on the Smoky Mountains National Park website here.

Full GPS track data, including campsites, water sources, etc, for this trip and many others can be downloaded on my Trip Data Page.

Trailhead Used:  Twenty Mile Ranger Station Parking Area  N35° 28.073′ W83° 52.601′

This parking area has room for several vehicles. The Twenty Mile Ranger station is right nearby and visible from the lot.

Trails Used, Day 1

  • Begin at the Twenty Mile Trailhead
  • Twenty Mile Trail
  • Wolf Ridge Trail
  • Setup Camp at Sheep Pen Gap, campsite 13
    • This site is often rather windy. Two banks of bear cables are on site. I melted snow for water while here, but there is a spring 300 yards or so down the trail, which is the headwater for Panther Creek. By most accounts, it is often pretty muddy, presumably from animal activity. Try to find an upstream spot to source your water make sure to sterilize it properly.

Day 1 Mileage: 7 Miles
Day 1 Elevation Gain: 3,581′

Day 1 Elevation Profile – Gregory Bald Loop – Sintax77

Trails Used, Day 2

  • Gregory Bald Trail
  • Appalachian Trail, Southbound
  • Setup Camp at Birch Spring Gap, campsite 113
    • This is a large multi-spot campsite with multiple designated tent areas. Some of these spots offer tree options for hammocks, but not all of them. Two banks of bear cables are on site. There is also a very nice reliable piped spring, and a single communal fire ring.

Day 2 Mileage: 5.5 Miles
Day 2 Elevation Gain: 1,732′

Day 2 Elevation Profile – Gregory Bald Loop – Sintax77

Trails Used, Day 3

  • Continue on the Appalachian Trail South
  • At the intersection with Twenty Mile Trail, continue on the AT towards Shuckstack.
  • Shuckstack Spur Trail
  • Climb the 60′ Shuckstack fire tower
  • Return to the Twenty Mile Trail intersection
  • Twenty Mile Trail
  • Return to the Twenty Mile Trailhead

Day 3 Mileage: 6 Miles
Day 3 Elevation Gain: 700′

Day 3 Elevation Profile – Gregory Bald Loop – Sintax77

Grand Total 3 Day Mileage: 18.5 Miles
Grand Total 3 Day Elevation Gain: 6,013′

Notable Backpacking Gear Seen

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