A ranger at Great Smoky Mountains told me most people plan their route backwards, and it finally clicked

Morgan Lewis · 2026-09-20T04:10:02.5533+00:00

I was at the Sugarlands Visitor Center in Tennessee two weeks ago getting a backcountry permit, and the ranger asked how I picked my campsites. I said I just grabbed whatever spots were open, and she said to start with the hardest climb and work backward from there, because your legs are freshest on day one. I tried it on a 3 day loop through the Smokies and it honestly felt way easier than my usual plan of easing into the miles. Anyone else build routes around the biggest elevation day first, or do you like warming up before the hard stuff?

Librear

Loading…

A ranger at Great Smoky Mountains told me most people plan their route backwards, and it finally clicked | Backpacking Routes - Librear