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The Mountains-to-Sea Trail (MST) is one of the newest and most scenic long-distance trails in the region.   
The Mountains-to-Sea Trail (MST) is one of the newest and most scenic long-distance trails in the region.   
Maintained by the Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail and its affiliated groups & agencies, it travels from  
Maintained by the Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail and affiliated groups & agencies, it travels from  
the 6,643 foot peak of Clingman's Dome to the sand dunes of Jockey's Ridge State Park, NC. Even though it  
the 6,643 foot peak of Clingman's Dome to the sand dunes of Jockey's Ridge State Park, NC. Even though it  
is still being constructed, it is nearly a 1,000-mile journey that is routed through the state of North Carolina  
is still being constructed, it is nearly a 1,000-mile journey that is routed through the state of North Carolina  
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== Blazing ==
== Blazing ==
The Mountains-to-Sea Trail is uniquely blazed by white dots.  The trail is also marked by carsonites, posts, and signs with the Mountains-to-Sea Trail logo.


[[File:MST_Blaze.JPG|200px|MST White-dot Blaze]]  [[File:MST_Sign.jpg|200px|MST Sign]]  [[File:MST_Post.jpg|115px|MST White-dot Blazed post]]
The Mountains-to-Sea Trail is uniquely blazed by white dots. The trail is also marked by posts and signs with the Mountains-to-Sea trail logo.
[[File:MST_Blaze.jpg]]


== Mountain Section ==
== Mountain Section ==


The MST's mountain section (Clingman's Dome to Stone Mountain State Park, NC) has numerous trailheads that are within an hour or two drive of the Tri-Cities.  The trail starts in the Great Smoky Mountains Naitonal Park, and passes through the Nantalhala/Pisgah National Forests, the cities of Asheville & Blowing Rock, climbs to the top of Mount Mitchell, and travels alongside the Blue Ridge Parkway.  A number of its sections offer from easy access along the Parkway to the most remote & mountainous backcountry and wilderness areas.  Difficulty of the trail can range from easy to difficult; level hillside to steep and rocky grades.
The MST's mountain section (Clingman's Dome to Stone Mountain State Park, NC) has numerous trailheads that are within an hour or two drive of the Tri-Cities.  The trail starts in the Great Smoky Mountains Naitonal Park, and passes through the Nantalhala/Pisgah National Forests, the cities of Asheville & Blowing Rock, climbs to the top of Mount Mitchell, and travels alongside the Blue Ridge Parkway.  A number of its sections offer from easy access along the Parkway to the most remote & mountainous backcountry and wilderness areas.  Difficulty can range from easy to difficult.


After Stone Mountain State Park, the MST travels through the backroads and state parks of the North Carolina Piedmont to the Outer Banks.
After Stone Mountain State Park, the MST travels through the backroads and state park of the North Carolina Piedmont to the Outer Banks.


== Mileages of the MST-Mountain Section  ==
== Mileages of the MST-Mountain Section  ==
The Mountains-to-Sea Trail mountain section:
The Mountains-to-Sea Trail mountain section is broken down into 18 sections:


The MST has recently undergone significant re-routing when leaving the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and on the North Carolina Piedmont and Coastal Plain sections.
{{Template:MST Trails}}
''Mileage info gathered from:'' [http://artshikingmaps.info/mst/mstsections.shtml Art's Hiking Maps of the MST]


[http://www.ncmst.org/the-trail/trailguide/ Official Friends of the MST Trail Guides and Information]


<display_map type="terrain" height="400" width="auto">
<googlemap version="0.9" lat="35.7648" lon="-82.2651" type="terrain" zoom="8" height="500" width="600">
35.5629404, -83.498449~Clingman's Dome~Western Terminus<br>Section 1 trailhead
35.5629404, -83.498449, Clingman's Dome
35.520545, -83.418817~Section 1 Route Split @ Campsite 57 - Deep Creek Trail~(1A - Great Smoky Mountains Route / 1B - Tuckaseegee River Valley Route)
Western Terminus
35.432042, -83.421549~Bryson City, NC (1B)
Section 1 trailhead
35.5058543, -83.301430~Ocanaluftee Visitor's Center~
35.5058543, -83.301430, Ocanaluftee Visitor's Center
35.4967356, -83.155560~Soco Gap~
Section 1 & 2 trailhead
35.4642681, -83.1376431~Waterrock Knob and the Plott Balsams~Point of Interest~MarkerG.png
35.4967356, -83.155560, Soco Gap
35.4340997, -83.074322~Balsam Gap~
Section 2 & 3 trailhead
35.3217434, -82.964888~Bear Pen Gap~
35.4642681, -83.1376431, Waterrock Knob and the Plott Balsams
35.3039448, -82.909065~NC-215~
Point of Interest
35.3204478, -82.861891~Graveyard Fields/Ridge and Black Balsams
35.4340997, -83.074322, Balsam Gap
35.4026099, -82.7570729~Pisgah Inn~
Section 3 & 4 trailhead
35.592352, -82.482066~Folk Art Center~
35.3217434, -82.964888, Bear Pen Gap
35.705833, -82.366667~Craggy Gardens and Mountains~Point of Interest~MarkerG.png
Section 4 & 5 trailhead
35.7648, -82.2651~Mt. Mitchell State Park and the Black Mountains~Point of Interest~MarkerG.png
35.3039448, -82.909065, NC-215
35.7489504, -82.334075~Balsam Gap~
Section 5 & 6 trailhead
35.7709247, -82.164946~Buck Creek Gap~
35.4026099, -82.7570729, Pisgah Inn
35.7669900, -82.041178~US-221 @ Woodlawn~
Section 6 & 7 trailhead
35.8869640, -81.884451~Table Rock Rec. Area~Point of Interest~MarkerG.png
35.592352, -82.482066, Folk Art Center
35.9521636, -81.846600~Ripshin Ridge~
Section 7 & 8 trailhead
36.0316788, -81.802912~Gragg Prong bridge~@ Roseborough Road/USFS 981<br>Point of Interest and Parking~MarkerG.png
35.705833, -82.366667, Craggy Gardens
36.0316788, -81.802912~Beacon Heights~
Point of Interest
36.1484795, -81.663094~US-321/221 @ Blowing Rock~
35.7648, -82.2651, Mt. Mitchell State Park and the Black Mountains
36.2296312, -81.49954~Deep Gap~
Point of Interest
36.2469036, -81.457872~E.B. Jeffress Park and Cascade Falls~Point of Interest~MarkerG.png
35.7489504, -82.334075, Balsam Gap
36.2742409, -81.379509~The Lump~Point of Interest~MarkerG.png
Section 8 & 9 trailhead
36.3128428, -81.362944~Horse Gap @ NC-16~
35.7709247, -82.164946, Buck Creek Gap
36.3910258, -81.245570~BRP and NC-18~
Section 9 & 10 trailhead
36.4342657, -81.104379~Devil's Garden Overlook~
35.7669900, -82.041178, US-221 @ Woodlawn  
36.3937204, -81.041937~Stone Mountain State Park~
Section 10 & 11 trailhead
36.3433892, -80.465949~Pilot Mountain State Park~Point of Interest~MarkerG.png
36.0316788, -81.802912, Gragg Prong bridge  
36.4033924, -80.260277~Hanging Rock State Park~Point of Interest~MarkerG.png
@ Roseborough Road/USFS 981
36.1755740, -79.852409~Greensboro Watershed~Point of Interest~MarkerG.png
Point of Interest
36.0427837, -79.000282~Eno River State Park~Point of Interest~MarkerG.png
Parking
36.0139077, -78.689876~Falls Lake~Point of Interest~MarkerG.png
36.0316788, -81.802912, Beacon Heights
34.8349410, -76.807480~Croatan National Forest~Neusiok Trail<br>Point of Interest~MarkerG.png
36.2296312, -81.49954, Deep Gap
35.9614040, -75.634775~Jockey's Ridge State Park~Eastern Terminus
Section 14 & 15 trailhead
</display_map>
36.3937204, -81.041937, Stone Mountain State Park
 
36.3433892, -80.465949, Pilot Mountain State Park
===Trails documented on this wiki===
36.4033924, -80.260277, Hanging Rock State Park
Currently there are {{#ask:[[Category:Trail||Trails||Trail Stubs]][[Trail System::Mountains-to-Sea Trail]]|format=count|limit=5000}} trails covering {{#number_format:{{#ask: [[Category:Trail||Trails||Trail Stubs]][[Trail System::Mountains-to-Sea Trail]]|?Trail Distance#mi|mainlabel=-|format=sum|limit=5000}}|1}} miles of this trail system documented on this wiki.
36.1755740, -79.852409, Greensboro Watershed
{{Park trail table template|#userparam=intro}}
36.0427837, -79.000282, Eno River State Park
{{#ask:[[Category:Trail||Trails]] [[Trail System::Mountains-to-Sea Trail]]
36.0139077, -78.689876, Falls Lake
|mainlabel=trail
34.8349410, -76.807480, Croatan National Forest
| ?Trail Distance#mi-p2=distance
Neusiok Trail  
| ?Difficulty=difficulty
35.9614040, -75.634775, Jockey's Ridge State Park
| ?Trail Marking=marking
</googlemap>
| ?Trail Highlight=highlight
| ?Allowed activities=use
|format=plainlist
|headers=hide
|link=none
|template=Park trail table template
|userparam=row
|named args=yes
}}
{{#ask: [[Category:Trail Stubs]] [[-Has subobject::Mountains-to-Sea Trail]]
| mainlabel=-
| ?Trail=trail
| ?Trail Distance#mi-p2=distance
| ?Difficulty=difficulty
| ?Trail Marking=marking
| ?Trail Highlight=highlight
| ?Park=park
|format=plainlist
|headers=hide
|link=none
|template=Park trail table template
|userparam=stubs row
|named args=yes
}}
{{Park trail table template|#userparam=outro}}


== Camping ==
== Camping ==
Before venturing out over-night on the Mountains-to-Sea Trail, hikers must be aware that camping permissions along the Mountain-to-Sea Trail varies greatly.  So proper planning and researching needs to be conducted.  Though camping is permitted in most of the backcountry areas in the Nantalhala and Pisgah National Forests, there are camping restrictions on other parts of the trail.  The trail section inside the Smokies (GSMNP) requires a backcountry permit and campsite reservations.  Along the Blue Ridge Parkway, camping is prohibited except at Parkway campgrounds (proper registration required).  Camping is permitted inside Mount Mitchell and Stone Mountain State Parks at only approved sites (proper registration required).  Open fire regulations also need to be followed for each site depending on agency regulations.
Before venturing out over-night on the Mountains-to-Sea Trail, hikers must be aware that camping permissions along the Mountain-to-Sea Trail varies greatly.  So proper planning and researching needs to be conducted.  Though camping is permitted in most of the backcountry areas in the Nantalhala and Pisgah National Forests, there are camping restrictions on other parts of the trail.  The trail section inside the Smokies (GSMNP) requires a backcountry permit and campsite reservations.  Along the Blue Ridge Parkway, camping is prohibited except at Parkway campgrounds (proper registration required).  Camping is permitted inside Mount Mitchell and Stone Mountain State Parks at only approved sites (proper registration required).  Open fire regulations also need to be followed for each site depending on agency regulations.
== Updates ==
The National Park Service is advising MST hikers to NOT hike the original route along the Parkway between the Oconaluftee River To Balsam Gap due to possible dangers of walking through the Parkway tunnels.
Two new routes have been created to bypass the tunnels. Route A takes a longer backcountry route through the Smokies to exit near Cataloochee Ranch and onward to Soco Gap then Waterrock Knob.  Route B exits the park at Deep Creek near Bryson City and continues on roads toward Pinnacle Park & Waterrock Knob near Sylva/Waynesville.  From Waterrock Knob, the MST is on established trail with short crossings of the parkway and forest roads.
== Photos ==
Mountain section:
[[File:MST-1.jpg|100px|View of Looking Glass Rock from the MST/BRP]] [[File:MST-2.jpg|200px|Cascade Falls]] [[File:MST-7.JPG|200px|View from Craggy Gardens]] [[File: MST-8.JPG|200px|Waterfall along Gragg Prong]]
Piedmont section:
[[File:MST-3.jpg|200px|Falls Lake]]


== External Links ==  
== External Links ==  
* [http://www.ncmst.org Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail]
* [http://www.ncmst.org Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail]
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountains-to-Sea_Trail Mountains-to-Sea Trail Wiki]


== Maps ==
== Maps ==
* [http://artshikingmaps.info/mst/mstsections.shtml Art's Hiking Maps of the MST by Arthur Kelley]
* [http://www.carolinamtnclub.com/data/2009TrailsMapBook.htm Trail Profiles and Maps-MST by Walt Weber (Carolina Mtn. Club)]
* [http://www.carolinamtnclub.com/data/2009TrailsMapBook.htm Trail Profiles and Maps-MST by Walt Weber (Carolina Mtn. Club)]


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* [http://www.thru-hiker.us/Home The Thru-Hiker's Manual for the Mountains-to-Sea Trail of North Carolina by Scot Ward (Taba)]
* [http://www.thru-hiker.us/Home The Thru-Hiker's Manual for the Mountains-to-Sea Trail of North Carolina by Scot Ward (Taba)]


<!-- Finally add the trail to any Categories it should belong to. -->
<!-- Finally add the trail to any Categories it should belong to. Please keep the State category. -->
[[Category:Trail Systems]]
[[Category:North Carolina]]
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