Editing Mountains-to-Sea Trail

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 
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 
on new and existing trails, country roads, through state parks, and along the coastal beaches.  

== 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]]

== 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.

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

== Mileages of the MST-Mountain Section  ==
The Mountains-to-Sea Trail mountain section:

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.

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

<display_map type="terrain" height="400" width="auto">
35.5629404, -83.498449~Clingman's Dome~Western Terminus<br>Section 1 trailhead
35.520545, -83.418817~Section 1 Route Split @ Campsite 57 - Deep Creek Trail~(1A - Great Smoky Mountains Route / 1B - Tuckaseegee River Valley Route)
35.432042, -83.421549~Bryson City, NC (1B)
35.5058543, -83.301430~Ocanaluftee Visitor's Center~Section 1 & 2 trailhead
35.4967356, -83.155560~Soco Gap~Section 2 & 3 trailhead
35.4642681, -83.1376431~Waterrock Knob and the Plott Balsams~Point of Interest~MarkerG.png
35.4340997, -83.074322~Balsam Gap~Section 3 & 4 trailhead
35.3217434, -82.964888~Bear Pen Gap~Section 4 & 5 trailhead
35.3039448, -82.909065~NC-215~Section 5 & 6 trailhead
35.3204478, -82.861891~Graveyard Fields/Ridge and Black Balsams 
35.4026099, -82.7570729~Pisgah Inn~Section 6 & 7 trailhead
35.592352, -82.482066~Folk Art Center~Section 7 & 8 trailhead
35.705833, -82.366667~Craggy Gardens and Mountains~Point of Interest~MarkerG.png
35.7648, -82.2651~Mt. Mitchell State Park and the Black Mountains~Point of Interest~MarkerG.png
35.7489504, -82.334075~Balsam Gap~~Section 8 & 9 trailhead
35.7709247, -82.164946~Buck Creek Gap~Section 9 & 10 trailhead
35.7669900, -82.041178~US-221 @ Woodlawn~Section 10 & 11 trailhead
35.8869640, -81.884451~Table Rock Rec. Area~Point of Interest~MarkerG.png
35.9521636, -81.846600~Ripshin Ridge~Section 11 & 12 trailhead
36.0316788, -81.802912~Gragg Prong bridge~@ Roseborough Road/USFS 981<br>Point of Interest and Parking~MarkerG.png
36.0316788, -81.802912~Beacon Heights~Section 12 & 13 trailhead
36.1484795, -81.663094~US-321/221 @ Blowing Rock~Section 13 & 14 trailhead
36.2296312, -81.49954~Deep Gap~Section 14 & 15 trailhead
36.2469036, -81.457872~E.B. Jeffress Park and Cascade Falls~Point of Interest~MarkerG.png
36.2742409, -81.379509~The Lump~Point of Interest~MarkerG.png
36.3128428, -81.362944~Horse Gap @ NC-16~Section 15 & 16 trailhead
36.3910258, -81.245570~BRP and NC-18~Section 16 & 17 trailhead
36.4342657, -81.104379~Devil's Garden Overlook~Section 17 & 18 trailhead
36.3937204, -81.041937~Stone Mountain State Park~Section 18 trailhead
36.3433892, -80.465949~Pilot Mountain State Park~Point of Interest~MarkerG.png
36.4033924, -80.260277~Hanging Rock State Park~Point of Interest~MarkerG.png
36.1755740, -79.852409~Greensboro Watershed~Point of Interest~MarkerG.png
36.0427837, -79.000282~Eno River State Park~Point of Interest~MarkerG.png
36.0139077, -78.689876~Falls Lake~Point of Interest~MarkerG.png
34.8349410, -76.807480~Croatan National Forest~Neusiok Trail<br>Point of Interest~MarkerG.png
35.9614040, -75.634775~Jockey's Ridge State Park~Eastern Terminus
</display_map>

===Trails documented on this wiki===
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.
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== 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.

== 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 == 
* [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 ==
* [http://www.carolinamtnclub.com/data/2009TrailsMapBook.htm Trail Profiles and Maps-MST by Walt Weber (Carolina Mtn. Club)]

== Books ==
* [http://uncpress.unc.edu/browse/book_detail?title_id=899 Hiking North Carolina's Mountains-to-Sea Trail by Allen deHart]
* [http://www.thru-hiker.us/Home The Thru-Hiker's Manual for the Mountains-to-Sea Trail of North Carolina by Scot Ward (Taba)]

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