MST Thru-Hike itinerary
Every mile marker on the MST Thru-Hike route, in order, with the distance and elevation change between each one, and which permit each stretch needs. To set alerts for your dates, go to the Mountains-to-Sea Trail Thru-Hike permit page.
Which permit covers this route
The MST Thru-Hike. One reservation is a trailhead or zone plus an entry date; you roam after that, issued by walk-up.
The permit is issued for a named entry point. Kuwohi (Clingmans Dome) and Jockey's Ridge State Park are the ones on this list.
- Stops mapped
- 22
- Across the markers
- 1175.0 mi
- Published route length
- 1175 mi
- Ascent, at least
- 10,072 ft
How long it takes: 3-4 months. That is the figure the permit publishes. This page does not divide the route into days, because no source records which stop you sleep at.
The stops below are the route's published mile markers, in order, with the elevations recorded against each one.
Distance and elevation change on each leg are the difference between the two published figures either side of it, so the legs are arithmetic on the markers and nothing more.
The MST Thru-Hike route, stop by stop
Mile 0.0
6,643 ft
Kuwohi (Clingmans Dome)
Entry point: the permit is issued for this trailhead
The MST's western terminus, at the observation tower atop the highest point in Great Smoky Mountains National Park; the trail follows the Appalachian Trail east for 3.8 miles before splitting off.
26.9 miles · 4,597 ft down to Mingus Mill / Mingus Creek
Mile 26.9
2,046 ft
Mingus Mill / Mingus Creek
A working 1886 grist mill on Mingus Creek, at the point the trail emerges onto US 441 near the Oconaluftee Visitor Center.
19.9 miles · 4,246 ft up to Waterrock Knob
Mile 46.8
6,292 ft
Waterrock Knob
End of Segment 1 and the third-highest point on the whole MST, with four-state views from the summit on clear days.
63.6 miles · 573 ft down to Mount Pisgah / Pisgah Inn
Mile 110.4
5,719 ft
Mount Pisgah / Pisgah Inn
End of Segment 2: the Pisgah Inn, a Blue Ridge Parkway lodge and restaurant near the summit of Mount Pisgah, is the segment's eastern terminus.
45.6 miles · 36 ft down to Craggy Gardens
Mile 156.0
5,683 ft
Craggy Gardens
A Blue Ridge Parkway highland known for early-summer azalea and rhododendron blooms.
15.7 miles · 1,001 ft up to Mount Mitchell
Mile 171.7
6,684 ft
Mount Mitchell
The highest point east of the Mississippi River, reached by a side trail from the MST in Mount Mitchell State Park.
10.2 miles · 4,285 ft down to Black Mountain Campground / Black Mountain
Mile 181.9
2,399 ft
Black Mountain Campground / Black Mountain
End of Segment 3, on the South Toe River, near the trail town of Black Mountain.
34.8 miles · 1,143 ft down to Linville Gorge
Mile 216.7
1,256 ft
Linville Gorge
The 12-mile, 2,000-foot-deep gorge the Linville River cut on its way off the Blue Ridge; a wilderness overnight permit is required on weekend/holiday nights, May through October.
2.8 miles · 1,714 ft up to Shortoff Mountain
Mile 219.5
2,970 ft
Shortoff Mountain
The eastern lip of Linville Gorge; a popular camping area within the wilderness boundary.
39.1 miles · 1,400 ft up to Beacon Heights
Mile 258.6
4,370 ft
Beacon Heights
End of Segment 4, a rocky overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway near Grandfather Mountain.
2.5 miles · 1,545 ft up to Grandfather Mountain
Mile 261.1
5,915 ft
Grandfather Mountain
One of only 553 UNESCO-certified biosphere reserves in the world; the MST skirts it on the Tanawha Trail along the Blue Ridge Parkway.
82.4 miles · 2,850 ft down to Devils Garden Overlook
Mile 343.5
3,065 ft
Devils Garden Overlook
End of Segment 5, a Blue Ridge Parkway overlook where the trail turns off the mountains toward the Piedmont.
7.2 miles · 768 ft down to Stone Mountain State Park
Mile 350.7
2,297 ft
Stone Mountain State Park
A 600-foot granite dome with waterfalls and trout streams; four hike-in backcountry sites need a paid ReserveAmerica reservation.
62.9 miles · 103 ft up to Pilot Mountain State Park
Mile 413.6
2,400 ft
Pilot Mountain State Park
End of Segment 6: a granite dome that rises abruptly from the rolling Piedmont, visible for miles.
34.9 miles · 347 ft down to Hanging Rock State Park
Mile 448.5
2,053 ft
Hanging Rock State Park
End of Segment 7, a park of quartzite cliffs and waterfalls in the Sauratown Mountains.
121.2 miles · 1,806 ft down to Eno River State Park
Mile 569.7
247 ft
Eno River State Park
Start of Segment 10; backpack camping here needs no reservation, at Fanny's Ford or Piper Creek campgrounds.
80.7 miles · 63 ft up to Falls Lake Dam / Falls Lake
Mile 650.4
310 ft
Falls Lake Dam / Falls Lake
End of Segment 10: a 12,410-acre reservoir near Raleigh, with 46 reservable hike-in backpack sites in the Shinleaf area.
7.0 miles · 166 ft down to Neuse River (Raleigh greenway)
Mile 657.4
144 ft
Neuse River (Raleigh greenway)
The MST follows greenway trails along the Neuse River through the Raleigh metro area on Segment 11.
390.0 miles · 144 ft down to Cedar Island Ferry Terminal
Mile 1047.4
0 ft
Cedar Island Ferry Terminal
Start of Segment 18: hikers take a roughly 2.5-hour ferry from here to Ocracoke Island to continue the trail.
26.0 miles · no net change to Ocracoke Island / Village
Mile 1073.4
0 ft
Ocracoke Island / Village
A small village at the western end of the Outer Banks segment, home to the Ocracoke Pony Pens.
77.1 miles · no net change to Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge
Mile 1150.5
0 ft
Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge
A barrier-island refuge on the Outer Banks that hosts wintering waterfowl.
24.5 miles · no net change to Jockey's Ridge State Park
Mile 1175.0
0 ft
Jockey's Ridge State Park
Entry point: the permit is issued for this trailhead
The MST's eastern terminus at the tallest natural sand dune system on the East Coast, marked by an MST monument.
Getting a MST Thru-Hike for the dates you want
Planning the route is the easy half. MST Thru-Hike dates go fast, and the ones that come back are cancellations. They return to the booking system without warning and are gone again quickly. PermitSnag checks MST Thru-Hike around the clock and alerts you the moment a date opens.