Longest you've driven for a hiking daytrip?

[hiker0200]

What's the longest you've driven for a hiking daytrip? I.E. driving from Boston to the Rangeley area, hiking Saddleback and the Horn, and driving back, all within 24 hours. There is a very wide variety of hikes discussed here, so the answers should be interesting .

For me: 420 miles for Crocker Mountain in Maine.

 

[peakbagger]

380 miles from Gorham NH to Stratton Vt and return to do Equinox and Stratton

 

[KRobi]

Single day I believe is 310 to do Jay's from Canterbury NH. That weekend (Columbus Day Weekend) we finished the NE 100 Highest by doing Jays (310), home then down to Stratton (260), home and then on Monday up to do East Sleeper (163) for a total of 733 for the weekend.

 

[TJsName]

Over 400 miles RT to do Cabot from Waltham a few years ago. The extra miles were due to a friend totaling his car on the way up (they rear-ended an SUV at 10mph - no injuries). I can't imagine doing much more in a single day.

 

[jfb]

A round trip (478 miles) from East Hartford, CT to Bretton Woods to hike the Ammo up Washington, then down Jewell. I went with two others, so we split the driving.

 

[thegibba]

546 miles RT to long pond rd in Acadia. I didn't drive most of it. But if we're to I would have had to have a cat nap at a rest area on the way back. Don't be afraid to use rest areas. It's always better to live another day. In the winter I've used loud music, lowering the window a bit and turning down the heat to create a slightly uncomfortable environment to extend driving stamina.

 

[peakbagger]

I occasionally visit the BSP headquarters in January to get reservations for the upcoming summer. Its about 460 miles round trip and I don't even get to hike until six months later!

 

[alexmtn]

546 miles RT to long pond rd in Acadia. I didn't drive most of it. But if we're to I would have had to have a cat nap at a rest area on the way back. Don't be afraid to use rest areas. It's always better to live another day. In the winter I've used loud music, lowering the window a bit and turning down the heat to create a slightly uncomfortable environment to extend driving stamina.

I'm not a regular coffee drinker. I love the taste and sensations of a cup of fresh, strong black coffee, but don't want to 'do' it enough to have addiction issues. The drive home after a long hiking day is one of the times at which I'll open the floodgates. Ditto on all of the above measures, but a big cup of coffee seems, for me, to render them completely unnecessary (well, except that I love my music). The only keep-me-awake measure that comes close to the coffee is daylight if I'm fortunate enough to have it.

 

[iAmKrzys]

Some time ago I drove from NJ to NH and back in a day for a total of 550 miles, and I managed to squeeze in a short hike on Monadnock Sunapee Greenway at Pitcher Mountain, however, this hike was not the goal of the trip, so I don't think it really qualifies as a 'hiking daytrip'

 

[una_dogger]

I can't remember the exact mileage, but to Chain of Ponds Snow to finish the NEHH as a day trip.

 

[Grey J]

1,250 miles from Chattanooga to Lincoln Woods trailhead to do Owls Head in a day. Well ok, it took me 2 days to get to NH so I guess that doesn't qualify. And since I was there, I thought I'd stick around for a week.

 

[OnAClearDay]

I've solo 'day hiked' the Rangeley 4Ks on four separate trips from the Albany, NY area - usually in around 24+ hours door to door.

Not really a day hike but did BSP in about 50+ hours with one local motel stay: Drove overnight and hiked Baxter/Hamlin, the following day the four NEHH on the other side and then drove back home.

 

[peakbagger]

A few years ago I was on an early spring hike of Washington. We were hiking up Tuckermans Ravine trail and a solo hiker asked us ho much farther to the lower turn off to Huntingtons was. As this is rarely used in winter we asked him where his ultimate destination was. He replied Mt Washington and was planning to hike Huntington's Ravine trail as "it was the shortest way to the top". We insisted he join us and along the way we asked him where he had drove up from. He replied southern Michigan. He had left the night before and had driven all night to Pinkham. Somewhere along the hike he mentioned that he had to be home the next morning as he had to watch his kids back in Michigan. He was planning to finish his hike and drive home. We offered him options for a place to stay but he said his wife would be upset. We got an email the next day that he made it home 2 hours late.

 

[DayTrip]

All of my hikes involve significant driving because I drive up and back from NE CT. My standard round trip "day hike" involve 400-450 miles of driving (generally 6.5-7.5 hours depending on weather and traffic). My longest was Mt Cabot from NE CT. Due to the distance and some bad weather on the way home my driving time was over 9 hours. I didn't note the mileage because I was just happy to get out of my $%#^# car after the 5 hour drive home. My longest day (drive+hike) has been 23 hours.

 

[Stan]

Not primarily a hiking trip but when we took my son to camp in the Poconos we made it day of it in the area and got home 24 hours after we left, further cementing my reputation the the family for the classical 24 hour day trip.

As for a 24 hour day hike, that happened once without driving a mile. It was the time were were benighted in Baxter Park and strolled back into camp the next day ... much to my wife's disappointment I suspect ... but the hot soup she kept on hit the spot.

 

[Brambor]

2 weeks ago I drove from Windham Maine to Rockwood Maine via Jackman and then back via Greenville

 

[TCD]

Blessed: we live in Keene NY, everything is right here!

But we did drive from Tuolomne to Whitney Portal for the Mt. Whitney day hike. About 150 miles one way. After the day hike, we decided not to drive all the way back and crashed in Bishop.

 

[1SlowHiker]

My longest day (drive+hike) has been 23 hours.

Daytrip: I can tie that without the drive: My winter Bonds hike took 23 hrs, plus the drive up and back from RI - I'm not certain, but I don't think I stopped for any naps. http://1slowhiker.blogspot.com/2014_03_18_archive.html

If limited to 24 hrs, I think my longest distance single day hike without any trailhead naps is from RI to Mt Cabot (hiked Cabot , Bulge, Horn loop) 486 driving miles http://1slowhiker.blogspot.com/2012_12_06_archive.htm

 

[roadtripper]

A friend and I had some real fun once when we were 24ish.

Saturday: Drove from Salem, MA to Jaffrey, NH and then ran a 1/2 marathon which started at 11am. From there, we drove the rest of the day and evening and landed outside Baxter State Park at around 10pm. We drank a bottle of wine and then passed out at about midnight.

Sunday: Woke up at 2:30am so that we could wait in line at the Baxter gate (before they changed to an online system). We hiked a big loop over Katahdin and then drove 6 hours home right after, arriving home at about midnight. I had to pull over about 8 times on the way back because I was so exhausted.

Monday: I couldn't physically get up for work on Monday and so I had to call out sick.

 

[roadtripper]

Nothing beats what Seema (who doesn't really post here anymore) did. About ten or so years ago, she & her husband Brian hiked Mt. Rainier and then drove 30 straight hours back east to make it to a wedding on time!