View Full Version : The NOC Rocks!
DesertMTB
05-27-2008, 14:11
Had a great Memorial Day weekend basecamping at the Nantahala Outdoor Center. Did two 13-mile plus day hikes climbing out of the gorge on both sides.
The best part about the NOC is hobo alley. Free camping on a nice large grassy surface, large campfire ring and giant logs to sit.
Sure the place can be expensive and resupply isn't that great, but the staff there really seem hiker friendly. (Tip: Go to Paddlers Pub and drink $2 PBR drafts).
gold bond
05-27-2008, 14:50
I really love the NOC! I have always had a great time there as well.
I grew up going up there and have always loved that place. I told several people I came through there with in April about Hobo alley. They got to have showers, good food, and good spirits and camp for free. You can't beat it. We go up there every chance we get.
Go back the last weekend in September. They have a Guest Appreciation Festival that weekend. People can set up and sell/ buy used gear. They have tons of fun stuff happening the whole weekend. I have gotten many good deals at the market.
sliderule
07-15-2008, 12:55
Free camping on a nice large grassy surface, large campfire ring and giant logs to sit.
Where, exactly. I must be well hidden.
sliderule
07-15-2008, 12:56
Where, exactly. I must be well hidden.
I mean "it" must be well hidden.
Lone Wolf
07-15-2008, 12:56
Where, exactly. I must be well hidden.
follow the train tracks down river a few hundred yards or so. you'll see it on your right
Buncha thru's stealthed somewhere on the property when I stayed there to avoid paying the 15 bucks.
Lone Wolf
07-15-2008, 13:19
Buncha thru's stealthed somewhere on the property when I stayed there to avoid paying the 15 bucks.
and a lot of steal showers and use the facilities too.
I mean "it" must be well hidden.
Roots and Myself spent sometime @NOC near the end of June, and it seemed like the weeds had overtaken a lot of the camping spots??
whitefoot_hp
07-15-2008, 14:29
and a lot of steal showers and use the facilities too.
well, they are entitled to do that.
Just Plain Jim
07-15-2008, 15:10
That's one of my fondest memories.Last year we had stayed at Wesser Bald Shelter the night before and had hiked down to the NOC for breakfast. I ordered 4 of the huge pancakes and finished it all:eek:.
I hope to take my grandkids up there this year to ride the train and [maybe] the tubes.
Hey DesertMTB, nice to met you climbing out of the NOC in mid May. The pic turned out great on top of that bald, that I can not remember at the moment :).
For 18 dollars you get a crappy bunk and a cramped room with up to 4 other smelly hikers.
Sounds like a great deal. Skip the NOC on your thru.
Kirby
minnesotasmith
07-26-2008, 12:28
For 18 dollars you get a crappy bunk and a cramped room with up to 4 other smelly hikers.
Sounds like a great deal. Skip the NOC on your thru.
Kirby
While you're there, after you fill your water jugs and dump your garbage, you can wash your clothes and take a shower for a pittance more. (How many other hostels conveniently have washers and dryers in the bathroom?) Also, you can pick up a maildrop for no charge, process it into your pack under shelter, and go to the conveniently-located outfitter that has a decent assortment of hiker stuff, and an unusually helpful staff. (The manager there spent an hour and a half fixing my defective Dana pack in 2006, refusing payment.) Then, there's an okay if not great inexpensive unlimited-trip buffet/salad bar at the restaurant...
Sure, the grocery store down the road is kind of high, of marginal selection, and a bit of a walk. And, agreed, the NOC is kind of spread out and inconveniently hilly. So what? It's in the middle of nowhere, where by then most hikers need a shower and a resupply.
I wasn't irritated by the NOC. If someone doesn't want to stay, they can just get what they need out of the place, and move on.
_terrapin_
07-26-2008, 13:04
(How many other hostels conveniently have washers and dryers in the bathroom?)
FreeState Hiker Hostel in Maryland. And not in the bathroom, but a more pleasant space. Use of washer/dryer and soap are included in the overall fare. Plus a huge basement-style sink for washing "other" stuff.
minnesotasmith
07-26-2008, 13:15
FreeState Hiker Hostel in Maryland. And not in the bathroom, but a more pleasant space. Use of washer/dryer and soap are included in the overall fare. Plus a huge basement-style sink for washing "other" stuff.
The whole point IMO why having a clothes washer and dryer in the bathroom/shower area is such a great arrangement for hikers (impossible to improve upon) is that:
1) they don't have to worry about modesty while their stuff is washing;
2) they can get all their stuff clean in one wash (load volume permitting);
and 3) they can get their shower out of the way while their stuff is washing, not having to wait and do it sequentially if they don't have stuff to put on while their wash is in progress.
_terrapin_
07-26-2008, 13:17
Skip the NOC on your thru.
Wow. Lots of negativity today, Kirby. I didn't stay at NOC, but stopped there and had two great breakfasts, in a beautiful restaurant overlooking the river. Picked up my first maildrop there. The shop there replaced the shoulder straps on my pack -- no charge, no questions asked. Of course, that was all before you were born. :D
Mrs Baggins
07-26-2008, 13:38
Wow. Lots of negativity today, Kirby. I didn't stay at NOC, but stopped there and had two great breakfasts, in a beautiful restaurant overlooking the river. Picked up my first maildrop there. The shop there replaced the shoulder straps on my pack -- no charge, no questions asked. Of course, that was all before you were born. :D
I have to agree. Stopped there in April and shared a 2 bunk room - not 4 bunks - with my hiking partner. Did laundry, took lots of showers just because we could, ate 3 meals at the restaurant, used the outfitter (they fixed one of my poles), and pretty much enjoyed the place.
_terrapin_
07-26-2008, 14:18
1) they don't have to worry about modesty while their stuff is washing...
Some hikers use their rain gear for that purpose. I've got an even simpler solution. My hiking "outfit" consists of a very thin pair of nylon shorts and some sort of top. I wash the shorts in a sink (in private,) wring them out and put them on. They're dry in minutes. Then I can appear "in public" and do other chores... or just lounge.
The idea of hiding in the bathroom while my laundry was being done just never occurred to me. Not sure how that would work in a crowed hostel.
Blissful
07-26-2008, 14:32
We skipped it also. Got our mail drop and that was it, but we had just spent several days in Franklin, so didn't really need it.
Flush2wice
07-26-2008, 15:33
I thought it was a great stop. Ya'll forgot to mention how easy it is to get a ride from there to Bryson city. I went there for pizza and grocery store resupply (and beer). There's so many paddlers, cyclists, and hikers coming in and out that hitching is easy.
1st time I was there was in the late 70's when I was about 14 or 15. That was the 1st time I ever saw live bluegrass- Grandpa, son, and grandson were standing on the roadside there jamming out. Probly 30 people standing there watching. I met Payson and Aurelia (NOC founders). Years later I met and worked with their daughter Francis in the Raliegh/Durham area. She had lots of cool stories about growing up in Wesser, living in that motel and getting the NOC started.
Lone Wolf
07-26-2008, 15:55
I thought it was a great stop. Ya'll forgot to mention how easy it is to get a ride from there to Bryson city. I went there for pizza and grocery store resupply (and beer). There's so many paddlers, cyclists, and hikers coming in and out that hitching is easy.
1st time I was there was in the late 70's when I was about 14 or 15. That was the 1st time I ever saw live bluegrass- Grandpa, son, and grandson were standing on the roadside there jamming out. Probly 30 people standing there watching. I met Payson and Aurelia (NOC founders). Years later I met and worked with their daughter Francis in the Raliegh/Durham area. She had lots of cool stories about growing up in Wesser, living in that motel and getting the NOC started.
they gots lotsa beer at NOC now
If all of the bunk houses are full and (because of my companions) we aren't camping, what is the next closest (cheapest but decent) place to stay near the NOC?
Julie
minnesotasmith
08-27-2008, 13:53
Some hikers use their rain gear for that purpose. I've got an even simpler solution. My hiking "outfit" consists of a very thin pair of nylon shorts and some sort of top. I wash the shorts in a sink (in private,) wring them out and put them on. They're dry in minutes. Then I can appear "in public" and do other chores... or just lounge.
The idea of hiding in the bathroom while my laundry was being done just never occurred to me. Not sure how that would work in a crowed hostel.
Rather, I spent the time largely productively. I showered, shaved, etc., while my laundry was generally where I could keep track of it, so it didn't grow legs. Having washers and driers inside the bathroom is a great system I wish more hostels had (even though it's not practical for the small ones).
P.S. I've done plenty of handwashing shorts and putting them on to wear while the rest of my laundry got clean. Not a plan "A" IMO when the weather is cold and damp, though.