Talk to me about Stealth Camping
I'm going to be NOBO
Are there specific sites?
Or is it just set up where you feel like?
I apologize, I am new to a lot of this.
**2020 NOBO**
Anywhere you see that will hold you and your tent. Unless it is off limits to camping.
One definition of stealth camping implies trepassing or camping illegally. Hopefully we're talking about merely hiding from sight in allowable areas.
In the southern Appalachians, I usually found it exceedingly easy to find prime camp sites on public land just out of sight of the trail. In the hardwood forests with inches of leaf duff, you don't need a pad, and you often have to dig a pit down to mineral soil to get tent stakes to hold. It gets harder, sometimes very hard, in New England.
"Throw a loaf of bread and a pound of tea in an old sack and jump over the back fence." John Muir on expedition planning
Just a quick head's up. The term "steath camping" has a disputed definition. Some people, including myself think it means camping in a way that has zero/near zero impact at an area that is not an established site. Others use the term to mean camping illegally. I assume you are referring to the first meaning.
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Stealth camping is a pass/fail endeavor. If no one on trail can tell you are there when you are there and no one standing where you camped can tell you camped there after you've left you have passed. Anything else is just camping.
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I think of stealth as camping when you dont want to be noticed. Doesnt have to be illegal. Might be near road or non-hikers, etc.
Even on AT if you are near a shelter that weekend teenagers like to party at close to a road, you might want to "stealth".
You should remediate any campsite thats not heavily used.
Last edited by MuddyWaters; 12-01-2016 at 11:41.
Stealthing to me was off the Trail where I couldn't see my own tent FROM the Trail except in the early months with no leaves anywhere.
However, that being said, several times my tent almost butted up against the tread-way for the night. There was no other place for me to go, IMO.
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AT Hike 2012 - 497 Miles of 2184
AT Thru Hiker - 29 FEB - 03 OCT 2016 2189.1 miles
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Originally Posted by TylerJ76
Yes to both.
You will find a lot of well used, obvious campsites along the trail. These are at or near shelters (useful because there's usually water nearby, a privy, and a table), at creek crossings, trail junctions, etc. The best way to reduce your impact on the trail is to use one of these sites, as it's already impacted.
In most places, you can also just "set up where you feel like", though you'll quickly discover why there are specific well used campsites: much of the trail doesn't lend itself to just randomly throwing down a tent. It's mostly not flat, for one thing, and there's generally trees and undergrowth everywhere. If you find a spot that is level, not overgrown, and visible from the trail, there's a 99% chance it'll be an obviously used campsite.
(In a few places, one is required to camp in specific places, for example in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, or there are regulations on how to choose a site that limit your selection.)
"Stealth camping" usually refers to camping out of site of the trail so no one knows you are there. It can also mean camping semi-legally or illegally. From your original post, I think you just mean "camping".
Have a great hike.
Isn't that what we call LNT?
And this is why the term has a bit of a double meaning.
When you are in an area that allows at-large camping (i.e. there's not designated sites), stealth camping usually means camping somewhere that other hikers are unlikely to find you. This usually means you're camping some distance away from the trail, and not doing things that are likely to get you noticed (such as burning a campfire).
But when you are in an area that requires you to camp at designated sites (such as GSMNP), then stealth camping means you are NOT camping at the designated sites and therefore camping illegally.
(And for a reminder to the new-comers, discussing how to commit illegal acts is against the TOS for WB)
To me stealth camping implies camping at a non-designated camp site, I would also exclude obvious 'socially created campsites' that are not official, but obvious. It may or may not be legal, legality does not play into the definition.
There are many good sites listed in the guide. And many fantastic sites not marked. near creeks, etc
There are clear signs in areas you can't camp, eg: "no camping for next 1 mile", a specific no camping sign, etc
Worst ever was one rainy night, I had walked on after dark because I was passing through a state park and good trail, rain comming down in buckets and I went in a restroom which was warm dry and lit and I was exhausted and sat down and went to sleep. Of course was rudely awakened next morning and scurried out.
Stealth camping does have several meanings. In the whites its usually illegal camping spots above treeline for thru hikers who don't want to drop down off the ridge to get to a legal site (usually an elevation loss of 1000 feet and about 1 mile of hiking. In other areas there are general prohibitions that require no camping expect at designated sites (all of CT) portions of Maine and elsewhere. Leaving those out of the discussion, generally a stealth camper is going to set up at or near dark and head soon out after sunrise. They get well off the trail out of sight. They do no improvements to the ground and find a natural flat spot (very rare in the whites). Rocks stay where they are. No campfires whatsoever. Hammock folks definitely have the advantage on stealth camping.
To the OP: Hammocks really open up a world of potential campsites in the forested Appalachians. You should try it out before you hit the AT to see if it is right for you.
Hammocking can allow you to camp away from the crowd, unnoticed, Leaving No Trace. Hammocks are great for stealth camping, whatever that is
Arrive late, leave early, and use a drab moss green shelter. If you hike/travel enough, sooner or later you will need to do this, often in the strangest of places...
Except on balds. You gotta have trees. So, the top of Max Patch is out.To the OP: Hammocks really open up a world of potential campsites in the forested Appalachians. You should try it out before you hit the AT to see if it is right for you.
Hammocking can allow you to camp away from the crowd, unnoticed, Leaving No Trace. Hammocks are great for stealth camping, whatever that is
On most of the AT you can camp pretty much where you like, if you're smart about it. Notable exceptions are GSMNP, much of the trail through the White Mountains, and at Baxter State Park. The state of CT requires you to camp at designated sites. There are a number of short stretches where camping is disallowed, eg. the 15 mile or so stretch between Darlington Shelter and Boiling Springs PA. A proper AT guide should spell out the restrictions. Just guessing at this number but probably 75% of the trail has no legal restrictions on camping.
Sometimes you're just limited by the terrain. Level spots are generally hard to find on steep climbs (not a problem for a hammock.) Camping on bare, high ridges sometimes isn't safe or smart. Camping near trailheads just is never smart. Etc.
Talk to me about Stealth Camping
we all referred to stealth camping as camping in spots where other hikers might not find you. There is almost always a small Trail, unless you're lucky enough to find the spot that noone's ever been 2. But we mainly only talked about it in the smokies and in the whites. there's very few spots where camping is limited because of legal reasons, they may phrase it where it sounds illegal but it is not. I don't know off-hand but I think it is 200 yards from a water source and 200 yards from a trail and your in the clear.
be clean.
I hate finding a nice secret stealth spot and then finding a whole stash of trash. the great spot is slightly ruined by the thought of the extra weight I have to hike out.
There are good places to camp and bad places to camp. The general rule of thumb is to always seek a spot which others have obviously used. If it's a good place to camp, many others have done so in the past. Clearing or otherwise making a new camping spot is discouraged. Anyway, that takes too much extra work.
Obvious, "non designated" sites are pretty common in the southern Appalachians up to Virginia. Once into VA, your on a more narrow and rocky ridge line and on a more narrow right of way corridor so good camping spots become much harder to come by. But there are some here and there - usually next to a big river. The farther north you go, the less frequent good camping spots become or it becomes out and out illegal.
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http://www.appalachiantrail.org/home...hiking/camping
See this page and the links on it. there is a pdf that shows state by state where you can and cannot camp. Dispersed camping is another name for the more positive meaning of stealth camping.
That is an excellent summary, but it should be noted that it is not entirely accurate.
For example, in the Whites the summary states one must:
"Camp at designated sites, or 1/4 mi fromroads, facilities and water, 200 feet fromtrail, below alpine zone (where trees are 8'tall or less). Additionally, in Great GulfWilderness, no camping within 1/4 mile onGreat Gulf Trail between its junctions withSphinx and Gulfside Trails."
In point of fact, there is no blanket prohibition against camping 1/4 mile from water (or even 200' from water), nor is there a blanket rule that one must camp 200' from the Trail except where is passes through certain Wilderness Areas.
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