Tenting in the SNP

[canoe]

I am new to this site and new to hiking. My wife and I are planning a hike through SNP. Reading some of the regs it states that you can camp out of view of the trail. If this is so how can you find a site. Are the rangers strict? Do you what til dark to set up camp. hope you guys with experiance in the SNP can help.

[johnnybgood]

SNP isn't as restrictive as the Smoky's as long as you camp 20 yds from a trail or road, 10 yds from a stream,etc.
Finding a pre-existing campsite would be the best scenerio,but often hard to find in the thick forest understory this time of year.

Some of the best backcountry campsites in Shenandoah are on the blue-blazed trails.

I've never had a problem with Rangers, don't see them often either in the backcountry.

[canoe]

yes but this is where it gets confusing. 20yds on existing site(?) or out of site at a non existing site
5) Selecting a Campsite

• Allow time to look for a legal, comfortable, and safe place to camp, which protects the park as well as the solitude of other hikers and backcountry campers.
• Upon selecting an area to camp, look for and try to camp on pre-existing campsites out of sight of trails and roads. Don't create new campsites. Good campsites are found, not made.
• 
  
  • Pre-existing Campsites. Campsites have been created and established by prior visitor use and are not posted, signed, or designated by the park. Use only campsites that are at least 20 yards from a park trail or an unpaved fire road.
  • Dispersed Camping. If you cannot locate a pre-existing campsite, you may camp on a previously undisturbed area. Please use "pristine site camping" Leave No Trace practices to minimize the impacts of your campsite. Limit your stay to one night and camp well out of sight of trails and roads and other camping groups. Otherwise, "Pre-existing Campsite" regulations apply.t this is where it gets confusing

[johnnybgood]

yes but this is where it gets confusing. 20yds on existing site(?) or out of site at a non existing site
5) Selecting a Campsite

• Allow time to look for a legal, comfortable, and safe place to camp, which protects the park as well as the solitude of other hikers and backcountry campers.
• Upon selecting an area to camp, look for and try to camp on pre-existing campsites out of sight of trails and roads. Don't create new campsites. Good campsites are found, not made.
• 
  
  • Pre-existing Campsites. Campsites have been created and established by prior visitor use and are not posted, signed, or designated by the park. Use only campsites that are at least 20 yards from a park trail or an unpaved fire road.
  • Dispersed Camping. If you cannot locate a pre-existing campsite, you may camp on a previously undisturbed area. Please use "pristine site camping" Leave No Trace practices to minimize the impacts of your campsite. Limit your stay to one night and camp well out of sight of trails and roads and other camping groups. Otherwise, "Pre-existing Campsite" regulations apply.t this is where it gets confusing

"Pre-existing Campsite" regs meaning no camp fires , destroying vegetation , clearing a new site . I wouldn't worry so much about the wording and just remember the basic backcountry rules and adhere to LNT protocol.
If you're looking to stay clear of the shelter tent sites , there are sometimes decent sites a short distance downhill off a blue blaze trail that the AT crosses.

Enjoy your hike !

[Furlough]

Canoe,
My answer is that it depends. There are parts of the corridor that are restricted by trail, road and steepness of the trail that would make complete adherence to the rules pretty difficult. There are places, like up on High Top Mountain just above where the concrete water box is, on the right as you are headed north, that there is a good set of campsites that adhere to the rules. As johnnygood indicates, I too have never had a problem with the rangers. Usually, due to hiking style I am setting up in the late evening and breaking camp in the early morning. I generally have seen rangers in the late morning/early afternoon.

[Del Q]

Forget 20 yards................hike, have fun, tenting is great, with water and food you can camp anywhere................have found several nice spots in SNP to tent...............as I learn more about this "hobby" I like to time / pace my afternoons to finish about an hour from sunset...........have plenty / ample water, when I find home for the night its usually pretty obvious.

Sometimes around shelters, many times not

[Gator 65]

Thru hiked it in 2009 and just did an entire week in SNP. First things first..."....
1- get your back country permit.
2- plenty of tent sites at all of the shelters a few ideal spots in between. When getting near to dusk, start looking for a decent site so as a last resort you can backtrack to one if necessary
3- there are 5 different campgrounds touching the trail. Get a SNP map. They are a good resource showing road crossings camp stores and campgrounds.
4- the rangers will only bother you if you can be seen from the road ( Skyline Drive). Do not try to set up anywhere near the road or overlooks
5- make darn sure you use the Triangle policy for eating...".
A- eat in one spot, then hang your food bag in another spot and lastly, sleep in the 3rd or different locations. The bears in SNP make the bears elsewhere look like rookies when it comes to finding you and your food.

[jlo]

Hey, you can tent wherever you want in the SNP. The only thing to be careful of is that you can't have a fire if there isn't an established fire ring. I found lots of flat places to camp along the trail near water and just cooked with my camp stove or ate a dinner I didn't need to cook. And I didn't see one ranger on my hike last summer, so they wan't knit-pick your campsite, except of the fire-ring thing.

And don't be afraid to camp there because of bears. Just be smart, like the other poster said: don't eat/cook in the same place you're going to sleep and hang your food/toothpaste, etc. at least 100 ft. from where you'll sleep.

I stayed in several really cool camping spots with nice overlooks or near creeks that weren't official campsites and it was great! Don't feel like you need to pay for a campsite at Big Meadows or the other places. You can pay $1 to use the shower and then hike 100 feet down the trail and camp. I did that at Big Meadows and then got up and bought breakfast at the little restaurant there

Hope you have a good trip!

[canoe]

Thanks guys for the help. This puts my mind at ease. We are trying to get experiance for a longer hike if time allows. Our first 100 mile hike/multi day will help us learn how far we can go and how to plan for future trips. I figuired that a hike through SNP with campgrounds lodges, stores close by and fairly flat terraine will be a great place to start. Thanks again for the help.

[shelb]

Last year was my first 100 miler. A friend and I did the SNP with our kids. We enjoyed staying in shelters, as it provided a great way to meat other hikers and discuss the trail. However, I can understand why a couple might want to be tenting. I do not remember the specific rules, but my suggestion is to get the ten out of sight. Then you are "out of sight, out of mind." In July, we say 1 ranger and 3 trail runners in the park on the AP trails....

Have a great hike~

[fredmugs]

You don't need a permit but you do need to self register and you really don't have to stick to the schedule mlike you do in the Smokies. There is a kiosk on both ends. Fill it out and attach your copy to your pack - that's all any ranger is going to take note of if you happen to come across one. I would avoid tenting near the lodges and don't forget the blackberry shakes.