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bigmac_in
10-26-2005, 11:52
I'm a newbie - planning to start section hiking from Springer Mountain this weekend. Wondering if it is OK to camp at the USFS 42 parking area on Friday night. Has anyone done this, or have a better idea?

Can't wait to get started!

Footslogger
10-26-2005, 12:00
Not sure what the overnight regulations are at FS 42 but I'd suggest you park your car there and then walk south the 0.8 miles to the Springer summit and set up camp near the shelter.

'Slogger

bigmac_in
10-26-2005, 12:20
I would go ahead and hike to the summit, but I'm not sure when we'll get there Friday evening. Don't want to hike and/or set up camp after dard.

Footslogger
10-26-2005, 12:27
I would go ahead and hike to the summit, but I'm not sure when we'll get there Friday evening. Don't want to hike and/or set up camp after dard.===============================
Well ...if the weather's good you'll have a little more daylight on the summit than down below. Either way, if it was me I probably wouldn't set up camp right there at FS42. You can just as easily walk into the woods headed north and will find a suitable place to pitch a tent. Another thought would be to just crash in your car and head out early in the morning.

'Slogger

Lone Wolf
10-26-2005, 12:51
I've camped there at FS 42 a bunch of times. Just don't trash it.

max patch
10-26-2005, 13:02
People have camped on the perimeter of the parking lot although more spend the night in their truck or SUV than actually setting up a tent.

Rather than tent at the parking lot if it was me I would continue on to either 3 forks (flat and water) while keeping an eye open for one of the camping spots along Noontootla creek OR I would camp at Hickory Flatts Cemetary.

Given your circumstances I'd recommend staying at the Cemetary. Pitch a tent or sleep under the pavillion.

The Solemates
10-26-2005, 13:11
you can legally camp anywhere on USFS land to my knowledge. but be sure to LNT. but the relatively easy hike to the summit is less than a mile, which would be no problem by headlamp. on weekend trips, we often hike in a mile or so to set up camp on a friday night because we couldnt get away from the office in the early afternoon, and thus were arriving in the dark.

Morning Glory
10-26-2005, 13:18
When I was there last November, we drove in about 10:30 p.m., way after dark and hiked to the top and slept in the shelter. The shelter was empty, but we never thought about how inconsiderate it might have been of us to come stomping in at 11 p.m. if others were sleeping at the shelter.

bigmac_in
10-26-2005, 14:01
I've camped there at FS 42 a bunch of times. Just don't trash it.
Don't worry, no one will know we were there once we are gone.

Sly
10-26-2005, 14:47
When I was there last November, we drove in about 10:30 p.m., way after dark and hiked to the top and slept in the shelter. The shelter was empty, but we never thought about how inconsiderate it might have been of us to come stomping in at 11 p.m. if others were sleeping at the shelter.

Unless you made all sorts of unnecessary noise I wouldn't have worried about it too much. It's really not that much different than waking hikers who are asleep at 7PM or still sleeping at 7AM.

RockyTrail
10-26-2005, 17:35
I'm a newbie - planning to start section hiking from Springer Mountain this weekend. Wondering if it is OK to camp at the USFS 42 parking area on Friday night. Has anyone done this, or have a better idea?

Can't wait to get started!You can camp at the car lot, but it's not that much of a walk to the Springer shelter area; maybe 20 mins from the parking lot and it's a shallow grade uphill. There is also a small open field 75 yds to the left of the shelter that makes a nice tent spot. I wouldn't worry too much about waking people up at the shelter, just try not to make any unnecessary noise. When I stay in a shelter (rarely) I expect to hear people come in as late as 1 am and they usually do! Besides, if you are quiet enough you will blend into the scratching rat sounds...hee hee....happy hiking!

bigmac_in
10-26-2005, 20:40
You can camp at the car lot, but it's not that much of a walk to the Springer shelter area; maybe 20 mins from the parking lot and it's a shallow grade uphill. There is also a small open field 75 yds to the left of the shelter that makes a nice tent spot. I wouldn't worry too much about waking people up at the shelter, just try not to make any unnecessary noise. When I stay in a shelter (rarely) I expect to hear people come in as late as 1 am and they usually do! Besides, if you are quiet enough you will blend into the scratching rat sounds...hee hee....happy hiking!
Thanks for the help - EVERYONE - I think we'll play it by ear. If we are there before dark, we might go ahead and hike to the shelter. If it's dark we'll sleep in the SUV. Either way, we'll be starting at the Springer summit early Saturday morning.

Nightwalker
10-26-2005, 21:51
I've camped there at FS 42 a bunch of times. Just don't trash it.
Camp in the back of your truck like LW does sometimes. He be a smart boy on occasion. Real smart, actually, I just like to give him crap to keep that head of his from gettin' too fat.

:D

Newb
10-26-2005, 22:28
I was on FS42 last week. I pulled over at a campsite about 1/2 a mile from the parking lot. There was quite a Toilet paper farm blooming there. Very sad.

dtimko
10-31-2005, 20:16
Are there fire rings at the campsites at Springer?

Dances with Mice
10-31-2005, 20:37
Are there fire rings at the campsites at Springer?There is one right in front of the shelter. The campsites on either side of the shelter area don't (...or recently didn't...) have rings and please don't build one. Areas outside the shelter clearing large enough for a fire ring would also be a good tent site and those are in short supply each spring.

dtimko
10-31-2005, 20:55
There is one right in front of the shelter. The campsites on either side of the shelter area don't (...or recently didn't...) have rings and please don't build one. Areas outside the shelter clearing large enough for a fire ring would also be a good tent site and those are in short supply each spring.

Well, this would be for an upcoming weekend. I'd prefer a fire in this weather. I was hoping there would be some.