PDA

View Full Version : Tenting ON Clingman's Dome?



JumpMaster Blaster
05-10-2015, 10:05
A thru hiker literally set his tent up on Clingmans Dome. At the top of the observation tower.

I've never done a callout thread, but what this guy did is an example (to me) of the "I can do whatever I want whenever I want" crowd.

30710 (https://appalachian2015.wordpress.com/2015/05/05/a-bear-ate-my-stuff/)

illabelle
05-10-2015, 10:28
Sad to see people so clueless. Any idea whether this was a thru or section hiker that ought to know better?

Tipi Walter
05-10-2015, 11:05
God bless him. Remember, the Dome itself and the paved trail to it and the parking lot nearby is the real permanent eyesore and land damage. A nylon tent? No way.

Old Hiker
05-10-2015, 11:14
Looking at the time of day, could it possibly be a "tent selfie" ?

MuddyWaters
05-10-2015, 11:21
no arguement that the concrete tower is just about the ugliest POS Ive ever seen anywhere, but its stillnot the right thing to do in a national park.

saltysack
05-10-2015, 11:39
If it was set up late evening and taken down fairly early who cares? What's difference than camping atop a fire tower? Both ugly obtrusive made made objects that detract from the wilderness experience....similar to that of a shelter......just my .02....I assume both are illegal..therefore I wouldn't do it...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Tipi Walter
05-10-2015, 11:50
If it was set up late evening and taken down fairly early who cares? What's difference than camping atop a fire tower? Both ugly obtrusive made made objects that detract from the wilderness experience....similar to that of a shelter......just my .02....I assume both are illegal..therefore I wouldn't do it...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The big difference is the Dome and paved trail etc are permanent scars, the tent is temporary.

evan_rolltide
05-10-2015, 11:57
I aspire to live in a world where someone else's tent placement bothers me that much. I remember GNAR points being awarded in 2013 for setting up your tent/hammock on/across the trail itself. I laughed.

johnnybgood
05-10-2015, 12:35
I personally wouldn't set my tent up on a concrete slab regardless . A beautiful sunset can be seen from a mountaintop campsite miles away from this tourist spot.

saltysack
05-10-2015, 13:17
The big difference is the Dome and paved trail etc are permanent scars, the tent is temporary.

I agree....I'd rather see neither......


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

ny breakfast
05-10-2015, 13:39
i have yet to been to this part of the trail. i wouldn't want to set up there, but maybe a reason, could be sun poisoning, injury, sickness, drying out a wet tent etc. if it were me and i had done some thing like this for a reason I'd explain, apologize to any on comers and ask if they mind, offer to take down. most likely a tourist camper,not a backpacker.

Starchild
05-10-2015, 14:40
Is there any harm done? I take it as one of those things we do because we are human and sometimes we do weird stuff which causes no harm and provides us a story to tell.

bigcranky
05-10-2015, 15:51
No harm, but a ranger would give you an expensive ticket.

Starchild
05-10-2015, 16:14
No harm, but a ranger would give you an expensive ticket.

This is the problem with laws, we are getting fined for being human and doing nothing wrong at times, and doing exactly what we are meant to do. Fear imposed often prevents us from living and that is a larger crime.

rickb
05-10-2015, 16:32
Is there any harm done?

It is the peeing over the edge, and the grey water fling that follow which would concern me. I suppose it it possible not to, be as long as you are camping up there...

What kind of tent is that, anyway? Looks like a nice one.

Walkintom
05-10-2015, 16:40
Last I checked the world didn't end because of this.

In my book, it's no harm, no foul. Between him and the park.

Double Wide
05-10-2015, 17:23
Amazing the shiat we get our panties in a wad over, here on White Blaze...

kayak karl
05-10-2015, 17:38
This is the problem with laws, we are getting fined for being human and doing nothing wrong at times, and doing exactly what we are meant to do. Fear imposed often prevents us from living and that is a larger crime. so do away with laws so you can live your life as you please??

Tipi Walter
05-10-2015, 17:46
This is the problem with laws, we are getting fined for being human and doing nothing wrong at times, and doing exactly what we are meant to do. Fear imposed often prevents us from living and that is a larger crime.

A reasonable policy with a small population but unworkable inside a fireant nest with 330 million Americans all with cell phones and all eager to become snitches. Wait until 2050 when we have 450,000,000. Every person will be into every other person's business.

Walkintom
05-10-2015, 18:04
A reasonable policy with a small population but unworkable inside a fireant nest with 330 million Americans all with cell phones and all eager to become snitches. Wait until 2050 when we have 450,000,000. Every person will be into every other person's business.

Well, at least we ain't China!

Tipi Walter
05-10-2015, 18:10
We're workin' on it.

HooKooDooKu
05-10-2015, 19:43
While illegal, it at least was a LNT tent placement.

Del Q
05-10-2015, 20:15
There are spots to stealth tent close to Clingman's if you so choose...............great views

FlyFishNut
05-10-2015, 21:00
A reasonable policy with a small population but unworkable inside a fireant nest with 330 million Americans all with cell phones and all eager to become snitches. Wait until 2050 when we have 450,000,000. Every person will be into every other person's business.

In 2050, a drone would swoop in and beam him up - putting him / her into detention. Big Brother... it's coming...

Emerson Bigills
05-10-2015, 21:15
I wonder if he hung his food bag. :)

HooKooDooKu
05-11-2015, 03:05
There are spots to stealth tent close to Clingman's if you so choose...............great views

None that are legal... and therefore not allowed to discuss per TOS

earlyriser26
05-11-2015, 07:37
I don't have a problem with it if it is late in the day and CD is closed to the public. LNT campsite. I would not do it because you are begging to get caught. Some of my best memories are tenting on fire towers.

Tipi Walter
05-11-2015, 07:54
I don't have a problem with it if it is late in the day and CD is closed to the public. LNT campsite. I would not do it because you are begging to get caught. Some of my best memories are tenting on fire towers.

One of the best aspects of backpacking and camping for me is the feeling of freedom it produces. Part of this freedom is being legal and not having to sneak around and stealth camp in town cemeteries or behind churches or off interstates or under a bush by the courthouse. I spent years stealth camping and while those were glorious years I now best enjoy being legal and not getting hassled by the Tent Police. Setting up on Clingman's is just asking for it. And you just know that a fat American rolling couch potato (i.e. tourist) will find you and snitch you out to the Tent Police.

full conditions
05-11-2015, 08:34
I don't have a problem with it if it is late in the day and CD is closed to the public. LNT campsite. I would not do it because you are begging to get caught. Some of my best memories are tenting on fire towers.
Clingman's Dome doesn't close to the public at night - plenty of folks come up to look at the stars or for the sunrise.

HooKooDooKu
05-11-2015, 09:01
Clingman's Dome doesn't close to the public at night - plenty of folks come up to look at the stars or for the sunrise.
You are correct, you are allowed to be at Clingman's Dome any time of day.

But then again you can say the same thing for the entire back country. Fact remains that you are only allowed to "camp" at designated locations, and Clingman's Dome is NOT one of them.

full conditions
05-11-2015, 09:10
You are correct, you are allowed to be at Clingman's Dome any time of day.

But then again you can say the same thing for the entire back country. Fact remains that you are only allowed to "camp" at designated locations, and Clingman's Dome is NOT one of them.
I'm aware. That wasn't my point. My point is that the tower is open to visitation 24r hours/ day and setting up your tent up there, besides being illegal (which it is), is potentially interfering with someone else's visit - and that aint' cool.

Ashepabst
05-11-2015, 09:53
he/she's lucky that sucker didn't take off like a kite.

Starchild
05-11-2015, 09:55
I'm aware. That wasn't my point. My point is that the tower is open to visitation 24r hours/ day and setting up your tent up there, besides being illegal (which it is), is potentially interfering with someone else's visit - and that aint' cool.

Does the road close at night?

full conditions
05-11-2015, 10:11
Does the road close at night?
Not unless there's an ice or snow storm the night in question.

Andrewsobo
05-11-2015, 13:42
While I'll admit that this didn't do any actual damage, it's just indicative of an unhealthy attitude of "I can do what I want and the rules don't apply to me". The AT, and the Smokies specifically, are very high usage. There are land managers that try to establish policies that will keep the resource intact despite the high usage. These people care about the land just like we do, and they try to come up with policies that make sense to allow people to use the resource while maintaining it.

swisscross
05-11-2015, 15:25
Guess that is one way to avoid the shelters!

martinb
05-11-2015, 16:10
In 2050, a drone would swoop in and beam him up - putting him / her into detention. Big Brother... it's coming...

It's closer than you think. One night while you are sitting around the campfire at a BP site, a NP drone will pay a visit to check on things.

bigcranky
05-11-2015, 17:56
Yeah, maybe this hiker did no harm, but if camping were legal up there the entire surrounding area would be covered with human feces and the odor of urine at the base of the tower would be overpowering. Not to mention all the trash left up on the tower and in the surrounding woods. It would be worse at Clingman's since there's a road all the way up to it, unlike most fire towers.

There's a reason why the rules exist.

perdidochas
05-11-2015, 18:04
Yeah, maybe this hiker did no harm, but if camping were legal up there the entire surrounding area would be covered with human feces and the odor of urine at the base of the tower would be overpowering. Not to mention all the trash left up on the tower and in the surrounding woods. It would be worse at Clingman's since there's a road all the way up to it, unlike most fire towers.

There's a reason why the rules exist.

Exactly! It would be pretty disgusting if everybody started doing things like that.

LittleRock
05-13-2015, 08:12
Hope he had a good ground pad - that's some hard concrete up there!

NoSew
05-13-2015, 08:16
I love that observation tower! It provides visitors with a 360 view of one of the most beautiful places on Earth. I envy this persons experience

Alligator
05-13-2015, 08:28
One of the best aspects of backpacking and camping for me is the feeling of freedom it produces. Part of this freedom is being legal and not having to sneak around and stealth camp in town cemeteries or behind churches or off interstates or under a bush by the courthouse. I spent years stealth camping and while those were glorious years I now best enjoy being legal and not getting hassled by the Tent Police. Setting up on Clingman's is just asking for it. And you just know that a fat American rolling couch potato (i.e. tourist) will find you and snitch you out to the Tent Police.If you can't be respectful please don't post. Your way is not the only way people recreate.

May not be much of a view there without human intervention. It is kind of flat with trees. Without intervention as a park it might actually have no view or a view of a cutover.

golfjhm
05-13-2015, 10:08
Not unless there's an ice or snow storm the night in question.

Road to Clingmans is seasonal. I bet this was done during off season. I prefer to avoid national parks due to all their regulations and people. National Forests and Wilderness Areas are where its at. No permits, rangers, ridgerunners and tent where you want. Just my preference.

egilbe
05-13-2015, 15:38
Road to Clingmans is seasonal. I bet this was done during off season. I prefer to avoid national parks due to all their regulations and people. National Forests and Wilderness Areas are where its at. No permits, rangers, ridgerunners and tent where you want. Just my preference.

Not necessarily. WMNF has a bunch of rules and limitations on where you can camp.

mtntopper
05-13-2015, 19:25
No one stayed in it over night. It was setup for the photo. To brag to his buddies.