View Full Version : Smoky mountians/ Back country pass/Bear canister
Trailbound Bug
01-03-2016, 01:06
My girlfriend and I start our Thru-hike NOBO March 21st or 22nd and we are worried about getting our back country pass for the smokies. I read that they are good for 30 days! So we were thinking about getting them the day before we leave so we have them and don't have to worry about stopping @ the Fontana Damn office to pick them up. Will it on average take longer then 30 days to get to the smokies? Also I haven't read about it anywhere, but someone told me we need a bear canister for the smokies! I didn't think so, but is this true? I am trying to do my best to plan ahead and make this a smooth hike, But I know its the AT and life will show up.
Go to the Appalachian trail conservancy site. there is information on permits and pretty much any other question
Lone Woof
01-03-2016, 07:07
I am tracking right along with you (depart 22 Feb). I have seen no requirement for canisters, but you are exprct to stay at their shelters. You should be just fine with getting your permit before you head out. See you out there.
Starchild
01-03-2016, 07:33
No canisters needed
Get them right before you leave, plenty of time on them to get there.
SouthMark
01-03-2016, 07:55
You walk right by the permit Kiosk at Fontana Dam. It is a self issued permit. You fill it out right there and drop one part in the box and take the other with you. Takes all of maybe 2 minutes.
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You walk right by the permit Kiosk at Fontana Dam. It is a self issued permit. You fill it out right there and drop one part in the box and take the other with you. Takes all of maybe 2 minutes.
This used to be the case but no longer is. These days you have to purchase a thru-hiking permit on-line, print it out, and it is good for a specific eight day period. You can buy it as much as 30 days before you plan to arrive (designating the date you plan to get there) or just before you enter GSMNP, but most prefer to buy it within a few days of getting there since that way they can be sure within a day or so of what day they are going to enter the park (there are some hiker oriented establishments in Franklin, NOC and Fontana that provide on-line access and a printer for this purpose). In my experience in 2015 some ridge runners and rangers in the park do ask to see the permit.
No bear canisters required. All shelters on the AT in the Smokies have food hoists (except the last one for a NOBO, the Davenport Gap Shelter).
Here is a link to the pertinent web page for thru-hiker permits at the park web site:
https://smokiespermits.nps.gov/index.cfm?BCPermitTypeID=2
Slo-go'en
01-03-2016, 13:55
If you can't hike 165 miles in 30 days, you shouldn't be on the AT. Most make it in just over 2 weeks.
If at all possible, print your permit with a laser printer so you don't have to worry about it getting wet and the ink running. If you use an inkjet printer, be sure to seal it well in a ziplock.
If you don't want to get the permit before you leave, you can do it at one of the town libraries along the way or at the NOC. If you really put it off, you can do it at the Fontana Village.
RE: Bear canisters. There is a short section of trail in Georgia where a bear canister is required if you want to camp in that area, but it's easy enough to avoid doing so. There is a camping area just before the forbidden zone and from there it's a short hike to Neel Gap and Mountain Crossings.
Sir Setsalot
01-03-2016, 14:48
Let me add a little tidbit of information to this thread. The permit is good for 38 days, BUT a thru hiker must complete the hike thru the the GSMNP within 8 days of entering.
Basic Trip Planning Information
Permits are required for all overnight stays in the backcountry.
Each thru-hiker must obtain a separate permit.
You must have a paper copy of your permit with you at all times while hiking through Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Please follow the instructions on your permit once you get to the park.
You may obtain an AT Thru-Hiker Permit up to 30 days in advance of the date you anticipate arriving in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
There is a cost of $20.00 per permit. The cost of the permit is non-refundable.
A Thru-Hiker Permit is valid for up to 38 days from the date you obtain it. Thru-Hikers have 8 days to get through the Smokies. A break to rest or resupply in a nearby town does not negate one's standing as a thru-hiker.
Thru-Hikers may tent in the immediate area around shelters only if the shelter is full. Thru-hikers are required to stay in shelters when there is space available. Thru-Hikers must always give up bunk space in shelters to those with shelter reservations.
You are responsible for compliance with all park regulations and are responsible for your own safety. To keep the AT Thru-Hiker experience as unrestricted as possible, it is important that Thru-Hikers are diligent in following all regulations and consistently practice Leave No Trace principles.
To help ensure that your trip is safe and enjoyable, we strongly encourage you to read Things You Need to Know (http://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/bc-things2know.htm) before planning your trip or completing a reservation.
Backpacking in the Smokies is much more challenging than many people realize. Additional trip planning assistance may be obtained through the Backcountry Information Office by calling 865-436-1297.
SouthMark
01-03-2016, 15:27
If you can't hike 165 miles in 30 days, you shouldn't be on the AT.
Who made that rule?
SouthMark
01-03-2016, 15:29
This used to be the case but no longer is. These days you have to purchase a thru-hiking permit on-line, print it out, and it is good for a specific eight day period. You can buy it as much as 30 days before you plan to arrive (designating the date you plan to get there) or just before you enter GSMNP, but most prefer to buy it within a few days of getting there since that way they can be sure within a day or so of what day they are going to enter the park (there are some hiker oriented establishments in Franklin, NOC and Fontana that provide on-line access and a printer for this purpose). In my experience in 2015 some ridge runners and rangers in the park do ask to see the permit.
No bear canisters required. All shelters on the AT in the Smokies have food hoists (except the last one for a NOBO, the Davenport Gap Shelter).
Here is a link to the pertinent web page for thru-hiker permits at the park web site:
https://smokiespermits.nps.gov/index.cfm?BCPermitTypeID=2
Thanks for the correction. Brain dead here. Comes with old age. lol
jdavis7590
01-03-2016, 15:36
SouthMark thank you for pointing that out. He certainly cannot call himself an ultralight hiker if he carries that huge soapbox around with him everywhere.
The Cleaner
01-03-2016, 18:37
I concur with Slo-go'en most hikers are close to Hot Springs after 30 days,well the ones who have a chance of finishing IMO.Also it's still WINTER in the high country along the southern end you will need warm sleeping bags and clothes till Damascus.A few years back I was at the Overmountain shelter on 5-10, a little ways north of Roan Mt., and it was 36* and windy enough to almost blow me backwards. :eek:
mtntopper
01-03-2016, 21:01
If you can't hike 165 miles in 30 days, you shouldn't be on the AT. Most make it in just over 2 weeks.
Now that is uncalled for. I don't care who you are. Take as long as you like to get to where ever you want to go.
Trailbound Bug
01-04-2016, 00:50
Hike your own hike that is what everyone tells me..... And I don't plan on taking 30 days to get there is was just a question of how long it will take to get to the smokies, and if buying the pass before we leave was a good idea. Thanks you all the POSITIVE and helpful feed back I have only hiked a few small trails like The Foothills Trail SC and am a new hiker looking for as much info as I can get. Thank you for any helpful feed back : )
Fireplug
01-14-2016, 18:12
This is news to me. I asked a few months ago about this and was told I could get it at the park entrance. Glad I seen this. But my next question is. Where else do these little surprises come up. I think I'll start a thread on this and have factual information posted.
Cuacoatchoo
01-15-2016, 17:01
If you can't hike 165 miles in 30 days, you shouldn't be on the AT..
Hehe, didn't the author of Wild average 5 miles a day at the start? that would only be 150 miles in 30 days.
But yeah that would be tough to finish with.
HooKooDooKu
01-15-2016, 17:57
This is news to me. I asked a few months ago about this and was told I could get it at the park entrance. Glad I seen this. But my next question is. Where else do these little surprises come up. I think I'll start a thread on this and have factual information posted.
There used to be a kiosk at the Fontana Dam Visitor Center where you could fill out a permit... you dropped one copy in the drop box and carried the other copy with you. But that was back in the days when you didn't have to pay for back country permits.
The rules changed about 2 years ago, and not everyone is up to date on the new permit requirements.
ATC "suggests" bear canister use from Springer to Damascus.
GSMNP permit needed, very easy to apply/pay for and print the permit at the NOC.
Bear canisters will be the new norm. not tomorrow or the next year but eventually. Dont stress about the smokies permit. very easy to do. do it at the N.O.C.