View Full Version : Unaka Mtn where to pitch tent
wolfywolfy
08-19-2018, 11:05
I plan to hike Iron Mtn to Erwin, TN for the 1st time very soon. Where is a good place to pitch a tent? and where to find water. And also Guthook is not showing any water from Clyde smith to a mile or so past beauty spot.
FrogLevel
08-19-2018, 11:32
I'm not sure why guthook isn't showing water but there's 3-4 sources between clyde smith and beauty spot. There are numerous spots to camp along the way as well. Greasy Creek Gap has some flat spots and water, Cherry Gap shelter is at the base of Unaka and has water. You can camp on the summit of Unaka but there's no water up there. There are quite a few places to camp near beauty spot. There's water at the forest service road crossing just before you summit beauty spot. Its blue-blazed and there's a campsite there.
This is an easy section to find tent sites I wouldn't worry about finding one.
wolfywolfy
08-19-2018, 12:32
I think I put the wrong shelter. I will be hiking from Iron Mtn Gap back to Erwin and heard not to stay on Beauty spot and stuff about a road running thru the area.
Mr. Bumpy
08-19-2018, 16:04
The top of Unaka Mountain is full of multiple tent and hammock sites. There is no water up there so take plenty. Over the years I have spent several very peaceful nights up there. On the south side get water at Beauty Spot Gap at the road, or there is probably a seep or two along the trail. On the north side I can't remember exactly where the water is, so take it at whatever gap you hit before the climb up.
DownYonder
08-19-2018, 16:55
Guthook has a picture of a piped spring at Beauty Spot Gap (second picture) but does not show that water source on the map.
I was wondering the same thing. We are doing Carvers to Uncle Johnnys in 3 weeks. Would like to tent 4-5 miles prior to Curly Maple but no tent sites are shown between the one near the top of Unaka Mtn down to Curly Maple Gap Shelter.
Gambit McCrae
08-20-2018, 10:08
Guthook has a picture of a piped spring at Beauty Spot Gap (second picture) but does not show that water source on the map.
I was wondering the same thing. We are doing Carvers to Uncle Johnnys in 3 weeks. Would like to tent 4-5 miles prior to Curly Maple but no tent sites are shown between the one near the top of Unaka Mtn down to Curly Maple Gap Shelter.
It is terribly difficult for me to go sobo from Carvers gap, knowing I wont see the balds
SteelCut
08-20-2018, 11:25
We are doing Carvers to Uncle Johnnys in 3 weeks. Would like to tent 4-5 miles prior to Curly Maple but no tent sites are shown between the one near the top of Unaka Mtn down to Curly Maple Gap Shelter.
There is supposedly a hidden campsite about 4 miles NOBO of Curley Maple Shelter. https://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php/112380-Campsite-just-before-Indian-Grave-Gap?p=1982153&viewfull=1#post1982153
These directions are for the NOBO hiker. Reverse them for going SOBO. So, you will start looking for faint trail 0.5 trail south of Indian Grave Gap or you can attempt to access it via the gravel road mentioned near Indian Grave Gap. I've never been to this campsite nor I have ever looked for this campsite, so you are on your own if you choose to look for it. But the author, 10-K, is a local so I believe his info is accurate.
Slo-go'en
08-20-2018, 11:43
There are been incidents at Beauty spot in the past. Like the three hikers held at gun point by some wacko local. There is a road to the top and locals will drive up there at all hours and party. I've camped at the spring a mile or so north of Beauty spot a few times without incident.
Tennessee Viking
08-20-2018, 12:17
1. Cherry Gap Shelter
2. Low Gap on the TN side. There is a spring; going through brush is a forest road/. And some saddle springs further SOBO before the rock trail.
3. Continue to Deep Gap where the trail drops from the summit and then up to BS through a large open field. At the gap directly across the forst road is short trail to a spring. There is plenty of camping in the field or a couple spots on the spring trail. Better views for camping IMO. Unaka summit is a great haunted forest feel to it.
4. Just before reaching BS summit (southbond) is a trail just touches the same forest road. There is a spring down a small blue blaze. This spring can be unreliable during hotter months. Beauty Spot can be a party spot during the warmer months. Trail vandalism is a common occurrence here. Illegal ATV traffic cause the place to closed down for reno a few years back.
5. It been a while but there is a handful of springs that run across the trail before Clyde. Then from Clyde is nothing but creek side and crossings out to Chesota.
From two years ago there was nothing after the base of Unaka Mt at Forest Service road. We found this after a sobo hike. Got past that spot thinking there was a campsite with water according to my map. Hike 2 miles and nothing. Ended up off trail after not having enough water at Indian Gap. {I think that was the name of the exit location.
Guthook has a picture of a piped spring at Beauty Spot Gap (second picture) but does not show that water source on the map.
Whoops. I'll fix that soon :-)
One of the features we're working on now will be a way for users to report "new" water sources and to quickly rate current ones so that we can have a better data set about water all up and down the trail after a while.
DownYonder
08-28-2018, 11:34
Whoops. I'll fix that soon :-)
One of the features we're working on now will be a way for users to report "new" water sources and to quickly rate current ones so that we can have a better data set about water all up and down the trail after a while.
I have your app and think that it is excellent!! How does the user add a tent site, like the one's mentioned in this thread? We're doing Carvers Gap to the Nolichucky next week and will try to find these tent sites. I have not been able to determine how to send photos and info to your site.
How does the user add a tent site, like the one's mentioned in this thread? We're doing Carvers Gap to the Nolichucky next week and will try to find these tent sites. I have not been able to determine how to send photos and info to your site.
Thanks for asking! Right now we don't have a feature for adding tent sites and so on. The next app update will have a feature for adding your own waypoints, and soon for adding your own photos. But because unofficial campsites are such an issue for trail managers, we won't have the option for sharing your own waypoints with the broader public. We do have a plan for monitoring waypoints that people create, so that we can pick and choose some of them to add to the data set in the app. Long story, but in a nutshell, we're adding some "crowd-sourced-lite" data to the app.