View Full Version : Smokies and Tenting
Planning to do the Newfound Gap to Pigeon River section in about 3 weeks, and pretty excited to be able to tent around the shelters instead of "sleep" with the mice inside. Not afraid of mice, but they just tend to keep me awake all night. We've got reservations at Icewater Springs, Tricorner Knob and Davenport Gap (will probably just go on to the car instead of stopping at Davenport for the night). I've looked at photos of all three shelters, and it looks to me like there are not a lot of good tent sites to be had at these three locations. Photos just show the shelter and immediate area around it, so it's hard to tell. Can anyone tell me if this is the case or not?
Gambit McCrae
09-15-2020, 12:46
Space is very limited. Now Icewater Springs has space in front of the porch, and I am PRETTY sure behind the shelter.
Tricorner has space for a few tents by the bear cables LOL and Northbound along the trail just after the shelter.
Davenport Gap -Pretty sure has plenty of room
Space is very limited. Now Icewater Springs has space in front of the porch, and I am PRETTY sure behind the shelter.
Tricorner has space for a few tents by the bear cables LOL and Northbound along the trail just after the shelter.
Davenport Gap -Pretty sure has plenty of room
Great, thanks Gambit, appreciate the info. Do you think I'd be better off hammock hanging instead?
HooKooDooKu
09-15-2020, 16:24
Great, thanks Gambit, appreciate the info. Do you think I'd be better off hammock hanging instead?
I don't see why not... lots of every green trees at both campsites.
I would think you would just have to make sure your straps are long enough in case you can't easily find a pair of trees ideally spaced apart (as you're not allowed to attach the hammock to the shelter itself)..
Looking at the satellite views (and what I just generally recall about the areas in general)...
At IceWater:
Looks like there is a grove of trees directly behind the shelter like Gambit mentioned.
In the other directions, you've got the privy or the mountain side quickly drops off.
Having walked past there several times, I seem to recall the top of the mountain, across the trail from the shelter, looks like a nice place.
At Tricorner:
There's not much to this place. You've got the shelter and the area in front of the shelter that is the water source, bear cables, and the privy.
Everything else is hill-side. Looks like there might be some trees behind the shelter. Otherwise, you might have to cross the AT and check out the trees at the top of the hill.
Space is very limited. Now Icewater Springs has space in front of the porch, and I am PRETTY sure behind the shelter.
Tricorner has space for a few tents by the bear cables LOL and Northbound along the trail just after the shelter.
Davenport Gap -Pretty sure has plenty of roomThere are plenty of places outside the park past Davenport Shelter. Around the shelter is mostly rocks and the toilet field with poop under all of the rocks.
rmitchell
09-15-2020, 18:44
At Tricorner there is a small spot just to the right as you approach the shelter on the spur trail. If you tent under the bear cables that is very close to the privy.
Northbound near the intersection with Balsam Mountain Trail there is a horse hitching area. If there are no horses there is room for several tents.
Gambit McCrae
09-16-2020, 09:24
Ive never really understood people tenting under bear cables.....
Ive never really understood people tenting under bear cables.....
Yeah, would not want to go there unless I had no other choices. Thanks to all for the great info, especially Davenport shelter. The pics of that place do not look too inviting.
ldsailor
09-16-2020, 11:45
I was at Icewater a few years ago and took this picture. Plenty of room for tents. The picture was taken looking out from the shelter.
https://i2.wp.com/tonysadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/20160426_192400-Small.jpg?ssl=1
HooKooDooKu
09-16-2020, 14:10
I was at Icewater a few years ago and took this picture. Plenty of room for tents. The picture was taken looking out from the shelter.
https://i2.wp.com/tonysadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/20160426_192400-Small.jpg?ssl=1
What time of year was this taken?
What I've observed is that many shelters have grasses growing around them. The grass dies back in the winter and the spring thru hikers are able to camp on the grass. But then once the thru hikers disappear for the season, the grass grows two feet and then there is no room to rent.
HooKooDooKu
09-16-2020, 14:12
Ive never really understood people tenting under bear cables.....
I would never tent under the bear cables... But I've often notices that the ground at the bear cables often looks like the best spot in the campsite to setup a tent (level with ground well beatten down)
ldsailor
09-16-2020, 14:24
What time of year was this taken?
What I've observed is that many shelters have grasses growing around them. The grass dies back in the winter and the spring thru hikers are able to camp on the grass. But then once the thru hikers disappear for the season, the grass grows two feet and then there is no room to rent.
The picture was taken April 26, 2016. The shelter was full with over twenty hikers and then the tents. Obviously I was in the middle of a big bubble.
Lots of space at Icewater, even to the right of the photo and down a bit. I was at Tricorner earlier this year. I set up my tent to the left side of the shelter as you are looking at it. It is a level lower than the trail leading to the shelter, next to a downed tree. Room for 2 tents, easily.
rmitchell
09-17-2020, 11:56
Horse hitching area at Tricorner4676546766
September 2019
Horse hitching area at Tricorner4676546766
September 2019
Wow, OK, there's plenty of room at Icewater and Tricorner looks like. Thanks for the photos!
Not sure if I replied yet, but we did same section in July. I hate shelters but like the company and it was great staying around but not in them. We had no problem hanging our hammocks at either site, Pecks Corner or Cosby Knob. There were a bunch of people at each, much more than the limit, so it was clear not everyone had reservations. Trail ranger came by Pecks Corner to post a bear warning and ignored the over capacity crowd. You sure won’t have issues with water. I hiked north of GSMNP a year ago and many water spots were dry.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
HooKooDooKu
09-19-2020, 10:35
There were a bunch of people at each, much more than the limit, so it was clear not everyone had reservations. Trail ranger came by Pecks Corner to post a bear warning and ignored the over capacity crowd. You sure won’t have issues with water. I hiked north of GSMNP a year ago and many water spots were dry.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sad news, but confirms other stories I've heard.
I sort of understand the situation... They.are understaffed and GROSSLY underfunded. From a logical stand point, the problem could be solved if they simply hired more rangers and paid for it with the fines those rangers could impose given the number of bad actors out there. But this is a government enterprise, so logic doesn't work (I assume any fines collected would just go to the general national park budget rather than to GSMNP specifically).
I recall a story from years ago, I don't know what national park it was, but the superintendent of the park was being forced to layoff employees because he wasn't getting the money he was supposed to. So he laid off the people that collected the entrance fees... because the park didn't retain those fees, they just went to Washington.
Slo-go'en
09-19-2020, 12:36
Sad news, but confirms other stories I've heard.
I recall a story from years ago, I don't know what national park it was, but the superintendent of the park was being forced to layoff employees because he wasn't getting the money he was supposed to. So he laid off the people that collected the entrance fees... because the park didn't retain those fees, they just went to Washington.
Same situation here in the Whites, the F.S. has pretty much given up collecting parking fees or enforcing them. Most collection boxes are taped up.
Thanks Lester, appreciate the reply. I was about to commit to the tent, but may change my mind now.