terms

[SillyGirl]

There are different words used to describe different shelters in the databook, but they are not all explained very well. Whats the difference between a campground and a campsite? a shelter, a lodge, a hut? anything else I might run into. Which places do you have to pay at? which are free? some are obvious, some are not i guess. I realize this is kind of a silly question, but an answer is needed :) thanks!

I ordered the companion, but it has not arrived yet... perhaps this has more information?

[rafe]

There are only a few places on the trail where you have to pay -- the only ones I know of are huts or tent platforms run by the GMC (Vermont) or AMC (mostly New Hampshire.) The AMC establishments offer a lot of services (bunks, meals, drinks, etc.) as opposed to most of the lean-tos and shelters that you find on the trail. They almost always have a live-in crew, from one person to several. There are AMC huts in NJ, MA, and NH -- but the ones most hikers complain about are in the Whites.

[QHShowoman]

Campsite: A designated place where camping is allowed. Camping in undesignated areas is referred to as "stealth camping." "Primitive" campsites refer to areas where there are no facilities or potable water sources, although some primitive sites may contain pit toilets. In many places, camping is limited to designated campsites only or on durable surfaces as to minimize impact.

Campground: A bunch of campsites grouped together. Campgrounds are often pay for use and may have facilities like bathrooms, showers, etc.

Shelter: On the AT, "shelter" refers to most of the free structures available to AT hikers to stay in. Many shelters are three-sided structures constructed specifically for this purpose; other shelters may have been existing structures such as barns or outbuildings that have been co-opted for use as AT shelters. Shelters are generally first-come first-served and the facilities surrounding shelters will vary by maintainer.

Lodges: Usually used to describe the lodging options in Shenandoah National Park. Lodges are essentially like inns; you pay to stay and to eat and accommodations range from cabins to individual rooms to dormitory-style quarters.

Huts: Usually refers to the lodging offered by the AMC/GMC. For a fee, hikers can get a bunk to sleep in and hot meals. Huts are managed by "croos." Some huts offer a limited amount of work-for-stay deals, and I think many take reservations in advance.

Hostels: Usually located off the trail, hostels are places where hikers can stay (usually for a nominal fee or donation). Some hostels are run by organizations or churches, others are run by individuals. The amenities provided by hostels will vary by hostel.

[Jack Tarlin]

Yes, your Companion will provide you with lots more information. Til then:

*A "campsite" is just that....it's a place where it's OK to camp. It usually
refers to a small piece of cleared land where one can set up a tent, tarp,
or bivy. In some cases, there's a raised square wooden "sleeping platform"
for people to stay on. Established campsites almost always are located to
a reliable water source, and usually, tho not always have pit outhouses.

*A "campground" has more amenities: It is almost always car accessible, and
each campsite has a place to park a vehicle. Campgrounds can either be
privately owned, or me be located in large Parks, like Shenandoah National
Park. There is almost always a fee to stay. Sevices that may be available
at campgrounds are showers; laundry; telepones; small camp stores; and in
some cases, snack bars or restaurants.

*A "shelter" on the A.T. generally refers to a small wooden structure designd
for hikers to sleep in. Imagine a very small cabin with the front wall missing;
the roof is usually angled and well overhangs the front of the shelter, sothe
inside wil stay dry, except in really horrible weather. Shelters come in all
shapes and sizes, tho most sleep 6 to 8 people on a first-come, first served
basis. On the Trail, shelters are usually no more than ten miles apart, tho in
some cass, the distance is greater. Inmany high-use areas, they are lots
closer than that. Except in a very few select cases (usually these are very
highhly used areas that have permanent on-site caretakers, staying at a
shelter is free.

*A "Hut" generally refers to a very, multi-roomed cabin that hikers can stay
at for a fee. All have bunkrooms, bathrooms, and comon areas. Most
offer meals; some have self-use kitchens. On the A.T., the phrase "Hut"
almost always applies to the facilities of the Appalachian Mountain Club in
New Hampshire's White Mountians. There will be a lot more info on this in
your Companion.

*A "Lodge" usually means a high-end hut, or somtimes, a motel-type room
that is usually found in a large park, like Shenandoah. Accomodation here
usually means a private or semi-private room, which means they can be
expensive for most hikers. All "Lodges" also have a dining room or restaurant
on the premises.

Hope this helps.

Please note that at www.appalachiantrail.org and www.aldha.org you'll find a
lot of info for prospective thru-hikers that will answer questions like the ones you just asked. The ATC will also send you, for free, a very informative info
packet designed just for prospective Thru-Hikers; they also publish a pretty good planing guide that can be purchased by going to the "Ultimate Trail Store" section of the website at www.appalachiantrail.org

[totally Boagus]

Remember the "huts" in SHP are just like the shelters just a few miles to the south and north:)

[Jack Tarlin]

Boagus is 100% correct; I'd forgotten that. The Trail shelters in Shenandoah National Park are indeed called "Huts" for some reason, but anyone who is expecting any sorts of special amenities or services there is in for a pretty big surprise. They are shelters, pure and simple.

[map man]

Also, in parts of New England, particularly Maine, the term "lean-to" is used instead of "shelter." Same kind of structures, though.

[The Weasel]

A lot of terms are regional in character. I once asked a Georgia resident what a "stamp" was - I thought that was something you put on an envelope - after seeing all those "Stamps" as a part of a name of what looked to this midwestern kid suspiciously like what we called "hills." He looked a little perplexed and said, "Well, that's like a knob." I said, "Well, in Michigan, a "knob" is what you pull to turn your car lights on. What's a knob?" (This is not a joke. This was a real conversation. Honest.) He said, "Well, kinda like a bald, but not bare." Bald? Not bare? OK. I knew there was a difference between Yankee and Southern.

Further up the trail I went, the more I saw different terms for the same thing. And the Data Book and guides follow those names for things.

the Weasel

[dperry]

Boagus is 100% correct; I'd forgotten that. The Trail shelters in Shenandoah National Park are indeed called "Huts" for some reason, but anyone who is expecting any sorts of special amenities or services there is in for a pretty big surprise. They are shelters, pure and simple.

And to make it even more confusing, the structures officially called "shelters" in SNP are picnic tables with roofs over them, and you are not permitted to sleep or tent within them.

[Jack Tarlin]

And yet more confusion....

Some of the Snack Bars/Camp Stores in Shenandoah National Park are called "Waysides" on maps and in Trail Guides. But the first Trail shelter North of the Park is called "Tom Floyd Wayside" and is nothing more than a shelter (admittedly a very handsome one), tentsites, and a water source. For years hikers have pulled in here hoping to get a burger or shake from the "Tom Floyd Wayside" and have been unpleasantly surprised.

There are probably other examples.

[SillyGirl]

Thanks everyone, all very helpful answers. im looking forward to getting the companion. i have the data book, but its an older edition.

[Jack Tarlin]

I'm waiting for mine, also, it's supposed to arrive any day.

If you have any more questions, keep 'em coming.

[TJ aka Teej]

Here's the Trail Terms and Slang article that we put together a few year back, that probably could use some more up-to-date input from young and recent ATers.

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=8115

[emerald]

If you're in the south in the spring, you are likely to hear ruffed grouse drumming. Hike far enough north, those birds are called partridges. Don't ask me where that happens or if a birds feels different after crossing that line, I don't know.:confused:

[freefall]

If you're in the south in the spring, you are likely to hear ruffed grouse drumming. Hike far enough north, those birds are called partridges. Don't ask me where that happens or if a birds feels different after crossing that line, I don't know.:confused:

I've noticed the grouse in the south have a drawl to their drumming.;)