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coppedc
09-05-2007, 00:16
My buddy and I are planning a hike thru the central district of the SNP starting at Swift Run Gap and going to Thorton Gap (south to north). Just wondering if anyone can tell us where some shelters w/ water might be at off the AT. I read all the books, but it would be nice to hear from experienced hikers. We're not experienced hikers so we're expecting an average of 6 miles a day with plenty of side trails.

Thanks.

Lellers
09-19-2007, 15:31
I have no recommendations on shelters, since I haven't done any distance on the AT in SNP for a couple of years. I was up at Big Meadows this weekend, however, using it as a base camp for day hikes. We did a 9-mile roundtrip from the campground, taking the AT from behind the amphitheater to Milam's Gap, and then taking the Mill Prong Trail down to Camp Rapidan, President Hoover's mountain retreat. It was a nice hike, and there were some lovely and very knowledgeable resident volunteers down there to show off the camp and tell you the history of the place. I believe the gentleman is a retired VA Tech history professor. We had a great time picking his brain and checking out the historic site. If you have time for it, it's a nice side hike. The Mill Prong Trail comes into the AT on the east side of the Drive just opposite the Milam's Gap parking lot. It's about 2 miles from there down to Camp Rapidan. Lots of water along the way. I'm a history buff, so I really enjoyed it down there.