View Full Version : BMT in the Smokies
Okay, I'm being cheap here... My National Geographic map of the Smokies is old enough it doesn't show the BMT on it. From the BMT Association website it looks as if the trail follows the Twentymile Trail, the Lost Cove Trail, the Lakeshore Trail, the Noland Creek Trail, Pole Road Creek Trail, Sunkota Ridge Trail, and so on.
In the southern part of the Park it looks as if there are plenty of campsites that don't need reservations. I haven't stayed at any of them so I'm looking for recommendations. Do you have any favorites? I'm looking at Memorial Day weekend.:eek:
Marta,
This may help . Here is the GSMNP trail map link.
http://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/upload/trails2005.pdf
Here is the BMTA link
http://www.bmta.org/sections/BMT-SecDescrip-Smokies.pdf
Egads
Marta, i really like the following campsites.
86
98
65
52
47
44
laurel gap
38
I've not done the BMT per se, but i have done all the trails in the park. Really all the sites along the BMT in the park are pretty nice. These i have listed are just the ones i like the best.
Campsite 86 on Hazel Creek is very nice. It's a fairly large site right by the creek. Almost a perfect spot for the average "creek rock crazy" sorta backpacker.
Newton Bald (52) ain't bad either, but it's pretty small. Can get seriously windy also.
generoll
05-11-2008, 14:25
Check out Cuffs BMT trip report from last October. She went from Twenty Mile to Smokemont and lists all the campsites she stayed at, as well as one which is not accessible by trail. That would have been a good thing to know since she was planning on stopping there. I've got a trip report from Smokemont to Davenport (Big Creek actually) which will also give you an idea of campsites. You're a tronger hiker then I am so you'll probably not want to stop everyplace that I did, but it'll list all the trails anyway. Few of the campsites really require a reservation, but you are supposed to have a permit anyway. There are two that require reservations, but that's because they are small and space is limited. For the most part I never saw another hiker and never shared a campsite, so if you choose the sites that need reservations you shouldn't have any problem getting one.
generoll
05-11-2008, 14:30
Just to continue, I thought the campsite by Eagle Creek and Hazel Creek were the nicest and you'll enjoy seeing the Calhoun House (Hazel Creek Hilton). The most enchanting campsite was at Enloe Creek, but it requires a reservation and might be a challenge for a hammock. The most depressing site to my mind was the Laurel Gap Shelter. The cage over the front and the double sleeping platforms reminded me of the pictures of the camps from WWII. Not to say it wasn't welcome anyway in the rain. The best view of course is from the Mt. Sterling firetower. The water for that campsite is a bit of a hike however.
Some of the sites that I would definitely visit again are 74, 64 and 56. All of these are creek-side. I have an odd fascination with water... 64 is also for horses, but none were present when we were there.
I cannot recommend Newton Bald (52?) Windy, small and water was quite aways... downhill, and only a trickle at that, so it took a while to get it.
90 is huge and very popular. It is open to hikers, horses and those arriving by water. Wood for fires is scarce here. This one is also popular with the native wildlife of the large black and furry kind...
Cant think of anything else to add, but you can always PM me!
SGT Rock
05-11-2008, 15:41
Two points I would highly reccomend on the northern half - Enlo Creek and Mount Sterling. Unfortunatly I didn't know about those sites until after I walked through them, I didn't camp there myself.
There are lots of good campsites, however I would make sure I didn't plan at 90.
Two points I would highly reccomend on the northern half - Enlo Creek and Mount Sterling. Unfortunatly I didn't know about those sites until after I walked through them, I didn't camp there myself.
There are lots of good campsites, however I would make sure I didn't plan at 90.
What do you mean Rock? Make sure you don't plan on camp sight 90 or plan your camp when your 90? Confused....again.
Photos of 20Mile Ranger Station to Smokemont:
http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/561152811DXCzmc
SGT Rock
05-11-2008, 18:13
What do you mean Rock? Make sure you don't plan on camp sight 90 or plan your camp when your 90? Confused....again.
Stay way from camp 90. It's one of the most used ones in the park backcountry.
aaronthebugbuffet
05-14-2008, 14:35
I just got back from a trip using the BMT from Twentymile to Forney Creek as part of a larger loop
The only camp on the BMT I used was 76. Not a bad spot but there was a lot of poison ivy mosquitoes ,ticks and wild boar.
I noticed 93, 91 and 98 were not bad but were all kind of small.
90 was a zoo on Friday mostly people with boats. Other than that I only saw a couple of people.
I didnt care for that BMT section much and would probably stay away from it on future trips back to GSMNP.
generoll
05-14-2008, 17:14
I guess the Eagle Creek campsite can be different things to different folks. I stopped there for lunch on my 06 section and thought of it as one of the places I'd like to go back to. Of course I don't hike in the summer. This was in March and a beautiful day to be outdoors. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole section and look forward to going back again. Just not in the summer.
Farr Away
05-15-2008, 13:58
I've stayed at 90 twice: once in June with two other groups that came in after we did, and once in September and we had it to ourselves. Wood was scarce both times. It is a nice big campsite, and right by the water (both the creek and the lake).
86 was nice, very big and open. Not much wood there either, but not bad. It is right by the water too.
Is this section of the BMT alongside the lake pretty flat?
Hikerhead
05-15-2008, 17:47
Is this section of the BMT alongside the lake pretty flat?
That's what I was thinking when I did it last year. A trail along a lake...must be flat right....WRONG! Yes, it does have it's flat sections but it's got some good hills to climb too.
HH said it! Dont mistake 'lake side' for flat!
HH said it! Dont mistake 'lake side' for flat!
Let me guess--the land profile is like a pleated drape.
Farr Away
05-16-2008, 11:55
I don't know if I'd say it's that extreme, but the Lakeside Trail really isn't - there's a lot of it where you can't even see the lake from the trail.
Christus Cowboy
06-10-2008, 09:17
I'm looking at doing the Smokies section of the BMT and I had a few general questions:
First, is this section of the trail well marked? It appears on the map that it intersects alot of other trails which makes trail markings even that more important. If the trail isn't well marked it would appear to me that you could easily get sidetracked.
Second, is there water at the campsites? Again reviewing the map it would appear that most of the campsites are near water sources. Is that the case and how reliable are they.... if anyone has any information on which campsites acessible and fairly reliable water sources and could post them that would be great.
Third, what are some good times of year to do this section. Obviously the summer is generally a good time but does anyone do this section in the Fall or does weather become a challenge?
Fourth, is the issue of resupply. It would seem to me that one could probably do this 96 mile section with one re-supply. Any suggestions on what points would be good for this.
Lastly, has there been any recent bear activity on this trail?
generoll
06-10-2008, 09:36
I've hiked this piece and you will find other trip reports as well. The BMT through the Smokies is a clearly defined trail and at each trail junction there is a BMT marker. Every campsite I used had water, although if you are going in summer you might want to consider avoiding Newton Bald and Mt. Sterling. I don't know that they are dry, but if any place is I'd bet they were. Personally I only backpack in the Fall and Spring. Summer's out for me. You could put a cache in a car at Smokemont or at Bryson City on the road to the tunnel outside of town. There are parking places and trash dumps at both. There are also trash cans on the road from Round Bottom horse camp, so if you count that there are three road crossings in the Smokies.
As far as bear? Call the backcountry office and ask them about specific campsites. All campsites have bear cables.
The spring at Newton Bald is fairly reliable. I've never known of the spring at Sterling going dry. I stayed there last August when almost the entire park was dry and it was flowing at a good rate.
Tipi Walter
06-10-2008, 09:58
Sob, I can't do the Smokies or the BMT there cuz the big-hatted Tent Police have a thing against dogs. My dream is to follow the route north from Slickrock and get in at Twentymile and use the nonreservation campsites. Can't just ditch the dog, though.
Christus Cowboy
06-10-2008, 18:26
Thanks alot for the feedback... I find the idea of hiking this piece in the fall intriguing and I'm sure with the fall colors it would be a beautiful hike. What's the weather like in the fall?.... I went backpacking around Carver's Gap in Piscah this past November and there was maybe 1" of snow on the ground in the higher elevations. It was cooler but nothing that I didn't have gear for..... Have you come across any specific trip reports that you found helpful?
First, is this section of the trail well marked? - yes
It appears on the map that it intersects alot of other trails which makes trail markings even that more important. If the trail isn't well marked it would appear to me that you could easily get sidetracked. - carry a map
Second, is there water at the campsites? - yes
Again reviewing the map it would appear that most of the campsites are near water sources. Is that the case and how reliable are they.... if anyone has any information on which campsites accessible and fairly reliable water sources and could post them that would be great.
Third, what are some good times of year to do this section. Obviously the summer is generally a good time but does anyone do this section in the Fall or does weather become a challenge? - any time for a hike is a good time. Fall is better. Summer heat & winter cold may present challenges
Fourth, is the issue of resupply. It would seem to me that one could probably do this 96 mile section with one re-supply. Any suggestions on what points would be good for this. - see Generoll's comments
Lastly, has there been any recent bear activity on this trail? - only hogs, wild turkey, & mice getting into my food bag on my last trip Memorial Day weekend
I think site 47 was real nice, reservations required
generoll
06-10-2008, 20:25
Have you come across any specific trip reports that you found helpful?
http://trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?trailname=7588
Try this for the section from Twenty Mile to Smokemont. I posted a report for my hike from Smokemont to Davenport Gap.