View Full Version : Tent Camping rules
HeartoftheTrail
06-23-2008, 02:42
I will be section hiking on and off for the next few years and saw that thread about not being allowed to tent camp in the smokies. Was wandering if anyone else could inform me of some of the rules I'm not aware of yet.
Thanks in advance
You're allowed to tent camp in most of the Smokies, but only at designated sites. On the AT however, you must stay in the shelters. Unless that is, if you are thru hiking and the shelter is full, you have the option of piching a tent, outside of the shelter.
HeartoftheTrail
06-23-2008, 03:44
Thanks man
anyone else have anything to offer?
HeartoftheTrail
06-23-2008, 03:50
Thanks man
anyone else have anything to offer?
Thanks man
anyone else have anything to offer?
No dogs allowed except "service dogs" in the Smokies and Baxter.
And, as a general rule, dogs on the trail suck, shelters suck, cellphones suck, trekking poles suck, guns... yep, they suck... and most of the time, trail magic sucks.
:banana <<<< sucks!
:sun
I think you can find all the official Smokies rules on the park website. I pitched twice while there, both times due to shleter overcrowding.
I visited your OutdoorSource yesterday by the way. Nice folks and a fair amount of useable bits.
trailmomma4
06-23-2008, 06:55
And, as a general rule, dogs on the trail suck, shelters suck, cellphones suck, trekking poles suck, guns... yep, they suck... and most of the time, trail magic sucks.
WOW!! You've been hanging around LW too much!;) Surely everything can't suck?
Surely everything can't suck?
That'd be right... :D
yeah , well, I can tell you for sure that vacuums suck! Unless you put the hose on the outlet side. THen it really blows...;)
Cookerhiker
06-23-2008, 08:22
Shelters rock!:D
WOW!! You've been hanging around LW too much!;) Surely everything can't suck?
It either sucks or blows. Yin and yang.
yeah , well, I can tell you for sure that vacuums suck! Unless you put the hose on the outlet side. THen it really blows...;)
You meant water filters, right? :)
double d
06-23-2008, 08:46
From what I understand and as others have noted, you are required to tent within sight of a shelter and this is regulated by park rules. Good luck and have fun.
Appalachian Tater
06-23-2008, 09:00
If you you are thru-hiking with the mass of thru-hikers and prefer to tent over staying in the shelter and get there "early", don't worry, plenty of people will show up who prefer the shelter. On the other hand, be prepared to tent even if you don't want to. The whole point is to minimize impact by maximizing shelter use over tenting, I believe, but it doesn't really matter who is in or out as far as who gets there first.
Pedaling Fool
06-23-2008, 09:11
If you you are thru-hiking with the mass of thru-hikers and prefer to tent over staying in the shelter and get there "early", don't worry, plenty of people will show up who prefer the shelter...
This was true for me through the smokies, never had to stay in those shelters. Here's the rules for the smokies http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=25619&c=newimages&cutoffdate=7
If you you are thru-hiking with the mass of thru-hikers and prefer to tent over staying in the shelter and get there "early", don't worry, plenty of people will show up who prefer the shelter. On the other hand, be prepared to tent even if you don't want to. The whole point is to minimize impact by maximizing shelter use over tenting, I believe, but it doesn't really matter who is in or out as far as who gets there first.
I thought long distance hikers with +50 miles on-trail (non-paying?) had to give up space for those that entered the park straight from off-trail.
Maybe its a paying/Non-paying sort of thing.
From April 1st thru May 31st, the park service reserves 4 spaces for thru hikers. The rest of the year they allow reservations for all shelter spaces. There is not a fee for the Smokies.
From April 1st thru May 31st, the park service reserves 4 spaces for thru hikers. The rest of the year they allow reservations for all shelter spaces. There is not a fee for the Smokies.
Thanks, Rcarver.
So, what was the +50 trail miles thing I was thinking of about. (am I losing it)
I thought it was permit fees. Hmmmm....
Appalachian Tater
06-23-2008, 09:51
I thought long distance hikers with +50 miles on-trail (non-paying?) had to give up space for those that entered the park straight from off-trail.
Maybe its a paying/Non-paying sort of thing.I don't think it has anything to do with payment, it has to do with reservations. There are spots reserved for thru-hikers and all the other spots may not be reserved and are supposed to be filled before anyone tents. I'm just saying that if you get there early and there are spots open and it's during thru-hiking season it is likely that someone will show up who will take the shelter space and let you tent.
So, what was the +50 trail miles thing I was thinking of about. (am I losing it)
I thought it was permit fees. Hmmmm....
The Smoky mountains considers a thru hiker to be anyone who started their hike 50 miles before the Smokies and plan to end their hike at least 50 miles after the Smokies. I, as a section hiker, was considered a thru hiker by Smoky standards because I met that citeria. Therefore, I didn't need to make reservations, and could tent if the shelters were full.
There is no fee to hike the Smokies.
If you begin and end your trip 50 miles outside of the park you don't have to make reservations. But, there is a good chance you will have to pitch a tent around a shelter because all the bunk spots will be filled by people with reservations.
Pedaling Fool
06-23-2008, 10:26
So, what was the +50 trail miles thing I was thinking of about. (am I losing it)
I thought it was permit fees. Hmmmm....
I believe you are thinking of how the officials at GSMNP define a "Thru-hiker"; and that is anyone that begins their hike at least 50 miles before entering GSMNP and completes their hike at least 50 miles after departing GSMNP.
Also, the shelters will hold more then the alloted 12 people. I was just at Double Spring this Friday and we had 13 in the shelter. I was at Ice Water and had 20 in the shelter one time. Most people will make room for "one more".
Pedaling Fool
06-23-2008, 10:27
The Smoky mountains considers a thru hiker to be anyone who started their hike 50 miles before the Smokies and plan to end their hike at least 50 miles after the Smokies. I, as a section hiker, was considered a thru hiker by Smoky standards because I met that citeria. Therefore, I didn't need to make reservations, and could tent if the shelters were full.
There is no fee to hike the Smokies.
If you begin and end your trip 50 miles outside of the park you don't have to make reservations. But, there is a good chance you will have to pitch a tent around a shelter because all the bunk spots will be filled by people with reservations.
I believe you are thinking of how the officials at GSMNP define a "Thru-hiker"; and that is anyone that begins their hike at least 50 miles before entering GSMNP and completes their hike at least 50 miles after departing GSMNP.
Minds melded
kayak karl
06-23-2008, 10:34
What are the rules for hammock hanging?? other then hammocks suck:D
HippieHiker
06-23-2008, 13:02
im not too sure about tent camping on the AT thru the smokys but i know when i went to cades cove ( only about 25 miles from clingmans ) we had to go to the ranger station and tell them exactly where we were camping and get a backwoods pass. but heres the funny thing, we reserved spot thirteen i think at nine in the morning. another group reserved the SAME spot a little earlier and we were screwed out of a camp site.
If you were issued a reservation number you had a spot at #13. It has a reserved capacity of 15 people.
deeddawg
06-23-2008, 13:46
What are the rules for hammock hanging?? other then hammocks suck:D
In the Smokies as far as I know hammocks are treated no differently than a tent or a bivy.
Blissful
06-23-2008, 14:10
If you meet the criteria and can tent, do so. It's so much better. Shelters are noisy as they are usually filled to the brim. Other hikers hammocked also.
You're allowed to tent camp in most of the Smokies, but only at designated sites. On the AT however, you must stay in the shelters. Unless that is, if you are thru hiking and the shelter is full, you have the option of piching a tent, outside of the shelter.
i opt for hanging in my hammock:cool:neo