The Perch Shelter

[Former Admin]

Info, questions, comments, experiences (good or bad) regarding -The Perch Shelter

Past/Present hikers - what can future hikers expect here? Have any good stories or memories from here?

Future hikers - any questions?

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[Ann]

The Perch has a shelter and four tent platforms.
Last time I was there was August of 2002 and they were just starting to re-do the tent plaforms...there was one completed.
GREAT TASTING WATER. The Perch can fill up quickly and there is no overflow area. Due to the terrain it can be difficult to find a spot to camp unless you have a hammock.

http://www.randolphmountainclub.org/shelters/theperch.html

You might also want to consider Gray Knob or Crag Camp...both enclosed buildings that are run under a caretaker basis...see link below:
http://www.randolphmountainclub.org/shelters/grayknob.html

http://www.randolphmountainclub.org/shelters/cragcamp.html

[celt]

I recently hiked the 0.9 mile from The Perch to the A.T. in the Northern Presidentals and it took me about 30 minutes. Its still farther away from the trail than most AT shelters but closer than I thought and not out of the question. Too bad it can be so busy. Here is a picture of the shelter.

http://www.whiteblaze.net/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=1198&papass=&sort=1

[Debbie]

The elevation change from the AT intersection down to the Perch looks to be about 1,000 feet. Is that right? How's the terrain?

[Spinymouse]

I stayed at The Perch the night of 10-11 Nov 2014. The shelter and the privy were both in excellent condition. The tent platforms nearby were also in good shape.

No one else was there that night. I left my dollars in the envelope since the caretaker never came by.

A hammocker could probably find a place to hang nearby, but finding a place to pitch a tent would be pretty tough if the tent platforms were in use. The trees and rocks are just too thick and the slope too steep for a tent in that area. Besides, camping close to the shelter is prohibited, except right at the shelter/platforms. There are signs on the trail telling when you're far enough away to be legal again.

The water source is nearby and is very good.

Here are some pictures. The front:

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View of the privy past the shelter:
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Side view:
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Back view:
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As others have noted, the shelter is about 0.9 mile from the AT. Part of that side trail is over loose boulders with good leg-breaker holes between them. On the other hand, the trail isn't too steep by White Mountains standards. If the weather turns dangerous while out on the AT in Edmands Col, trying to reach The Perch may be the best of the bad options you have available in that area.

The Perch (and the other Randolph Mountain Club camps) is definitely worth considering as a place to stay if the Madison Springs Hut is full, or closed for the season, too expensive, or you just want someplace quieter to stay.

[Cookerhiker]

I stayed in The Perch on my first section hike of the Whites - SOBO from Pinkham Notch to Franconia in 1982. Yeah, that's ancient history. I wanted to avoid the fees at Madison. I liked the shelter but since I hiked in early July, the black flies were horrendous. Otherwise, it was a good place to stay, less than a mile side trail.

[Slo-go'en]

The Perch has some of the best water your likely to find anywhere. It's all dense spruce forest up there, hammocking isn't real practical. You'd have to drop another 1000 feet to get into the more open hardwoods.

But it's a great place and fantastic sunsets from the near-by Gray Knob trail which gives you a clear view to the west. On Saturdays in the summer, you'd best get there early...