View Full Version : Whats with the smokies?
Do they not alow dogs still? and didnt they take the cages off the shelters? Does that mean you are alowed to camp at camp sites now?
Pedaling Fool
03-25-2009, 15:33
The cages are coming off, but some shelters still have them. Page 13 discusses camping http://www.nps.gov/grsm/parkmgmt/upload/07%20Compendium.pdf
No dogs, and you must stay in shelter unless it is too full. During thruhiker season, they fill up pretty fast and those who want to are able to use tents...
Many Walks
03-25-2009, 15:48
The cages are probably coming off so the campers can't feed the bears through the wire and find themselves trapped in the shelter. Duh!
no dogs is a no brainer.
cages came off because, yes, people were feeding the bears through the cages, and taking pictures. this trained the bears to come to the shelters to eat. some people did NOT want to feed the bears, and you can see the resulting problem.
i'm not sure what you mean by asking if you can camp at campsites now. it implies that you couldn't. sometimes they close a site or shelter temporarily due to bear activity, but that's usually only a few weeks, until the bear realizes he can't get anymore food there.
you can camp in any designated campsite, but all the campsites along the AT are shelters, to the best of my knowledge, and you must stay in a shelter unless, as noted, it's full. then you can set up a tent nearby.
CrumbSnatcher
03-25-2009, 18:29
if you don't want to stay in the shelter,just hang out,cook or whatever and wait let others fill up the shelter then throw up your tent! no dogs allowed, the birds eat the dog poop and die! horses are allowed because of the grandfather clause and the horse poop is not toxic to the birds!
if you don't want to stay in the shelter,just hang out,cook or whatever and wait let others fill up the shelter then throw up your tent! no dogs allowed, the birds eat the dog poop and die! horses are allowed because of the grandfather clause and the horse poop is not toxic to the birds!
very informative about the poop. thanks! lol Ive never been much of a shelter fan, i like me tent, thats why i was asking.
RiverWarriorPJ
03-26-2009, 16:47
no dogs allowed, the birds eat the dog poop and die! horses are allowed because of the grandfather clause and the horse poop is not toxic to the birds!
..And coyote poop is so differernt than a dogs poop..??.. ..!!..
SGT Rock
03-26-2009, 16:54
Yes. Dog poop is mostly meal and stuff. Coyote poop is mostly boar pigglets.
Yes. Dog poop is mostly meal and stuff. Coyote poop is mostly boar pigglets.
HEY! You were going to watch my beagle, Diggs for me 2 years ago while me and the wifey hiked through the smokies sobo!
SGT Rock
03-26-2009, 17:02
Yep, I never heard from you. How did your hike go.
WorryWart
03-26-2009, 17:15
Thanks for the info everyone. I guess I'm looking forward to busy shelters. It's definately more spacious and comfy in my good ole Hubba.
Footslogger
03-26-2009, 17:18
Thanks for the info everyone. I guess I'm looking forward to busy shelters. It's definately more spacious and comfy in my good ole Hubba.
==============================
If your goal is to stay in shelters my suggestion is ...get up early, hike to the shelter of choice, secure your spot and call it a day.
I rarely managed to get a shelter space in the Smokies during my thru. I was too slow and they were bulging at the seams by the time I got there. I tented close by the shelters and took advantage of the water supplies and bear cables.
'Slogger
SGT Rock
03-26-2009, 17:19
Or hike the BMT and have the trail to yourself.
Yep, I never heard from you. How did your hike go.
We took a pit stop in Asheville and got stuck there for a year... never finished... time to do it again this year... just gotta stay clear of the hippie towns and i should make it. hahaha
SGT Rock
03-26-2009, 18:01
You hear the one about hippys and Asheville?
Why did the hippy move to Asheville?
Pedaling Fool
03-26-2009, 18:44
Birds eating dog crap and dying? What kind of bird eats dog crap? Maybe they should go extinct.
You hear the one about hippys and Asheville?
Why did the hippy move to Asheville?
why? lol
SGT Rock
03-26-2009, 19:06
He heard there wasn't any work there.
lmao. aint that the truth
d'shadow
04-09-2009, 13:56
if you don't want to stay in the shelter,just hang out,cook or whatever and wait let others fill up the shelter then throw up your tent! no dogs allowed, the birds eat the dog poop and die! horses are allowed because of the grandfather clause and the horse poop is not toxic to the birds!
One reason dogs are banned is because of the diseases they carry.
Parvo, for one can spread to wild animals and has caused deaths in the wild. Please honor their request.
I think it is right that each place makes its own rules. I'm curious though, if there might be something unique about the Smokies that makes it more susceptible to problems from dogs.
Pedaling Fool
04-09-2009, 14:40
It's a super fragile eco-system.:rolleyes:
So what's the real story? Is it because too many dog owners would be irresponsible and they spoil it for the rest, or is it because the authorities are on a trip, or is it because its a high traffic area so they eliminate dogs to allow more people, or is it a case of good arguments on both sides and the chips just happened to land that way?
I don't get the grandfather clause for horses.
Pedaling Fool
04-09-2009, 14:49
Here's the official Bullsh... http://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/pets.htm
d'shadow
04-12-2009, 19:51
Some places like Cades Cove have a high population of bears and deer. Dogs can cause incidents that could become dangerous to visitors. During an attempted re-introduction of the red wolf some years ago, the pups contracted parvo and died. There are many other places that allow dogs. The Great Smoky National Park only puts rules into place for the protection of wildlife and visitors.
AZJ_Jerky
04-12-2009, 20:02
Oh yah, I forgot...NPS rules always make sense and are not to be questioned! ;)
Or hike the BMT and have the trail to yourself.
Yep. Only one (rather crappy) shelter on the whole trail in the Smokies. What a novelty..you actually have to camp on the BMT. :)
sliderule
04-12-2009, 23:43
...all the campsites along the AT are shelters, to the best of my knowledge...
Not quite. There is one site without a shelter.
Bootstrap
04-14-2009, 15:35
Here's the official Bullsh... http://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/pets.htm
Hmmm, so dogs are permitted in quite a few places, the AT is not one of them.
If there were enough requests, I wonder if they could open up just the AT to dogs in addition to the other areas where they are currently allowed. After all, it is really inconvenient for thru-hikers ....
Dogs are allowed in campgrounds, picnic areas, and along roads, but must be kept on a leash at all times. The leash must not exceed 6 feet in length. Dogs are only allowed on two short walking paths—the Gatlinburg Trail (http://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/gatlinburg-trail.htm) and the Oconaluftee River Trail (http://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/ocon-river-trail.htm). Pets are not allowed on any other park trails. Pet excrement must be immediately collected by the pet handler and disposed of in a trash receptacle. Pets should not be left unattended in vehicles or RVs.
sliderule
04-14-2009, 15:49
If there were enough requests, I wonder if they could open up just the AT to dogs in addition to the other areas where they are currently allowed. After all, it is really inconvenient for thru-hikers ....
Just convince the NPS that hiker convenience should be a higher priority than resource protection. While you are at it, explain that walking is also inconvenient; maybe they will open the trail to dirt bikes.
Sometimes those pesky bears are inconvenient, too. See if you can get something done about them!!!
AZJ_Jerky
04-14-2009, 15:53
Just convince the NPS that hiker convenience should be a higher priority than resource protection. While you are at it, explain that walking is also inconvenient; maybe they will open the trail to dirt bikes.
Sometimes those pesky bears are inconvenient, too. See if you can get something done about them!!!
If "Resource Protection" is their goal, no trails, no AT, and no people should be allowed either...
I won't even elaborate on horses ;)
Lemni Skate
05-04-2009, 19:04
Personally, I wouldn't mind a dog free hike for a change. It seems like half the time I go out on the trail I get molested by a dog and just this past Friday two dogs went after my nine year old son at Old Rag Shelter. One bit him, but luckily his jeans prevented the dog from drawing blood. It happened in a second. They were just sitting there and my son was getting something out of his pack and all the sudden they were after him. They were even on a leash. The owner said he was sorry, but my son was terrified to have two sixty pound dogs come after him.
Almost every negative hiking experience I've ever had involves dogs (or dehydration).
Pedaling Fool
05-04-2009, 19:07
...at Old Rag Shelter...
Where's Old Rag Shelter?
Blissful
05-04-2009, 21:13
Where's Old Rag Shelter?
Shenandoah (not on the AT)
Phoenixdadeadhead
05-04-2009, 21:35
if you don't want to stay in the shelter,just hang out,cook or whatever and wait let others fill up the shelter then throw up your tent! no dogs allowed, the birds eat the dog poop and die! horses are allowed because of the grandfather clause and the horse poop is not toxic to the birds!
Wow!! I had wondered what the deal was with that.
Mikiniki
05-29-2009, 15:49
The only people that can camp at campsites are thru-hikers.
When I was out, I was staying at the Fontana Hilton with about 30 other people, we woke up to the sound of an animal in the shelter, I was on the top bunk so I didn't bother trying to look down, nervous as to what I would find. In the morning we found out it was a dog!!! A really cute on too, he had followed down from the bathrooms, almost gave the guy a heart attack! There was no collar or anything and no one at the shelter claimed him so my friend Dusty called the Dam services and they said "e "If theres no owner and no tags, then its like a deer"......we didn't know if that meant they were going to shoot it or if it could follow us like a deer and not have to worry about the smoky rangers. We called him Bambi and he did follow a group of us onto the trail...but the Rangers came by and they had to take him back. Sweet dog, I don't know how anyone could have abandoned him : (
kayak karl
05-29-2009, 16:18
Freddie hiked the smokies with me.
http://inlinethumb28.webshots.com/34523/2460697400104593866S425x425Q85.jpg
http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=260878
KK
leeki pole
05-29-2009, 16:25
I guess pretty soon we won't even be able to own a dog due to the new "rules" being put in place or we'll have a dog "czar" so I guess this point is moot, huh. Sheesh.
leeki pole
05-29-2009, 16:33
I think I'll rename my rescue from Lucy to Czar. It's got a nice ring to it. Then I can take her into the Smokies, because she's a dog Czar. And I can camp anywhere I please, because I've got a Czar with me.