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JoshStover
10-15-2009, 16:24
About how many trail miles is it from Fontana Dam to Clingmans Dome???

Stir Fry
10-15-2009, 16:59
34.4 mi. Go to this site and get any distance you want

cowpoke
10-15-2009, 17:00
32 miles...give or take...

Jack Tarlin
10-15-2009, 17:05
As of this year, 32.8 miles.

JoshStover
10-15-2009, 17:16
34.4 mi. Go to this site and get any distance you want

Go to what site?

Thanks for the mileage guys. How are the shelters along this section?

JoshStover
10-15-2009, 17:28
Also, how badoff would I be doing this section without any maps? I have spent almost every penny I have getting everything for my '10 thru and my maps have not yet arrived. I would hate to go to Gatlinburg and buy a map when Im sure they will all be at my house when I return. Do you think I would have any problems at all on this section without one? Thanks in advance.

Jack Tarlin
10-15-2009, 17:37
Josh:

You didn't say when your trip was.

If it's winter, I'd say yeah, bring a map; you never know when you may need to bail out and take a side trail off the ridge, and without a map, you won't have a clue as how to do this. In fact, I'm inclined to think that hikers should have trail maps ALL the time, regardless of the season, but the simple answer to your question is that the A.T. in the Park is very well marked and blazed and you can probably get by for a few days without a map.

For more information on trail mileage, shelters, water sources, etc., you can go to www.aldha.org and look at the free On-Line version of the excellent guidebook, The Thru-Hiker's Companion.

P.S. If you're not leaving for awhile, PM me with your address and I'll happily lend you a map of the Smokies.

JoshStover
10-15-2009, 17:50
Jack,
Thanks sooo much! You have been a huge help. I am leaving in the morning at 5am and driving to gatlinburg. I plan to be on the trail Sunday, was gonna be Saturday but the weather is crappy and I am going to meet up with some family. If I leave Sunday morning that still gives me 3 days on the trail and that should be MORE than enough to get from Fontana Dam to Clingman's Dome, dont you think? Thanks again for all your help!

Jack Tarlin
10-15-2009, 17:53
Your first day out of Fontana will be the toughest, then it'll get much easier. Have a great trip and let us know how it went.

JoshStover
10-15-2009, 18:13
Will do for sure! Thanks again...

Ashepabst
10-15-2009, 18:28
you can get this map (http://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/upload/GSMNP%20Backcountry%20Map.pdf)for a dollar at a lot of places in the park

JoshStover
10-22-2009, 10:20
you can get this map (http://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/upload/GSMNP%20Backcountry%20Map.pdf)for a dollar at a lot of places in the park

I got that $1 map while I was down there. My weather was ALOT better than I thought it was going to be. Got some snow my first day out but I love hiking in the snow. The next few days were perfect. My last day on the trail would probably have to be the most perfect hiking day I have ever had! I had a blast, met some great people, saw several bears and got charged by a freakin wild boar when I was less than .5 miles from the car!!! Thank god for pepper spray!

veteran
10-23-2009, 13:08
GSMNP Interactive Map Sites

http://www.cs.utk.edu/~dunigan/gsmnp/mrsid.php?res=3&olds=3&oldx=3561&oldy=2528&image.x=235&image.y=153

http://www.cs.utk.edu/~dunigan/gsmnp/googlegsmnp.php?lat=35.56487&lon=-83.52088&scale=12&mt=3&file=gsmnp

AT Distance Calculator
http://www.atdist.com/

drastic_quench
10-23-2009, 15:11
Measure any distance over the entire Appalachian trail:
http://postholer.com/gmap/gmap.php?trail_id=3