View Full Version : Gsmnp
SmokeEater
03-22-2010, 12:47
Im going to be section hiking in the GSMNP in Sept. Are the shelters usually crowded during that time? Anyone else going to be in the area? Ty
Blissful
03-22-2010, 13:52
You need reservations to stay at shelters, crowded or not.
Monkeyboy
03-22-2010, 13:54
Summer months (Jun, July, Aug) are usually busiest, but regardless, you have to get a permit to use the shelter. If you have the permit, the spot in the shelter is your's and others without a permit must give way.
SGT Rock
03-22-2010, 14:14
September should be easy to get reservations.
SmokeEater
03-22-2010, 15:07
Just wondering how many people i will be seeing each night.
SGT Rock
03-22-2010, 15:15
No telling. Wolf and I hiked the Smokies in late August once. We saw 4 people. Three of them around Icewater Springs and one guy on the last day north of Mt Cammerer.
SmokeEater
03-22-2010, 15:54
No telling. Wolf and I hiked the Smokies in late August once. We saw 4 people. Three of them around Icewater Springs and one guy on the last day north of Mt Cammerer.
Thanks for the info, cant wait to get back out again. :banana
i hiked through the GSNP in August. Had no trouble reserving my first choice of shelters. There was never more than four in any shelter. I had a car and did two five day loop hikes. I left a car at Fontana Dam, hiked to Clingsman Dome and looped back to the Dam via Forney Ridge and connecting trails. Then I left the car in Cosby's Campground entrance. Rode my bike around to Davenport Gap (rte 32). Hiked to Icewater Spring then looped back to Cosby's via Mont Le Conte and Old Settlers trail.
That left a section of trail between Icewater Spring and Clingsman's Dome.
So, I drove up the Clingsman Dome road to the tower from Newfound Gap. Left my bike in the parking lot.
Drove back to the Gap, parked, hiked up to the Dome from the Gap. (2.5 mi.) Road my bike back down to the Gap. Great down hill ride! Then I hiked up and back to Ice Water an easy 4 mile round trip. Just missed seeing a bear. Great weather. No bugs. Not many people. I was alone in most of the tentsites off the AT. Should be even fewer in Sept.
http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/558298071DUtVaZ?start=12
Im going to be section hiking in the GSMNP in Sept. Are the shelters usually crowded during that time? Anyone else going to be in the area? Ty
I plan to be sectioning the GSMNP during September...hope to see you along the trail. cheers.
Toolumpy
03-23-2010, 05:52
The Park service does not take reservations until 6 months prior to your hike date. ALL back country sites in the park need to be reserved unless you are a thru-hiker (50 miles before and 50 miles past park) at least that is the way it has been since I first went in 1977. Check this site out. www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/carcamping.htm (http://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/carcamping.htm)
I think for the GSMNP, the earliest you can reserve shelters and backcountry campsites is 30 days ahead of the first day of your trip. 865-436-1297 or 865-436-1231 will get you to people who can help you.
Alligator
03-23-2010, 08:10
There weren't very many hikers along the AT when my buddy and I went through during September (2nd week). We had one group traveling the same direction as us, and I remember passing a few hikers one day at one of the shelters. YMMV.
Tennessee Viking
03-23-2010, 10:06
SOBOs will not usually show up until late October/November. So you should be fine if you like shelters. You may only see 1-2 section hikers, if any. If you don't like shelters, then you are going to have to sleep in them anyway.
You will need to get a backcountry permit and make reservations if starting less than 50 miles from the park.
You will also need to keep an eye on the Smokies backcountry facility website for closures and bear sightings.
Monkeyboy
03-24-2010, 08:47
Definately check for closures.......last summer, two were closed due to bear activity.
Mollies Ridge was closed, but my son actually found a bear tranquilizer dart in the grassy area out front when we stopped there for lunch.
Took the dart to a vet to get and chemicals left over cleaned off of it and put it in a glass cigar tube. Very cool souvenier.
Near Icewater shelter I saw a hound with a tracking device on its collar. The dog bounded off and about five minutes later, I met a hiker walking rapidly towards me with eyes the size of saucers. "Did you see that running bear?"
I guess the dog scared it up.
Hikers told me that one night they had a bear banging at the wire that held there food up in the cables, so tie on your bags with care!
The only wild life of note I saw was a feral pig darting across the trail in front of me. Oh no, that big black shape crashing out of the woods did not scare me at all...I just jumped three feet up in the air for fun.
It was near a fence they have to keep those animals contained.