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View Full Version : Campsites North of Lamberts Meadow?



Gladiator
12-30-2010, 16:19
Am planning a section hike in a few weeks, and am considering the McAfee Knob area. Are there are any places to camp north of Lamberts Meadow, perhaps around Angels Gap? Plan on finishing the hike at US-220, and would like to spend the last night slightly closer to the road crossing.

Thanks,
Gladiator

Kerosene
12-30-2010, 16:22
There's a really nice campsite about a mile north of the Lamberts Meadow Shelter. There may be others that are closer to Daleville, but I'll let some of our Roanoke members chime in.

Jeff
12-30-2010, 17:57
Don't get too close to US220. You might be forced into town by the smell of pizza from the trailside Pizza Hut. :sun

Gladiator
12-30-2010, 21:22
Thanks. Roanoke hikers, can you help a brother out?

Hikerhead
12-30-2010, 22:39
Fill up with water at Lamberts Shelter, this is your last chance for water. Hike past Hay Rock and over the small knob. Down at the bottom it flattens out and it shouldn't be any problems camping there. You're far enough from the road/trail head where camping near the trail won't be a problem. Don't build a fire and leave it like you found it and it's all good.

Hikerhead
12-30-2010, 22:53
Of course if you're using a hammock any place is good, just bring water.

Gladiator
12-31-2010, 07:56
Of course if you're using a hammock any place is good, just bring water.


As a matter of fact, I am a hammock hanger!:sun

How far is Hay Rock from Lamberts Meadow?

Hikerhead
12-31-2010, 12:22
As a matter of fact, I am a hammock hanger!:sun

How far is Hay Rock from Lamberts Meadow?

About 5 miles. About 4 miles from Hay Rock to Rt 220.

Flippy
01-03-2011, 01:05
Here's a fun loop trail through McAfee Knob area that I did back in 1997:

http://books.google.com/books?id=8OIDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA106&lpg=PA106&dq=backpacker+mcafee+knob+loop+north+mountains&source=bl&ots=MtAgftyHih&sig=wcrTL2xMLLEgtxwrBqx2GDgSuyU&hl=en&ei=6VchTZ-HB8ys8AbUh7jjCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CCoQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q&f=false

Berserker
01-12-2011, 14:12
Nobody really directly answered the OPs question about Angels Gap. Is anyone aware of what the lay of the land is there for setting up a couple of tents? I also noted that one of the replies mentioned no water past Lamberts Meadow. Is Angel Branch, which appears to be close to the AT per the map, not easily accessible?

By the way, no smart comments on my location :) I realize I live near this section, but I haven't hiked this portion of the AT yet.

Hikerhead
01-12-2011, 14:20
Nobody really directly answered the OPs question about Angels Gap. Is anyone aware of what the lay of the land is there for setting up a couple of tents? I also noted that one of the replies mentioned no water past Lamberts Meadow. Is Angel Branch, which appears to be close to the AT per the map, not easily accessible?

By the way, no smart comments on my location :) I realize I live near this section, but I haven't hiked this portion of the AT yet.

The trail now crosses the pipeline just below Angels Gap by 30 or 40 yards. Yeah, you can camp on top of the ridgeline. If you drop down into the cove you'll find water sooner or later, long climb back up.

Berserker
01-17-2011, 12:13
Nobody really directly answered the OPs question about Angels Gap. Is anyone aware of what the lay of the land is there for setting up a couple of tents? I also noted that one of the replies mentioned no water past Lamberts Meadow. Is Angel Branch, which appears to be close to the AT per the map, not easily accessible?
I'll answer my own question as I just did this section this past weekend (1/14/11 - 1/16/11). Wonderful section by the way...loved McAfee Knob and Tinker Cliffs. Anyway, I camped at Campbell Shelter the first night, and then the campsite just North of Lamberts Meadow Shelter the second night. So I did a long hike out yesterday. Basically the first couple of miles North of the campsite have some areas where one could set up a tent. No established sites, but enough flatish area to be comfortable. Then a ways past that the trail goes up onto a fairly narrow ridgeline for the majority of the hike out to hwy 220. I didn't really see anything that would make for a nice comfy campsite, and definitely no established sites. I am sure one could makeshift somewhere, but water would definitely be an issue if not packed in as I saw no sources.


The trail now crosses the pipeline just below Angels Gap by 30 or 40 yards. Yeah, you can camp on top of the ridgeline. If you drop down into the cove you'll find water sooner or later, long climb back up.
I saw where you were talking about, and I think what you meant to say was power line instead of pipeline as there is a power line that crosses the ridge near there. There is a clear cut area (looks like a fire road maybe?) that goes up over the ridge. I didn't go up to the top to see what the camping would be like up there. There might be water down in the cove, but yeah it looks like it would be a walk to find some as I couldn't see any from the trail. There is the clear cut area to walk down though, so it would at least be better than bushwhacking into the cove.

Hikerhead
01-17-2011, 12:27
I'll answer my own question as I just did this section this past weekend (1/14/11 - 1/16/11). Wonderful section by the way...loved McAfee Knob and Tinker Cliffs. Anyway, I camped at Campbell Shelter the first night, and then the campsite just North of Lamberts Meadow Shelter the second night. So I did a long hike out yesterday. Basically the first couple of miles North of the campsite have some areas where one could set up a tent. No established sites, but enough flatish area to be comfortable. Then a ways past that the trail goes up onto a fairly narrow ridgeline for the majority of the hike out to hwy 220. I didn't really see anything that would make for a nice comfy campsite, and definitely no established sites. I am sure one could makeshift somewhere, but water would definitely be an issue if not packed in as I saw no sources.


I saw where you were talking about, and I think what you meant to say was power line instead of pipeline as there is a power line that crosses the ridge near there. There is a clear cut area (looks like a fire road maybe?) that goes up over the ridge. I didn't go up to the top to see what the camping would be like up there. There might be water down in the cove, but yeah it looks like it would be a walk to find some as I couldn't see any from the trail. There is the clear cut area to walk down though, so it would at least be better than bushwhacking into the cove.


The clear cut is the pipeline. The power line just happens to go overhead here also. But it's all good....

Hikerhead
01-17-2011, 12:48
The clear cut is the pipeline. The power line just happens to go overhead here also. But it's all good....

and few poeple know that there's a tunnel underneath this gap also. It feeds Tinker Creek when it gets high enough into Carvins Cove. There's also a tunnel underneath the ridge between McAfee's Knob and Tinker Cliffs that feeds Catawba Creek into Carvins Cove.

Berserker
01-17-2011, 13:00
The clear cut is the pipeline. The power line just happens to go overhead here also. But it's all good....
Oh, my bad. I didn't realize that clear cut area had a pipeline underneath it. It seems to be hidden well :)