How far past Davenport Gap before you find a decent place to hammock camp, nobo?

[The Counselor]

Our first day will be hiking up to the AT from Cosby Campground northbound. We are all newbs. The more we discuss it, the more we've agreed we want to avoid staying the first night in the DG shelter. I just wonder if trying to get out of GSMNP the first day (4 day trip to Hot Spgs) is doable or asking a lot of four guys in their 40s.

[Buffalo Skipper]

This past summer, I took a bunch of scouts on an all-day hike on this exact trail (I assume you are taking the Low Gap trail to the AT and then up Mt Cammerer and down to Davenport Gap). The Low Gap trail is fairly steep. As an out of shape (but not overweight) 44 year old, I struggled along with another adult who is a frequent recreational diver. Our scouts blew past us on the way up to the AT. After that point it is easy to walk along the ridge and down the other side. I had a roughly 12 lb day pack. Once you cross the last seasonal stream 3/4 of the way up the Low Gap trail, there is no water until you are down in Davenport Gap, as you are high on the ridge.

I highly recomend the .6 mile side trail to the Mt Cammerer Tower. Worth every bit of the view if the weather is good. Last 75' will be tough with a full pack, but the top is a great place to lunch.

Unfortunately, we had a car staged at the bottom of the trail at Davenport Gap, so we never went past that (across I-40), so I cannot comment on where to hang a hammock. Hope this helps, but sorry I cannot answer your question.

Have fun!

[Lone Wolf]

between davenport gap and I-40 there is a small stream and plenty of trees

[Buffalo Skipper]

Sorry, I meant to include these pics for you...

[curtisvowen]

Going up Low Gap? That's a good climb straight up to the A.T.
From Cosby there's an unmarked campsite South of I-40. You're pullin' about 10 miles to get there.
After, that there's Painter Branch campsite. From Cosby you're hiking about 14 miles to get to that one.
From I-40 North there's Snowbird. That's a good climb for about 4 miles.
I'd pull short of I-40 and then hit Snowbird in the morning.

[curtisvowen]

I 2nd going to Cammerer. Only 3 towers like it East of the Mississippi. Study up on it, and you'd appreciate it more.

[Buffalo Skipper]

I 2nd going to Cammerer. Only 3 towers like it East of the Mississippi. Study up on it, and you'd appreciate it more.

Well put. The .6 mile trail is easy. The AT on this section bypasses south of the ridge. The difficult part is when you have to scale the a sheer rock sideways for a few feet to get to the tower. It is not hard, but would be challenging with a full backpack. Here is a picture of the way down, taken from the tower porch:

[Slo-go'en]

Any chance you can add 3 days to the trip? A much better plan would be to start at New Found gap. Then the hike is a pretty easy ridge walk (with some great views if your lucky) for the first few days. This way, the first big climb would be Snow Bird, after you've had time to streach your legs, instead of on the first day.

I've never done the hike up to Low Gap from Crosby, but it does look like a serious huff. As your first day out, doing that climb, then droping back down to Davenport Gap, your not going to want to go any farther. DG shelter is nice and good sized. Most thru-hikes cruse on by it since Standing Bear Hostle is only another 4 miles or so.

I belive the camp site Lone Wolf mensioned is up and over one more little hill, which will seem like a real mountian after the day you just had. Then the next day you have a second big climb up and over Snow Bird. After that it's reasonably easy the rest of the way to Hot Springs.

[bulldog49]

Our first day will be hiking up to the AT from Cosby Campground northbound. We are all newbs. The more we discuss it, the more we've agreed we want to avoid staying the first night in the DG shelter. I just wonder if trying to get out of GSMNP the first day (4 day trip to Hot Spgs) is doable or asking a lot of four guys in their 40s.


Why the question, I thought hangers can camp anywhere? :rolleyes:

[The Counselor]

Bulldog, you must have mistaken me for a member of some kind of hammock political party. I'm just a new guy more comfy in a hammock who has to decide whether to spend the first night in the last shelter in the park or whether to march on a little and hang. From what I can see, there are other threads available if you are into the silly hammock/tent wars.

[Lone Wolf]

Bulldog, you must have mistaken me for a member of some kind of hammock political party. I'm just a new guy more comfy in a hammock who has to decide whether to spend the first night in the last shelter in the park or whether to march on a little and hang. From what I can see, there are other threads available if you are into the silly hammock/tent wars.

less than 2 miles north of DG shelter there's plenty of places to hang

[The Counselor]

If we hike from Cosby campground up Low Gap, (and do the .6 diversion to Mt. Cammerer tower) and then on until two miles past DG shelter, I am thinking that puts us at pushing 13 miles the first day. I need to either get me and my hiking party in gear, fitness wise, or we better just plan on bad rest on a wooden platform.

[curtisvowen]

Low Gap will be a warm-up for Snowbird. Mental prep for the next day.
Your reward for doing Low Gap will be hammock hanging a few miles North of DG like Lone Wolf and I have mentioned.
The site is not marked on the maps, but you'll know it when you get there.
Mountain stream nearby, flat ground, old campfire pit etc.
After Snowbird you got it goin' on!
Enjoy Max Patch. Another "study the history" venue.

[Buffalo Skipper]

If we hike from Cosby campground up Low Gap, (and do the .6 diversion to Mt. Cammerer tower) and then on until two miles past DG shelter, I am thinking that puts us at pushing 13 miles the first day. I need to either get me and my hiking party in gear, fitness wise, or we better just plan on bad rest on a wooden platform.

With a young teens, we left Cosby at 9:45 am, spent an hour on Mt Cammerer and ended up at TN hwy 32 by 3:30 pm. This distance was 11.8 miles. Presumably you will go about a mile further. Our weather was clear and warm (70s at the top, near 90 at Hwy 32). If you get an early start, say around 8am, this is a very do-able hike, even with frequent rest stops.

[The Counselor]

Curtis, I will def be doing a little homework on the history aspects of the sites you've mentioned. We've been planning the trip since October, looking forward to it, big time, and very thankful for all the good, practical advice I've received here.