View Full Version : Smokies shelter question
neonshaw
03-28-2011, 06:47
This time of year how crowded is a shelter in the smokies? I want to take my 15 y.o. out for a night or 2 the first week of April
thinking about Icewater and Pecks. I know you have to get reservations.
I figure the AT thrus haven't made it up that far yet. So hiking as overnighters shouldnt be a problem staying at one of those i am guessing.
Anybody been on the AT in the smokies recently like in the last week or so?
I haven't been in the Smokies for the last couple of weeks because I couldn't get reservations in the shelters that service the trails I want to hike. One of those shelters isn't even on the AT.
So, yeah, chances are good the shelters will be crowded, but go ahead and see if you can get the reservations because this is a great time of year to be in the Smokies!
fredmugs
03-28-2011, 07:31
Reservations can be made up to 30 days in advance. You can try but I highly doubt you can get into any shelter since it is not only thru hiker season but also spring break season.
Lone Wolf
03-28-2011, 07:59
This time of year how crowded is a shelter in the smokies? I want to take my 15 y.o. out for a night or 2 the first week of April
thinking about Icewater and Pecks. I know you have to get reservations.
I figure the AT thrus haven't made it up that far yet. So hiking as overnighters shouldnt be a problem staying at one of those i am guessing.
Anybody been on the AT in the smokies recently like in the last week or so?
i wouldn't go near the smokys right now if i were you. there's much better hiking outside the park
If I were you I would find other shelters in the park well off the AT. The AT shelters will be overflowing. Another option is hike Grayson Highlands/Mt Rogers in Southern Virginia. If you are ok with the crowded conditions and are hung up with the reservation you can pretend you are a thru-hiker by starting your hike at Fontana and fill out your backcountry permit as though you started your hike 50 miles south of there. Then you will have thru-hiker rules in shelters and can camp nearby when you find them overcrowded.
Tenderheart
03-28-2011, 10:19
i wouldn't go near the smokys right now if i were you. there's much better hiking outside the park
Listen and learn!
Any predictions about how Smokemont and non-AT reserved backcountry sites will look like in mid-late April?
I've rarely had trouble finding space at the non-reserved backcountry sites, no matter what time of year. Frequently the only campers at the site are my friends and me. If at all possible, I plan hikes where I can stay in those sites.
Occasionally I am trying to hike trails where it's impractical to stay there, and have to make reservations in a shelter or at a reserved campsite. I'm trying to get a trail (in my quest to hike all the trails in Park) that pretty much requires me to stay at Tri-Corner Knob. I called last week and couldn't get space at either Tri-Corner or Laurel Gap. I think I'll abandon that particular quest until some less crowded time of year.
If you're able to hike during the week, however, you'll probably be okay getting reservations.
. I'm trying to get a trail (in my quest to hike all the trails in Park) that pretty much requires me to stay at Tri-Corner Knob. I called last week and couldn't get space at either Tri-Corner or Laurel Gap. I think I'll abandon that particular quest until some less crowded time of year.
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Yeah... I'm stressing a bit about being able to get a spot when I get to Smokemont when I'm hiking the BMT.
My "Plan Z" is to just hitch up to Newfound Gap and take the AT out of the park the rest of the way since I'll be considered a thru hiker by park regs.
Blissful
03-28-2011, 18:32
This time of year how crowded is a shelter in the smokies? I want to take my 15 y.o. out for a night or 2 the first week of April
thinking about Icewater and Pecks. I know you have to get reservations.
I figure the AT thrus haven't made it up that far yet.
It will be jammed. You will be right in the thick of it. We were there in the third week of March with 15 of us. Not counting the sectioners
Ox97GaMe
03-28-2011, 23:20
The shelters are crowded right now. The ridgerunner reports for last week indicated that they were each seeing approximately 15-20 thru hikers per day. Early April is also spring break for some HS and colleges. The park is usually pretty crowded that time of year. Expect to be tenting outside the shelter, even if you happen to get a reservation.
do the smokies off the AT. They're still beautiful, and mostly empty year round.
Yeah... I'm stressing a bit about being able to get a spot when I get to Smokemont when I'm hiking the BMT.
My "Plan Z" is to just hitch up to Newfound Gap and take the AT out of the park the rest of the way since I'll be considered a thru hiker by park regs.
Can't you reserve a spot a Smokemont during the busy season? Once they open up the back section there are a lot of campsites available.
Rain Man
03-29-2011, 19:39
I did the AT through the GSMNP about 5 years ago in March, during Spring Break season. There were 27 at Icewater Springs the night I stayed there, due to bad weather. Official capacity is 12.
Rain:sunMan
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i wouldn't go near the smokys right now if i were you. there's much better hiking outside the park
Very true. The front end of the tidal wave of hikers will be hitting the Park then.
If you want a great overnighter, hike the Roan Highlands from Carvers Gap to US19E. About 14.5 miles in one of the prettiest sections of bald on the southern half of the trail. Just be sure the weather is decent, because you'll be pretty exposed for about 4.5 miles of open ridges. Great views though, and no reservations. Not that many thru-hikers rolling through yet either.
If you want a great overnighter, hike the Roan Highlands from Carvers Gap to US19E. About 14.5 miles in one of the prettiest sections of bald on the southern half of the trail. Just be sure the weather is decent, because you'll be pretty exposed for about 4.5 miles of open ridges. Great views though, and no reservations. Not that many thru-hikers rolling through yet either.
Couldn't agree more. Would be great overnighter to start at Carver's Gap. Stay at Overmountain Shelter. Hike over Little Hump/Hump Mountains to 19E the next day. Could recommend Greasy Creek Friendly Hostel for shuttle service.
Very true. The front end of the tidal wave of hikers will be hitting the Park then.
Just curious...when does the end of the tidal wave of hikers hit the park?
fredmugs
03-30-2011, 14:09
Just curious...when does the end of the tidal wave of hikers hit the park?
That's a good question. I hope it's still going strong when I rip through there SOBO mid-May. I have no plans of staying in those shelters unless they make me. I'm betting the tidal wave will be over by then.
There were still a number of thru-hikers heading north when my wife and I hiked south on Memorial Day weekend three years ago.
I would say the heavy surge of thru-hikers tapers off around the first or second week of May.
Ox97GaMe
03-30-2011, 18:46
Yes, the 'tidal wave' is usually over by mid May. There is a second surge of hikers in the park early June timeframe. These tend to be the HS and college age students that have to wait for their classes to be finished before they start their hike, or long section hikers (several hundred miles) out for the summer that waited for warmer weather to start at Springer.
So are we talking mainly AT here or is it everywhere in the park?
I'm getting conflicting opinions about the BMT through the park in mid-late April. Guess I'll find out.
So are we talking mainly AT here or is it everywhere in the park?
I'm getting conflicting opinions about the BMT through the park in mid-late April. Guess I'll find out.
The BMT will be VERY lightly used compared to the AT. You'll see folks on trails in the park, just not a lot. Conversely, I didn't one single backpacker on the BMT until I reached the Park, then I saw perhaps one per 5 miles.
The heavy traffic, and permit/shelter issues, are up on the AT.