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smokymtnsteve
01-03-2003, 17:14
Don't miss it!!

Not your run of the mill fire lookout...which is what it is rather than a 'fire tower'...a hexagonal (ithink it has 6 sides..can't remember)rock tower of CCC vintage... built on the side of a cliff...
with large glassed in room which you can go into and the basement is sometimes unlocked for "emergency shelter" very rocky all around it and great view of the of the trail ahead...the .6 mile side trail to it is fairly level not a biggie...

if you can leave gatlinburg in the afternoon and walk from newfound gap to ice H2o shelter (where I was caretaker for May 2000)(3miles) spend the night there and then have an early morning on Charlie's Bunion (another must see!) which is 1 mile north of Ice h2o shelter...then make about 14 miles to the TRI-Corner knob shelter for the next night ...(skipping Peeks corner shelter...which is a LONG half mile down off the trail and then a little walk to the spring and the climb back out in the morning)

the spring at tricorner is right in front of the shelter...and the shelter itself is near the trail...then over MT guyot in the morning and then an easy walk(8 miles) down to Cosby Knob shelter and rest up make a late lunch early dinner
and water up..as there is no water between cosby knob and mt cammerer
then spend the night out at cammerer fire tower...FANTASTIC view and the trail here is runnin more EAST WEST than north south so great place for a sunrise as a matter of fact you cross over sunrise knob on the way..

there is some water a short mile after mt cammerer in the morning and a quick 4 miles or so to Davenport shelter and spring..all down hill as you come of the smokies ridge...great way to end the smokies..and IMO one of the highlights on the trail south of Mt ROGERS

BE WARNED that it is against park reg to spend the night at Mt cammerer tower...but just tellem your night hiking out..if you were to possibly but not probably see someone who cared...

MedicineMan
01-16-2003, 07:26
I've been to mt.cam. tower via the AT and also the low gap trail from the cosby campground...
too too many thru's dont take the time to see this wonder of GSMNP and it is a shame...
the rock for the tower was quarried in the park,
the timbers used for its superstructure were hewn in the park.
the points of the structure are aligned with the compass,
and the view off of cam. rivals those seen on Wyah B.,Wesser B., and put Shuckstack to shame...
once while there I made a mistake and opened the door into the tower, there were 7 thru's there and the stink 'bout bowled me over!
seriously folks, you are in too big a hurry to get that mtn momma cheeseburger, slow down and see what is just off the trail, you might be shocked at what a half mile can add to your hike