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if one were hiking into troutville/daleville late in the day, stopping to eat and grab a couple items at the gas station and then hiking on, would one come to a (preferably) legal campsite within say a mile or two of town, going south?
in all truth ill probably just get a hotel room in town, but i like to pretend like i'm going to be frugal about it.
I hiked it heading north, but I want to say that heading south you would be in a climb for the first 2 miles or more and then you reach a rocky ridgeline. You could probably find a place to put a tent up there.
That might be tough. Looking at it with Google Earth, it doesn't look promising. If your not too picky and don't need water, you could probably find a spot on the way up the ridge, but before you get too high. Hay rock (4 mile south) looks like it would be fun to sleep under, but you'd be right in the middle of the trail to do so. Bit of a climb to get to the top of the ridge too. I just love climbing out of these river gaps.
All in all, I never found VA to be all that friendly for dispersed camping. The ridges are too rocky and too narrow. Ironically, if you look down towards the west, you'll often see nice smooth, level ground 50 feet below you off the edge of the ridge. But no way to get down to it without rock climbing gear!
There are a few places next to stream crossings which are nice.
I'm trying to remember - isn't that area restricted for camping except established sites around shelters? I thought from 220 south to 311 that your only options were Lambert's Meadow, Campbell Shelter, Catawba Shelter, and the one near 311 that used to be called the Scout Shelter (new name escapes me).
Edit - the attachment should clear things up.
Well, that kind of settles that. Stay at the HoJo's :)
Not sure about legal, but I remember the first 1/2 mile or so south of US 220 was flat before going up the ridge, and the trail crossed a creek in there somewhere. You could probably find a decent stealth spot.
HoJo's at one time offered discounted rates for thru hikers. It's worth a try . Lamberts Meadow Campsite just north of the shelter is a ways away.
Yeah, Lambert's is roughly the halfway point to 311, close to 10 miles out from 220. If you're coming through much past lunchtime, I'd consider the HoJo option (and yes, as far as I know they still offer hiker rates). It's not a bad hike once you gain the ridge line, but it's still several solid hours to the first good camping area.
thanks all. thats sort of what i had guessed, but you never know.
least now i dont have to feel guilty spending on a hotel and can tell myself it was truly my only option.
Even if your just starting from Waynesboro, you'll be ready for a shower and a real bed.
just out for the weekend, so one night outside one night inside. kind of lame but what can you do.Quote:
Originally Posted by Slo-go'en
so now that i've hiked it, i'll answer my own question, in case anyone else curious happens along-
there is actually probably about 1/2-3/4 of a mile of perfectly flat ground between 220 and the start of climb. i'm no expert by any stretch at picking a good place to camp, but i saw a lot of places i would have attempted to put a tent.
as for legality- probably not, as per the PDF someone showed earlier in this thread, but, the information on the ground makes it seem like there might be a small area within one could camp legally. or at least if you did it and were busted, you'd have a decent argument to make in your favor.
to elaborate- when you come don off of fulhardt knob going sotun, you encounter a sign that says, in essence, no camping between here and 220. then after crossing 220, you walk 1/4-1/2 a mile before you coming to a sign that says camp only at designated sites from here to.... wherever that officially ends.
i dont know if one could be faulted for, after passing the first sign, deciding to camp once you were over 220 but not to the next sign yet.
i also saw someone about halfway up the ridge rather brazenly camped 5 feet off of the trail. this was either someone who didnt know the rules, didnt care, or, perhaps they might know that they dont really check/enforce the rule in that area. that would sort of make sense, as you can see the rule being to protect areas people would really want to camp in from overuse, and where this tent was was not in an area anyone would eant to camp in.
in any case it was probably colder out than i would have enjoyed, so it was just as well i "camped" at the HoJo.
speaking of questionable behavior- on top of tinker cliffs some sort of church group was having their sunday morning prayer service or something over a small fire they had built pretty much right in the middle of the trail. i have to remember that one next time someone does a "weird things you saw on the trail" thread.
Well, FIRST don't use the gas station(s) when there is a MAH-BEH-LOUS Food Lion 1/3 mile up the road (turn right southbound) with a fairly decent BBQ joint across the parking lot.
Not sure about camping - I was headed North after HoJo. All I remember from the first day is the 3 copperheads in the first 2 miles or so.
i definitely pissed something off hiding in the brush through that weird section next to 81 just north of town. dont know if it was a rattler or copperhead, sounded more like a hiss than a rattle, but i wasnt sticking around to assess the situation.Quote:
Originally Posted by Old Hiker
its also noteworthy when the hardest climb of a day is a hill in a cow pasture.
I remember that hill, or ones just like it :)Quote:
Originally Posted by tdoczi
A lot of times they will put signs a little ways up the trail to discourage vandalism.
The person camped just off the trail - probably a thru hiker. Some develop a "I can camp anywhere I want" mentality.
Church group with a fire in the middle of the trail? I would have dumped my water bottle on it and start to curse them out with the foulest language I could come up with. Yes, I'm that kind of A hole and that kind of behavior really piss me off.
it was on the part of the trail thats literally on the rocks of the cliff. i considered telling them they were blocking the trail. then i noticed the fire (it was very small) and heard them praying and decided arguing with a group of crazy 2 feet from a cliff wasnt what i wanted to do.Quote:
Originally Posted by Slo-go'en
youre probably correct. but a further thought i have, especially in light of someone in my other thread stating that 220 to 311 is owned by the NPS, why not just have that first sign i saw state 311 (or wherever) as the end of the no camping zone? why state 220 and then immediately start another no camping zone there? the sign i saw at the very first road crossing off of fulhardt was an NPS sign. it said "camping only at designated campsites between here and rt 220" and since there are no designated sites....Quote:
Originally Posted by Slo-go'en
sign could have just as easily said "camping only at designated sites between here and rt 311" if that is the rule.
but yeah its probably just a quirk of the signage and location.
Lots of hikers camp near Rt 220 there, don't know if it's legal or not. I always stay at HoJo's.
The BBQ place is called "Three Li'l Pigs" and the food is very good.
There's an outfitter next to the grocery store, within sight of Three Li'l Pigs called Outdoors Trails. They sell canister fuel among other necessities.
Parking is allowed in the Valley Cleaners parking lot. Parked there many times with no problems.
Just stayed at HoJo and it is a dirty run down dump. Lots of dead bugs, hair,and other filth in the room, and sheets that would t stay on the nasty mattress. Breakfast is a joke; sugary kid cereal, mini bagels and donuts, and.a waffle maker. I sucks that it's the closest to the trail
Sad, that hojo has gone downhill. stayed there a few times. it was decent up until about five years ago, don't know whether it got new owners or what.
The Super 8 across the road is pretty nice, though. Breakfast is lacking there as well unfort (cereal and muffins).
There is still free camping in the Troutville park right on the trail.
I was there a couple of weeks ago. Don't stay at HoJo. Very bad reviews. Stay across the street. Very good Mexican restaurant right in front (10% discount for hotel guests).Quote:
Originally Posted by martinb