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Hi Everyone! I plan on doing a section hike in 2 weeks from CT to the NJ Border and wanted to know if anyone has information about the Graymoor Ballfield campsite. Are we able to stay there overnight? I only ask this as I have been getting a lot of conflicted information about whether or not we can camp there. Also the my map and guide indicate there is water available there. Does anyone know the reliability and access to water there? Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.
Can't help with your question, I just wanted to point out that cross posting is discouraged.
People will chime in with an answer wherever you put it and cross posting just makes things hard to keep track of.
Welcome to WB!
i don't know what you've heard, but nothing has changed according to the Companion, and a quick review of trailjournals.com shows that thru hikers are still staying there this year.
Also no mention of any changes listed in the ATC website.
Great! Thanks for the replies! I'm really excited as this is my 1st long trip as I've only done weekend trips before.
Hope your a sound sleeper as the bells go off every hour and will drive you crazy. We stayed there but wish we had stayed on the trail and found a quiet camp site.
I was there 6 weeks ago. I slept in the pavilion. There is running water, a place to do dishes, laundry snd I think a shower. I enjoyed the bells. St vespers the songs the bells played were beautiful.
I must be a sound sleeper; I don't remember any bells at all!Quote:
Originally Posted by Trail Bug
I stayed there last year-but for the three days of rain, it was great..
Not only is there a field to tent on, a pavilion to take shelter in, and running water for your drinking and cleaning needs, there's a local Italian restaurant that will deliver to the pavilion (it's near a road on the property). You should find a menu, with phone number, in the pavilion.
Has anybody heard from/of the monastery in the last few months? From what I can find on their website, all references to hikers staying on their property seem to have been removed.
Also in the pavilion they have a electric outlet.
Since the original question was in August of last year, I'm hoping that it turned out nothing was changed.
I wonder if there is confusion about the ability of hikers to stay at the actual monastery, versus sleeping on the ball field. As I understand it, hikers haven't been permitted to stay in the monastery itself for many years, but they are welcome to attend services and stay at the shelter. I last camped overnight there in the spring of 2012 and at that time, a security guard at the monastery did warn me not to wander around, because of the rehab program guests that are also on the property.
If someone finds out that the ball field shelter is also no longer open for hikers, I would appreciate that information. There is another campsite not too far away but I have been looking forward to spending time at the monastery again this summer and would like to know not to expect that if it's no longer an option.
Jane in CT
The facility was definitely still open to hikers at the time of the OP's post. I'm having trouble verifying that it is available for 2014 however. I found several links through Google to pages on the Graymoor website that clearly used to explain the system for hikers staying in the baseball field. None of those links actually work anymore. I was trying to assemble a list of places I'd like to visit this summer and this thread was the most recent discussion of Graymoor.
There is info well hidden on the Graymoor website:
To find this, go to the map at: http://www.atonementfriars.org/who_w..._graymoor.htmlQuote:
26. Ball Field
Appalachian Trail hikers may use the campsite/shelter at the ball field with water, cold shower, and covered picnic pavilion free of charge. Pizza delivery menu is posted.
Mouse over #26, ball field, at the top of the map and you'll see what I quoted.
On the other hand, web sites get out of date, so you might try calling and asking their security people.
Looking forward to the Italian food when I do the trail again. Putting in my 1992 AT thru hike journal at trailjournals.com lately and it just so happens I am typing in the details for staying at the monastery, back when they would feed and house the willing hikers.Quote:
Originally Posted by LIhikers