Old Orchard Shelter

[Hikerhead]

Log cabin type shelter with a wood shingled roof. The water source is about 100 yards to the right of the shelter. The water comes out of a platic pipe, water was barely flowing when last visited (mid oct 2002).
The new privy is about 50 yards behind and to the left of the shelter. The shelter is about 1/2 way up Pine Mtn.

Uncovered picnic table out in front.

Pic of shelter http://www.whiteblaze.net/gallery/sh...papass=&sort=1

Pic of privy http://www.whiteblaze.net/gallery/sh...papass=&sort=1

[Jack Tarlin]

Absolutely beautiful spot, tons of great campsites in the field in front of the shelter. Yet another reason to take your time on this great stretch North your first week out of Damascus.

[bigboy]

Beautiful Shelter and area - Stayed the night in late summer 05. Good water source and fire ring also great campsites. Wished we would have brought the tent - the mice kept us up all night running over my sleeping bag and they even seemed to jump out of the rafters on to my bag.

[jlb2012]

was that rock cairn still there in front of the shelter on that big rock?

[handlebar]

was that rock cairn still there in front of the shelter on that big rock?

It was there when I went through in May after Trail Days, but as I recall, it was sprouting a nice growth of poison ivy.

[Nightwalker]

I stayed next to that shelter in peak leaf season last fall. The gold colors were amazing there. More so than the other beautifulm places in SW VA, even.

[Lone Wolf]

was at old orchard today. the shelter and surrounding area is filthy. firepit has a lot of burnt trash. there is a brand new wheelchair accessible privy complete with ramp and grab bars w t f? the only way anybody with a wheelchair is gonna get there to leave a dump is via helicopter.

[Dances with Mice]

was at old orchard today. the shelter and surrounding area is filthy. firepit has a lot of burnt trash. there is a brand new wheelchair accessible privy complete with ramp and grab bars w t f? the only way anybody with a wheelchair is gonna get there to leave a dump is via helicopter.

Shoot the Trails Supervisor an e-mail about the trash & filth, please.

The wheelchair ramp is the result of government regulations for bathroom facilities built on federal lands. Kinda funny, huh?

[Lone Wolf]

Shoot the Trails Supervisor an e-mail about the trash & filth, please.

The wheelchair ramp is the result of government regulations for bathroom facilities built on federal lands. Kinda funny, huh?

pretty effin ridiculous and expensive

[Dances with Mice]

pretty effin ridiculous and expensive

Oops. You were at Old Orchard, not Plum Orchard. Bless my heart.

Don't sent the e-mail.

[TexasEd]

I stayed there last year and there were large groups that used it as a site after coming in from Fox Creek.

There is a lot of poison ivy in the grassy areas down hill from the shelter. There are plenty of tent sites around.


There is a nice, relatively new mouldering privy.

[copperjohn]

I stayed at this shelter on 7/28/2010. I had the shelter to myself but the fields in front were full of horse riders who were drinking and causing trouble. They were very loud but thankfully a heavy storm rolled in and kept them in their tents and quiet.

One major problem with this shelter is that summer storms blow right into the front of this shelter. During the storm everything in the shelter became soaked I hung my tent footprint up in front but the mist blew around the covered area and soaked everything, including a couple inches up the back wall.

I had no problem with mice in the shelter but I did watch as one ate oatmeal of the table in front of the shelter and then became stuck and couldn't get back off the table top.

Spring was flowing decent.

[TexasEd]

I didn't think there was horse trail access at this shelter.

[jlb2012]

I didn't think there was horse trail access at this shelter.

not right at the shelter but there is a horse trail that crosses the AT just north of the shelter

[copperjohn]

It's about .1 north of the shelter, you can actually see the shelter as you cross the trail. The horse campers this night were camping anywhere from 40-150 yards away. There were maybe 15-20 of them. Some came up to look at the shelter/privy/water source.

[bignfuzzy]

Any recent updates on the water source?

[Night Train]

Any recent updates on the water source?

Piped spring was good, went through there 10/30/15.

[Tipi Walter]

I liken Old Orchard shelter to the Gateway of the Crest Zone as I always approach it from the south across Fox Creek and climb up into the Mt Rogers area on the AT and pass the shelter on my way to Stone Mt, Scales and/or Pine Mountain.


Here is Old Orchard back in 2011.



Shelter sign.



Hanging out at Old Orchard.


There are dozens of campsites around the shelter and I picked this one just above the spring.