New Gooch Shelter

[zydecajun]

New Gooch Shelter is great. It definitely is worth a stop to spend the night. The privy is new and clean, the spring easy to access, and the double-decker sleeping quarters are large enough for big groups.

[chris]

This is one of the better shelters in the South and the privy is not to be missed. One of the top five (privies, that is) in the south, I think. Plenty of tenting spots as well.

[smokymtnsteve]

it is a nice shelter beautiful location and the old gooch gap shelter was the pits and to close to the road ,,, the eave in the front of this new shelter is too high and open and needs to be closed in ...not good for a rainy windy day...

[Squirrel]

I was impressed with this shelter myself. I stopped here for lunch on my way from Hawk Mountain Shelter to Wood's Hole Shelter. I did not visit the privy. I seem to remember that there will still building supplies under the shelter and that many of the trees were cut down surrounding the shelter. I think this was also a memorial shelter and there was a plaque inside.

-Squirrel

[smokymtnsteve]

It great shelter and great location and really good spring..bear cables picnic table shelfs ggod covered "front yard patio" but the eaves are so high and airy and open feels great in good weather not closed in like some shelters.... open and light... but when it's windy and raining WATCH OUT!!

[Jumpstart]

This was great shelter...nice water, lots of camping, lots of room, a covered picnic area...and the best part, no uphill 1/4 mile slog like you would have at the Old Gooch Gap shelter. Comfy and convenient...except this year the 1/2 mile leading up to it was literally a MUD slick...mud about 5 inches deep and really a mess to get through....

[Chip]

This is one of 4 really nice shelters in GA. Worth the stay ! This shelter was clean compared to older shelters and had no mice problems. Double decker!
There were 11 hikers in this shelter on the night we stayed there.

[Oteast]

The older Gooch Gap shelter was kinda run down as I remember in 1993

[River Runner]

Nice shelter. Hammocking nearby was a little tough because of all the small undergrowth, but there are really nice level tent sites. When we visited April 12, there was a snake in the privy. It was actually down in the privy hole and scared the *#$% out of a friend of mine. Undoubtedly it was hanging around because of the mice in the wooden box built to hold leaves for use in the mouldering process. Someone had kindly left a plastic bucket with lid for leaves which was mouse-free.

[bulldog49]

I stayed here last week, had the place all to myself. Very good water source and shelter is very well protected with large, sloping overhang. Don't know what it was but I had a guest scratching around in the rafters.

[tiamalle]

This was great shelter...nice water, lots of camping, lots of room, a covered picnic area...and the best part, no uphill 1/4 mile slog like you would have at the Old Gooch Gap shelter. Comfy and convenient...except this year the 1/2 mile leading up to it was literally a MUD slick...mud about 5 inches deep and really a mess to get through....

I like it.It is a lot like Hawk Mtn and Springer Mtn shelters

[RAT]

New shelter ? Now I have to go and hike that all over again for the umpteenth time !! (like I needed a reason heh)

RAT

[Monkeyboy]

Stayed there 7-1-07. Water source sucked (just a little puddle with a trickle running down into it).

Shelter was nice and clean, but had a lot of mice.

[buckowens]

Stopped by there in mid-June to rest and use the facilities. Beautiful shelter.

[RockStar]

I prefer camping at Justus Creek but, Gooch Shelter is extremely nice.

[buckowens]

Amen on Justus Creek Rockstar! We had it all to ourselves and it was beautiful. Got robbed by an acrobatic rodent of some sort, but it was a small price to pay...

[Rain Man]

Got robbed by an acrobatic rodent of some sort, but it was a small price to pay...

I watched a flying squirrel get to food bags on a bear cable once in GA.

RainMan

.

[buckowens]

I watched a flying squirrel get to food bags on a bear cable once in GA.

RainMan

.

That proves why you should never trust an Aviator Uh, I mean I heard that anyway...

[Flinx]

Stayed there November 1st of '07...great shelter....unusual privy...good water source behind it....great place to cook.

[Flinx]

Also add that a bear passed through there that night....didn't bother anything...i'm sure it smelled the food on the cables and some idget had dumped ramen down the hill from the shelter.