The Smokies

[DaddyLongLegs1187]

I started a LASH hike this past spring and have made it to the Fontana. My question is, for other LASHers how did you conquer the Smokies? Mainly did you do it all in one trip or split it up? Where did you stay? What do I need to do about permits since I am not thru hiking? Is there anything I need to know before I continue on my adventure? Thanks in advance

DLL

[HooKooDooKu]

Permits:
Because you will be starting and ending your hike within 50 miles of the GSMNP boarder, you will need to obtain reservations for each shelter you plan to camp at.
You simply have to apply for a "General" back country permit beginning as early as 30 days before the start of your hike.

GSMNP General Camping Permit Webpage

[DaddyLongLegs1187]

Permits:
Because you will be starting and ending your hike within 50 miles of the GSMNP boarder, you will need to obtain reservations for each shelter you plan to camp at.
You simply have to apply for a "General Purpose" back country permit beginning as early as 30 days before the start of your hike.

GSMNP General Purpose Camping Permit Webpage

Is there any fee to do so?


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[HooKooDooKu]

If fees do not increase.... $4/person/night ($20 max/person for up to 7 nights)
If you need to go for more than 7 nights, you simply get a 2nd permit (with the $4/person/night starting all over)

[Gambit McCrae]

I did the Smokies in 2 trips. Clingmans Dome Nobo, and Clingmans dome Sobo. I got my permits according to the park rules at the time of completion and had a great trip. I am doing the Smokies on the AT again this year for my map2 completion and I will do them the same way except due to time restraints, I will do 1 trip from Clingmans Dome south to NOC, and a trip from Newfound gap to i40.

Bring earplugs, start early in the day, don't let the ridge runners boss you around or make your experience negative however follow the rules

[ldsailor]

I did a LASH starting at Springer in 2016, so I just needed the thru-hiker pass for the Smokies. The total trail mileage in the Smokies is only 70 miles. I'm a slow hiker, so it took me seven days to get through the entire park. One day was a zero day spent nursing a sprained ankle at Icewater Spring Shelter. So, you see, it should be an easy hike to do the whole thing within a week. I carried enough food with me for all seven days and reprovisioned when I got out of the park. A lot of hikers go into Gatlinburg, but I skipped it.

Plan your hike well. If you don't make it to your reserved spot in a shelter, it could throw all your remaining shelter reservations off, and then you may find yourself having to pitch a tent or worse if you decide not to carry a tent.

[tommaloney]

Bring earplugs, start early in the day

seems like these are personal preferences...

[HooKooDooKu]

I did a LASH starting at Springer in 2016, so I just needed the thru-hiker pass for the Smokies. The total trail mileage in the Smokies is only 70 miles. I'm a slow hiker, so it took me seven days to get through the entire park. One day was a zero day spent nursing a sprained ankle at Icewater Spring Shelter. So, you see, it should be an easy hike to do the whole thing within a week. I carried enough food with me for all seven days and reprovisioned when I got out of the park. A lot of hikers go into Gatlinburg, but I skipped it.

Plan your hike well. If you don't make it to your reserved spot in a shelter, it could throw all your remaining shelter reservations off, and then you may find yourself having to pitch a tent or worse if you decide not to carry a tent.

Even with a Thru Hiker Permit (which the OP doesn't qualify for), GSMNP camping regulations do not allow you to camp at the same shelter two nights in a row.
(However, I doubt any ranger would ever fine someone for violating regulations if they had a legitimate medical or safety reason for doing so.)

GSMNP camping regulations also do not allow tents at shelters EXCEPT for those with a Thru Hiker Permit, and then ONLY if the shelter is full.
(During the thru hiker season, only 4 spots at each shelter are set aside for thru hikers... but since they are not required to have reservations, more than 4 might show up at a shelter on any given night... and typically 10x that many will show up during the bubble.)

However, even if you have a General Permit, it's still a good idea to carry a tent or some other form of emergency shelter. There's always the possibility of an emergency that might prevent you from getting to a shelter for the night. There's also the possibility you arrive to find the shelter is already full due to illegal camper there without a permit. In such a situation, I would rather illegally setup a tent near the shelter and do some explaining to a ranger rather than risk confronting an illegal camper in the back country to claim my reserved spot.

[Slo-go'en]

The easy solution is to go when it's raining. Half the people with reservations won't show up.

[HooKooDooKu]

The easy solution is to go when it's raining. Half the people with reservations won't show up.

Doesn't solve the problem of needing to carry emergency shelter... but yea, even when the reservation system showed a shelter as being full, the only time I've stayed at a shelter that was actually full was during the AT Thru hiker bubble, or the popular LeConte Shelter.

[TNhiker]

Start at Fontana dam. Buy the thru hiker permit and stay at the shelter that you want to..

or better yet----dont be one of those people who like to bend the rules for their own personal satisfaction....

the rules aint hard to follow.....

[Turk6177]

It has pretty much all been said. Since you have to put down specific shelters to stay at, I would recommend going a short distance earlier on with your hike northbound. The climb isn't as bad as the climb out of the NOC, however, you are full of food and water earlier on. I stayed the first night at Mollies Ridge Shelter, 2nd night at Derrick Knob, 3rd Night at Mt. Collins, 4th night at Icewater Springs Shelter, 5th night at Tri Corner Knob Shelter and my last night at Cosby Knob, walking to Standing Bear Hostel to spend the night. I think to do it over again, I would keep the second half the same, but change the first half to night 1 Birch Spring Gap tenting area (mile 171.7), night 2 Spence Field Shelter (Mile 182.5) Night 3 Silers Bald shelter (mile 194.3) then the rest would be Icewater (Mile 209.8), Tri-Corner (mile 222.4) and Cosby Knob 230.1. I think this keeps your longer days for later on when your pack is lighter and the terrain is easier. This is all guessing at your daily mileage, but so I am assuming you are fine with doing 10-14 miles on a given day. Have a great trip. I found the north end much more beautiful than the southern side, but all of it made for a wonderful hike.

[JC13]

We started at Fontana as well in 2017, went to Mollies night one, Double Spring night two, Pecks night three and Davenport Gap night four. Mollies was packed in July, Derrick Knob was also filled to overflowing due to a weather event that hit on our way to Double Spring.

[map man]

I did it in one trip. I started at Winding Stair Gap, 57 trail miles south of the park, and finished at Allen Gap, 51 miles north of the park. I did it this way so I would meet the park qualifications for a thru-hiker permit, which allows for much more flexibility when you are hiking through the park. The permit only costs $20, if memory serves.

You could always hike the Nantahalas a second time, starting at Wayah Gap, 51 miles south of the park, and then hike to Allen Gap or further so you could qualify for the thru-hiker permit. The Nantahalas seem worth experiencing a second time. It beats getting a thru-hiker permit under false pretenses, as one previous poster suggested -- I mean, who wants to think of themselves as a cheater?