Any issues parking and camping in that area to do some day hikes? Thanks
Any issues parking and camping in that area to do some day hikes? Thanks
once you cross Fontana dam, you are inside GSMNP and you can only camp in designated sites, by reservation.
As Mockernut noted, north of Fontana you MUST reserve a spot to spend the night in GSMNP.
Download this pdf map for locations of & distances between, camping spots.
https://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvis...Map_JULY21.pdf
If you're planning only day hikes just north of Fontana, you may want to camp there and hike into the park.
The "Fontan Hilton" shelter is outside the National Park so GSMNP regulations do not apply. Parking at the dam is safe as is the lot at Fontana Marina. Fontana Lodge is close by and a nice place to stay as well.
Trailheads for the AT and Lakeshore Trail are about 3/4 mile beyond the dam, with limited parking at those trailheads.
Park regulations also prohibit "car camping" at trailheads. So if you are looking for a "base camp" and then do day hikes in the park, that camp spot will need to be outside of park boundaries.
I believe the "Fontan Hilton" is located at the end of a short side-road about 1/3 of a mile before the dam.
Car break-ins and Catalytic Converter thefts haven't been a major concern in this area of the park (Cosby and especially Big Creek are the areas in the park where a lot of CC-thefts have been reported this year).
This is what I know. There was very recently a smashed window at the Parking above the Fontana Hilton. Past that, I can tell you that he lost a handgun with a couple of clips. Why? Why? And why again, I cannot understand the why for those who dare think a tempered glass windshield is a layer of security. The bad guys KEEP getting paid. This couple paid them well. As for the CCs(Catalytic Converers, it is epidemic here in N Georgia), guards are now available for most vehicles. The question, 150 now or 700 later. If you want to gamble, expect to lose. Brand new 2021 Chevy Z71 Offroad, yep, at a trailhead. Its a new world, and its sucking quick. Too many freeloaders and its EVERYWHERE. They bombed the Alum Bluff Parking in the Smokies as well. I was there and one vehicle was a brand new Toyota Forerunner. He was NOT happy. The mercury bulb at the bottom of his therm busted. I'm trying to help White Blazers-trying.