Brown Creek Mountain Shelter (VA)

[Kerosene]

Nice location along Brown Mountain Creek, a nice fast-flowing creek, surrounded by pines. The privy up the hill to the right is solid and looks new as of October 2003. Water from the creek.

The shelter is only a few miles and a nice downhill stroll from a parking area on US-60. The walk from US-60 to the road past the Lynchburg Reservoir was a very pleasant and easy 6-mile hike, perfect for day hikers or an easy introduction to the Trail.

Click here for a picture of the shelter, which is similar in design to most Jefferson National Forest shelters south to Fullhardt Knob Shelter.

[Patco]

After my dad, "Brushy Sage" stopped his thru-hike after 618 AT miles (Pearisburg, VA) on Memorial Day in 2002, he and I both wanted to do some more section hikes. That fall, during very colorful conditions, we were dropped off at the Blue Ridge Pkwy crossing south of Peddlar Dam with plans to hike to Montibello. We tented the first night just before the dam along a nice stream. The second day as we were on the back side of the resivoir it started to rain. We walked in the rain until reaching Brown Mountain Shelter. The temp was 42 and fog and drizzle had set in. We spent the night there. We spent the next day there waiting for the weather to break. We spent the next night there. We were about to spend yet another day there when we had had enough of the shelter. No one had passed in either direction. During the hours and hours trapped there we amused ourselves with many games. We did the two-headed opera singer like on "Whose Line", we jogged around the center pole to get warm, we tossed a miniature football (which came in a packet of cheese and my dad tried to eat it) back and forth and told stories. A good time for father and son but we needed to get moving. We geared up and headed up to route 60 and hitched into Buena Vista. The next morning there was snow on the peaks just north of route 60.

[justusryans]

We just did a weekend through the area and stayed at Brown Mountain Shelter. It's a great location. There is a spring up the hill from the shelter as well as the stream. Ran into two southbounders, Lawnchair and Curtis. BTW, If you hitch the opposite direction from Buena Vista, Amherst is about 15 miles. There is a hotel, a Food Lion, a Laundrymat and a hardware store where you can get denatured alcohol.

[Creek Dancer]

We just did a weekend through the area and stayed at Brown Mountain Shelter. It's a great location. There is a spring up the hill from the shelter as well as the stream. Ran into two southbounders, Lawnchair and Curtis. BTW, If you hitch the opposite direction from Buena Vista, Amherst is about 15 miles. There is a hotel, a Food Lion, a Laundrymat and a hardware store where you can get denatured alcohol.

I ran into those two labor day weekend in the Shenandoah National Park! They are trying to get to Springer by October 31. They might just make it too.

[justusryans]

Yea, I'd say they are on track to be there by the end of Oct. They were in good spirits. They were still carrying the monkey