Campbell Shelter (VA)

[Kerosene]

Located just north of the Catawba Mountain (McAfee Knob) summit. Another basic 6-person design with uncovered picnic table and fire pit, but with a nice elevated porch in front of the opening that gets direct sunlight.

Couldn't find the spring. Ample tenting around shelter and just south on the Trail just above the shelter.

Click here for a picture of the shelter.

[BlackCloud]

As of 6/18/05 the shelter was clean & dry. Good thing too, as I ran in to escape a torrential downpour of biblical proportions.

While I liked the uncovered deck out front, I found the privy to be a little close, at about 100' almost directly in front of the shelter (nice view eh?). Also, I spied an old road which seemed to be a suitable return route to Rt 311 for a 10 milish loop of McAfee...

[TakeABreak]

Water source was not that hard to find, although it did take a few minutes, there is a blue blazed trail behind and to the left of the shelter, the spring is near the old road.

I also stayed at the shelter, and the next morning woke up to the most beautiful sunrise I had ever seen, I layed in my sleeping bag and took a picture of the sun rising, unfortunately it was the roll that came up missing. It is o.k. though because I can still see it in my mind.

[BlackCloud]

I also stayed at the shelter, and the next morning woke up to the most beautiful sunrise I had ever seen, I layed in my sleeping bag and took a picture of the sun rising, unfortunately it was the roll that came up missing. It is o.k. though because I can still see it in my mind.

I take pictures b/c the medium of film will undoubtedly last longer, and more accurately, then my feeble mind....

[jlb2012]

I passed by on 7 Sep 2005 - as mentioned above a very nice front porch. Register mentioned some bear activity in the area and on the other side of McAfee's knob I did see a bear along the AT. I didn't bother locating the spring since Just Joe had mentioned it was running very slow.

[Creek Dancer]

Stayed at the Pig Farm Campsite very near Campbell Shelter weekend of July 22, 2006. The campsite was clean and had a picnic table. The water source was difficult to find. Follow the signs posted by the Roanoke ATC. The water was marginal, at best. More like a cesspool. If you go over to the other side of the road, the water is running slightly better, but not great. You really need a filter, rather than pills.

[brooksto]

yes you have to cross the service road, there will be a long pipe trickling into a pot, that is the water source.

[Jaybird]

Located just north of the Catawba Mountain (McAfee Knob) summit. Another basic 6-person design with uncovered picnic table and fire pit, but with a nice elevated porch in front of the opening that gets direct sunlight. Couldn't find the spring. Ample tenting around shelter and just south on the Trail just above the shelter....

Yo Kerosene:

man, you didnt look hard enuff...we found 2 water sources...1 not so good...(boiling water or iodine tabs needed) but finally found the pipe/water source.
we spent the nite there (2006) after a short hike day.


http://www.trailjournals.com/photos.cfm?id=145435

[Father Dragon]

Water at this shelter should be treated, filtered, or boiled.. This weekend the spring was flooded with mucky water and it smelled kind of bad. It looks and smells the same as pond water. There was a frog or toad living in the spring as well. The pipe across the road is fed from the same boxed spring, and is of the same or greater nastiness.

[GoldenBear]

When I went by here two days ago, there was a small trickle of water coming from the spring at the end of the blue-blazed trail, that goes under the power lines near the shelter.
The best place to look for water is to walk down the wooden steps on the left side of the blue-blaze trail, just as you walk over the water flow.
Water is pretty silty, so you'll have to build a dam to make enough of a puddle to dip your pre-filter or small jug into. You will HAVE to treat the water here, but I was able to get enough.