Camping at Stony Mountain- PA

[PatrickO]

Just wondering if there is any camping around Stony Mountain or anywhere in the middle between Green Point, Pa and Peter's Mountain Shelter. Let me know. Thanks

[ki0eh]

Carry the latest printing of the official A.T. maps printed by Keystone Trails Association. They depict the National Park Service inholdings within PA State Game Lands (SGL). North of Duncannon the NPS parcels are camp-able but stay away from roads.

On PA SGL you are restricted to camping within 200' of the trail (NOT 200' off the trail like some exposed to LNT elsewhere think!), and 500' away from any kind of spring or water course (!!), and any road. Sometimes these regulations are enforced by game wardens (WCO) who are not noted for looking the other way, so these are best followed.

Here are 4 possible areas in the longest gap between Peters Mountain and Rausch Gap shelters, within the "St. Anthony's Wilderness" briefly profiled in the current issue of A.T. Journeys.

Near Clarks Valley (PA 325) on SGL the maps note a spring Trail-south (compass northwest) of the PA 325 crossing. Near or slightly uphill of the junction of the A.T. and the spring trail are small but evident campsites that appear to meet the SGL restrictions. (There are also evident campsites on the spring trail that do NOT meet the restrictions, avoid these.)

Trail-north of PA 325 is a small inholding of NPS (formerly Harrisburg water Authority) property on the side of Stony Mountain. Near the top of this piece, heading northbound it is 1/4 mile after an orange seep, is a seasonal clear water spring in a round enclosure just uphill of the trail. Fairly close by is an old grade where it's at least flat for pitching a tent although somewhat rocky.

Yellow Springs village site is a commonly used stopping point. A white mailbox trail register on trail might mark 500' out of the hollow that has seasonal water, so camping is presumably legit close to and Trail-north of the mailbox. Unfortunately the old foundations close to the trail have been trashed over the years but there are some interesting discoveries a bit further off the current A.T. route. WATCH YOURSELF around old mine holes. The Yellow Spring is indeed yellow (naturally occurring acid drainage) and some distance off the A.T. (Trail-east compass south), visible from the flood-damaged remains of the Yellow Spring side trail.

About 3 miles Trail-south of Rausch Gap shelter, 2.5 miles NB after passing the ruins of Yellow Springs village one will first pass the side trail to "The General" to the left, then the Cold Spring side trail to right. Water can be found down the General side trail any time of year, and Trail-east (compass south) just off the Cold Spring trail to the left (it's a mile down to the eponymous spring which in turn is well off trail, don't get excited) within 200' of the A.T. is a commonly used campsite. If you start down the hill you went too far.

Due to a quirk in how the site was approved, tenting around Rausch Gap shelter is NOT allowed (over 200' off the A.T.) and periodically we hear of this being enforced.

[flemdawg1]

I spent a night at Raush Gap between the AT and the creek (not the shelter). Pretty nice, however I saw 100s of daddy long legs spiders after dark. freaking ground looked like it was moving, and I quickly got in my tent.

[ki0eh]

I spent a night at Raush Gap between the AT and the creek (not the shelter).

Probably not what you want to hear, but that was illegal unless it was over 500' from the creek (hey, I didn't make it up, it's here ), and sometimes it's enforced too.

[flemdawg1]

Yeah I probably got lucky not to get ticketed. But it was dark (was trying to get to the shelter but ran out of light) and the site was well used.