Mohican Outdoor Center

[Krag]

Stayed at Mohican Outdoor Center recently after a 30 mile day. There are no shelters for around 25 miles north of Delaware Water Gap. Anyone know what prevented a shelter from being built north of DWG? MOC actually charges 20 bucks if you are a section hiker, not the 12.50 listed in the book--that's only for end-to-enders...

[Lone Wolf]

Another example of special treatment for thru-hikers. It should be the other way around. Or treat EVERY hiker the same. Thru-hikers shouldn't get special treatment in the Whites either. Pay full price or move on.

[Flash Hand]

Another example of special treatment for thru-hikers. It should be the other way around. Or treat EVERY hiker the same. Thru-hikers shouldn't get special treatment in the Whites either. Pay full price or move on.

They knows that thru-hikers will be entering their area with thin cash, after month of spending. Thru hikers don't bring thick cash. Most thru hikers can be cash strapped. They knows that we have tight budget for 6 months of thru hike.

SO, they knows that thru hikers wouldn't have enough options to use purchase powers. I am not surprised if thru hikers just hiked past them because of $20.

L. Wolf, sorry, if its my first disagreement with ya but its not about special treatment for thru hikers, it is about business.

Section hikers have thick wallet.

If its 20 bucks.. I will just pass and tent out somewhere.

Flash Hand

[bearbait2k4]

I loved the Mohican Outdoor Center when I stayed in 2003.

If I can remember correctly, tenting was free, and you could still use the facilities indoors. That, however, could have also been for thru-hikers only as well.

If you have a thru-hiker or companion book, you need to remember that almost all of that information pertains to thru-hikers, specifically.

[Alligator]

I passed through there in the summer. I was told I could stay and tent for free. Nobody asked if I was a thru, but I sort of look like a thru. I had only been out for 1 day, so I didn't smell like one though . But then again, none of the hikers there really spoke to me . However, I didn't stay, I thought a thru would appreciate the space more. I just bought a soda and a candy bar, filled up my water and camped further along. I thought the electric fence around the garbage was cool.

[A-Train]

Its worth noting that 17.6 miles north of DWG is Blue Mtn Lakes Road. There is camping just before the road and there was a water pump, though I think they may have stopped its use/taken it out. From here its a mile off trail to Camp Ken-itt-wa-pec, or something to that extent. A couple of us spent a fun night there in 03'. Friendly camp director and a pretty lake. They offer 2 enclosed shelters with mattress. This place is kind of a hidden jewel. No food or showers, but certainly a great place to be if your not keen about tenting in this high bear area. Brink Road is really old and run down and small and so close to a road, I've always thought this section was a good candidate for a shelter somewhere. Maybe there is a private land issue or something, though I think the whole section of trail here is the DWG recreation area...?

I've been to Mohican a couple times, as a weekend warrior and thru-hiker and they are extremely nice folks. I was treated equally well each time. Their cabins are a cozy place to be on a winters night and I thought it was well worth the 17 odd bucks they charge. This is the AMC at its best IMO

[The Solemates]

We stayed at MOC this year on our thru and had a great time. We managed to hit it on a Saturday night, when they have live entertainment (this is every Sat night!) We showed up, they fed us lasagna, soup, salad, and cake and then we hung out listening to the band until late. We also tented for free. Thoroughly enjoyable.

[Toolshed]

Its worth noting that 17.6 miles north of DWG is Blue Mtn Lakes Road. There is camping just before the road and there was a water pump, though I think they may have stopped its use/taken it out.

Atrain -
The pump is still working fine (as of this summer). I also agree that there are some beautiful flat spots just before you get to BML Road. However, having spent a couple of nights there over the years, thos spots are completely infested with wood ticks (AKA dog ticks, not deer ticks) and spent the evening pulling a few off myself and my 4-year old - and since we hiked on the old road, the tick exposure was mostly from sitting on some rocks eating dinner and enjoying views.

There is also a great camping spot several miles after you pass Crater Lake - You drop down into the hemlock grove just before climbing up to the summit of Rattlesnake Mountain - plenty of nice forest cover and water.

[Dharma]

Camp Ken-itt-wa-pec, or something to that extent.

Yeah, whatever it's called. Kinloch and I took the mile walk down to the camp. It was before they opened for the season so we had the whole place, and the lake, to ourselves.

There are two screened cabins down next to the lake. The right one leaks... a lot! :P It was a great place to stay and for the right price... free.

[Jeff]

The YMCA Camp 1 mile below Blue Mountain Lakes Rd is on a beautiful spot. Did a little work for stay in August '04 and scored dinner & breakfast for free!!!

[SoundWitness]

I have stayed there in Mid-October, but you can e-mail them or contact for info and/or reservations

http://www.outdoors.org/lodging/lodg...ican-rates.cfm

[Dogwood]

From here its a mile off trail to Camp Ken-itt-wa-pec, or something to that extent. A couple of us spent a fun night there in 03'. Friendly camp director and a pretty lake. They offer 2 enclosed shelters with mattress. This place is kind of a hidden jewel. No food or showers, but certainly a great place to be if your not keen about tenting in this high bear area. - ATrain

Yeah, whatever it's called. Kinloch and I took the mile walk down to the camp. It was before they opened for the season so we had the whole place, and the lake, to ourselves.

There are two screened cabins down next to the lake. The right one leaks... a lot! :P It was a great place to stay and for the right price... free. - Dharma

I went through here in 06. Two screened cabins on the shoreline of a scenic swimming lake(beach area) in a quiet spot at the camp. The water was so warm and I was so thru-hiker filthy I remember enjoying it well. There was a little raft you could swim out to. I was told by the camp director the shelters were open to hikers for free as long as there were no groups from the camp staying in them, which the camp director told me was practically never. I got there around dinner time. I was invited to eat at the dining hall if I came near the end of dinner. The folks were very nice, but they don't cater to you, which is what I wanted and what I expected since I was not paying to stay there. I offered to help wash some dishes (for all of 15 mins) which they all seemed to greatly appreciate.

It did rain hard and the roof does leak in the one shelter because the roof is damaged. Even though a private camp, I would like to see some AT hikers show their appreciation by fixing the leaky roof by donating some materials and labor! I think the camp is mostly a losing or break-even financial proposition. Shame! because like A-Train said the place is like a hidden jewel. Just needs the right care and support.

The access road to the camp may not even be a mile. The Camp Director let me know of a connector trail back to the AT(about a mile or so long) that starts beyond the screened shelters at the far end of the lake. It's a bit overgrown, but easy to follow and it means you don't have to backtrack to get back to the AT.

It was late July or Aug when I went through and since the shelters are on a lake there were abundant skeeters.

[Panzer1]

MOC actually charges 20 bucks if you are a section hiker, not the 12.50 listed in the book--that's only for end-to-enders...

Then don't stay there if your a section hiker. I wouldn't blame you for not wanting to pay more just because your a section hiker. But you can camp there for free.

Also there are many camp sites north of there with very good views of the valley below and with a nice breeze to keep the mosquitoes at bay.

Panzer

[Old Grouse]

Panzer's right. Just north of MOC on the ridge there are some super spots to tent or hang.

[ChinMusic]

Panzer's right. Just north of MOC on the ridge there are some super spots to tent or hang.

I met a buddy that was going SOBO at Mohican. If it wasn't for that meeting I would have camped on that ridge. As a bonus I had LTE up there.

[horicon]

The qre part of the AMC, American Money Collectors.

[somers515]

I stayed there recently and had a good experience. We reserved a walk-in tent site ($12 per person). It had a picnic table, bear box, privy, close walk to a water spigot. The tent sites were a little close together is my only negative, but everyone was friendly and helpful.

[bamboo bob]

I stayed at MOC once with a bunch of thruhikers it was nice and I think free at the time. 2000?

Another time I camped on the ridge it was very nice dry camp. And once I just crossed the road, Blue Mt? and stealthed in the woods.

[CheeseGrits]

I was on an Appalachian Trail thru-hike attempt this year (2015). After reading a favorable description of the property in AWOLs book, I mailed a resupply box there, intending to tent there for the night, resupply, and re-forward my "bounce box". I arrived about sunset on August 8, 2015, requesting my bounce box, and tent space for the night.

I was incredulous when told that the WHOLE property had been reserved for a wedding that weekend, and that I would have to move on into the night and find a place to wild camp. Of course, I was very experienced in doing that, since I had had hiked 1,304 miles before arriving there.

But, the issue is this: What indeed is the mission of the Appalachian Mountain Club, who owns the Mohican Outdoor Center? Despite their loftily stated goals, it obviously is merely to make money any way they can, rather than serving the needs of the hiking and outdoor community. I join the sentiments of a previous poster, who stated that AMC actually stands for American Money Collectors.

Of course there was ample space to tent camp on the property - they own what must be hundreds of acres. They could have offered me a place in their woods to set up my tent, go through and bounce box and mail it out again the next day, but NO! The manager was adamant that the WHOLE property was unavailable.

So, out into the evening I went, now carrying the heaviest pack of my whole journey because I now had the whole of my 15 pound bounce box strapped to the top of my pack, not being able to ship it forward.

I must say that in the whole of my hike, this was the ONLY time I was turned away for lodging, and this was from a place purportedly to serve the needs of outdoor enthusiasts!

In contrast, several small towns (Unionville, NY, Port Clinton, VA, and Glasgow, VA, to name just a few) provided free lodging to hikers at locales that they constructed just for that purpose, and several business establishments offer free tenting to hikers on their property (South Mountain Hotel in South Mountain, PA was a shining example).

No, I was not looking for "free" lodging at all - I was expecting to pay for my tent site, of course. But, to be turned away by an organization that supposedly serves the outdoor community was an insult, and shows the AMC and the Mohican Outdoor Center in a very poor light.

I would encourage AT thru-hikers to avoid this place like the plague - they obviously do not care about the AT hiker community. Take your money elsewhere, and let them cater to the needs of the well-heeled who can rent out the whole place to fill their coffers.

[T-Rx]

We stayed at the MOC is summer in our section hike of 625 miles. The charge was $40/person per night. The accommodations were fine except for a bunk not intended for anyone over 6 feet tall. However, we had 4 people in our group get very sick following their meal in the snack bar at the MOC (all 4 had the same meal). We reported this to the management but they truly seemed indifferent. Not a place I would rush back to, but it is an oasis in the middle of nowhere. Maybe our experience was the "bad" exception to the norm.