any good camping spots north of the nantahala outdoor center

[allen3150]

Hi:

I am doing several sections northbound in North Carolina in a few weeks. I anticipate that we will stop by the NOC for awhile after putting in some miles earlier. I would like to continue on for a few miles after that. I don't think that I will be able to make it to Sassafras Gap shelter. Are there any decent spots to camp between the NOC and the shelter? Any water sources?

Thanks

[Doctari]

I seem to remember a few within about 3 - 4 miles or so. Don't remember any water, but that may be because I wasn't looking (didn't need) any. That trip was quite a few years ago, so I may be wrong on the campsites, and I did leave quite early AM, in fact, crossed the RR tracks at 6:10 AM.

[WMR]

There are some wide spots along the trail to camp, but I don't think there's any water before the shelter.

[max patch]

2 1/2 miles N of the NOC there is a campsite with spring; trail to site is on the left. Haven't been there in 10 years so I have no idea if spring is still running or not - this time of year I wouldn't plan on hitting the site "dry". I just checked the Companion and didn't see this listed.

[Blissful]

You can carry water north from NOC to the site if needed

[just dad]

i just hiked the section and saw a camping spot below the trail near the railroad tracks just as you are leaving NOC. It was probably not more than .2 miles from the NOC parking lot. Of course you probably would want to break camp before the trains run the next morning. Further up the trail we saw a few flat spots big enough for a 1 or 2 person tent.

[Bronk]

Its a steep climb out of NOC...myself and two other hikers headed up just before dark with the idea of snagging the first campsite we found...we found one big enough for 3 tents, but only after hiking up, up, up for a couple miles.

[Kerosene]

I recall one small clearing perhaps a mile north of NOC, and then several tentsites 1-2 hours north, although I'm not sure that any of them were near water. I'd recommend that you carry sufficient water for a dry camp. Actually, I think that setting up a tent before Sassafras Gap, or atop Cheoah Bald, would be preferable to staying in that shelter, which was pretty dark and buggy.

[max patch]

Rather than hiking just 2 1/2 miles to a camp site with (supposedly) water I'd probably spend the nite at the NOC and start at dawn the next day and beat the heat. Long slop up to the top.

[rjhouser]

I just hiked this area a few weeks ago. There are many small tent sites and one large camping area (room enough for 3-4 tents) near grassy gap. This is only about 3 miles from NOC. We camped here next to some huge rocks and there was a spring down a trail to the left. It wasn't running hard but the water was deep enough for me to get gatorade bottles filled. On past that I think water may be hard to find. Hope this helps.

[brian2o0o]

+1 to rjhouser's reply. There is a good size clearing on the right around 3 miles in if you're traveling north, with a large rock formation just behind it. The spring is about 100yds at the most off to the left directly across from the clearing. I think there is a trail down to the spring if I remember correctly.

[brian2o0o]

230766_503808044318_183700871_30230898_7284_n.jpg

Thats the rock formation just above the clearing.

[brian2o0o]

<IMG style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; MARGIN: 1px; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none" id=vbattach_13638 class=previewthumb alt="" src="http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=13638&amp;stc=1" attachmentid="13638"><BR><BR>Thats the rock formation just above the clearing.<BR>

[brian2o0o]

Oops, not sure how that happened, sorry!

[rjhouser]

230766_503808044318_183700871_30230898_7284_n.jpg

Thats the rock formation just above the clearing.

That's it alright. Girlfriend and I spent the night there on her first AT trip... couldn't make it all the way to cheoah because she was tiring out so we headed back to this spot to camp... she was completely convinced a bear lived in those rocks and would come devour us in the middle of the night

[rjhouser]

103_0974.jpg This is the same area but shows the camping spots. Trail to the spring would be directly behind me.

[allen3150]

thanks for all the replies

[Gambit]

After leaving NOC there are some primitive camps about 3 to 4 miles in. at about 7 miles in is a shelter. nice one too with aprivy, no play really for tent there though