Where to find good preexisting camp sites.

[wnderer]

SNP wants you to use preexisting campsites out of sight of the trail, which kind of makes them hard to find. You have to get off the trail and start looking. Where are some good places to look for back country campsites? Which trails have good back country campsites?

[bfayer]

If you talk to the rangers when you get your permit they will point out the good ones to you on the map if you ask. Other than that, when you get to a flat area, you can see where other people have been heading off the trail (kind of like a game trail). Remember no back country fires and you have to be more then 10 yards from water.

If you have a good topo map it will be easy to see where the most likely spots are. Flat areas near water.

[johnnybgood]

Seeing that you live in Maryland the northern district of the park would be closer for you
In the Northern District the Matthew Arm / Jeremy Run Loop has a few preexisting camp sites that I remember existing some years ago.
This hike starts at the Elkwallow Picnic Area at milepost 24 . Pick up a detailed map of this hike at the Northern District Entrance Station or Dickeys Ridge Wayside .

* As a side note : the Jeremys Run Trail has many stream fordings on this 16 mile circuit hike.

[wnderer]

Seeing that you live in Maryland the northern district of the park would be closer for you
In the Northern District the Matthew Arm / Jeremy Run Loop has a few preexisting camp sites that I remember existing some years ago.
This hike starts at the Elkwallow Picnic Area at milepost 24 . Pick up a detailed map of this hike at the Northern District Entrance Station or Dickeys Ridge Wayside .

* As a side note : the Jeremys Run Trail has many stream fordings on this 16 mile circuit hike.

Thanks. I've camped along Jeremy's Run Trail. I took the Knob Mountain trail, went about half way down Jeremy's run and then hiked back on Neighbor Mountain and the AT. I knew the campsites were there from hikingupward. I was looking for other hikes around the 211 entrance station; Piney Branch, Thorton River or Hazel River. But I'm not sure where is a good spot to end up at the end of the day.