Carvers gap south camping

[Gambit McCrae]

I have been from carvers gap south to roan high knob, This weekend I am looking to go from cervers to indian grave, will be getting to carvers gap friday night to start and will be hiking over roan high knob after 8 pm. After you pass roan high knob shelter, are there any good places to tent before descending into the gap? As well, is there an overlook vista on the trail on roan high knob that I have been missing further south then the shelter?

[pipsissewa]

Roan High Knob is covered in rhododendron and hemlocks. There's no view from anywhere on it that I'm aware of. If you continue on the AT south past Roan High Knob shelter, you will come to the Cloudland Hotel site in about a half a mile. There's a sweet spot used for camping (again, no view) near a 4x4 trail marker just past an old chimney along the trail.

To hike out to Roan High BLUFF with a great view, you have to leave the AT at the Cloudland Hotel site and go across the parking lot for the picnic area. Then continue following a gravel road the loops around for parking for the rhododendron gardens and look for the trail sign out to the Roan High Bluff. It's about a half a mile from that trail marker. I don't recall any particularly good campsites on the way out to the bluff, but I'm sure you could find something. Nothing with views though. The view is a very small spot with a viewing platform built on it. I don't remember any water on the trail out to the Roan High Bluff either. Have fun!!!!

[The Cleaner]

Ash Gap has a spring. It's about 1.5 miles from the Cloudland Hotel site....

[Tennessee Viking]

You will be getting there pretty late. You might have easier time shacking up at Mtn Harbor or tenting at Roan Mtn SP.

There is not much trail past the shelter before jumping down the mountain. After Roan High Knob, you pretty much have a small grassy area with huge boulders with the garden road. Then there is the old chimney and the old Cloudland site. Camping is prohibited in the grasses around the Cloudland area as well as the gardens.

Much of the trail leading down to Ash Gap is new switchback hillside. So no camping until then.

I remember an old site just right next to the chimney or right before you start heading down just below the trail, but I was told it was unofficial and pretty close to Cloudland, and was possibly going to be removed.

Roan High Knob is pretty much heavily wooded. No views. There are a couple vistas on the garden trails. There is also the Cloudland parking lot and a small one just past that on the yellow blaze trail. Then Roan High Bluff is a platform deck just on the other side of the gardens past the gravel parking area.

I will say that the road to Cloudland is closed for winter.