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  1. #1
    Registered User pilgrim1's Avatar
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    Default shenandoah,skyline dr

    planning to do the 105mile trip.averaging about 10 miles per day.but noticed the campsites don't workout good doing 10 miles per.some folk hav mentioned the terrain in places would be hard to camp.so I guess my question is do we need to change mileage or is this really nothing to be concerned about.also in august will water be a problem to find or maybe have to carry a lot of water? thanks for any info

  2. #2

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    Skyline drive has lots of access to park facilities so water shouldn't be an issue.

  3. #3
    Registered User Damn Yankee's Avatar
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    Also plenty of places to camp

    "You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace;the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands."
    Isaiah 55:12

  4. #4
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    Plenty of places to camp between shelters or at shelters. I've done all but the last few miles of the park with zero nights in a shelter.

  5. #5
    Registered User johnnybgood's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by pilgrim1 View Post
    planning to do the 105mile trip.averaging about 10 miles per day.but noticed the campsites don't workout good doing 10 miles per.some folk hav mentioned the terrain in places would be hard to camp.so I guess my question is do we need to change mileage or is this really nothing to be concerned about.also in august will water be a problem to find or maybe have to carry a lot of water? thanks for any info
    I you were hammock camping , there are no shortage of trees, so it doesn't factor in. Some places along the AT you will find the terrain unsuitable with thick forest understory , just keep a keen eye while you hike beginning an hour before wanting to pitch your tent.
    Getting lost is a way to find yourself.

  6. #6

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    Yea, it looks like you'd have to "average" more like 12 miles a day, but that really isn't a big deal. I don't know how dry it would be in August, but I do know the water is often a goodly ways down the side of the ridge. I think it was Rock spring hut which had the water at the bottom of 382 rock steps.
    Follow slogoen on Instagram.

  7. #7
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    Water is usually not a problem although some creeks will get very low in the late summer. Rock Spring hut is just north of Big Meadows and the spring is about 200 feet in front of the shelter. No 300 rock steps to go down.

  8. #8

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    Quote Originally Posted by jimmyjam View Post
    Water is usually not a problem although some creeks will get very low in the late summer. Rock Spring hut is just north of Big Meadows and the spring is about 200 feet in front of the shelter. No 300 rock steps to go down.
    I'm sure it was Rock Spring hut. The guide says water down steep trail and I remember there were a LOT of rock steps to get down to it. Someone counted them and the number 382 sticks in my mind. I'll be back there again soon, so will recount them
    Follow slogoen on Instagram.

  9. #9

    Default 2/3rds Done

    I hiked the Southern District in 2011 and Central in 2012 and if i remember correctly, camping wasn't much of an issue, but we did tent next to shelters. I think we averaged around 12 - 15 a day. I do remember a stretch of 13 miles in the south that was dry and this was Memorial Day weekend, so you may run into the same issue especially if your trip is in August.

    Good luck!
    Section hiking since 2011...

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  10. #10
    Registered User Donde's Avatar
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    You should be okay on water, and you can engage in dispersed camping as long as you are not too close to a rd or facillity etc. you should be fine.

  11. #11
    Registered User johnnybgood's Avatar
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    If I remember the water source is 75 ft. on a path to the right side of Rock Spring Cabin which sits below the shelter.
    Getting lost is a way to find yourself.

  12. #12
    Registered User Studlintsean's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by johnnybgood View Post
    If I remember the water source is 75 ft. on a path to the right side of Rock Spring Cabin which sits below the shelter.

    That is correct.

  13. #13
    Registered User Hnsnhiker's Avatar
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    Some water sources can get low that time of year. A few years back during summer hike the small streams from Calf Mtn shelter to Blackrock hut were dried up and we carried extra water during that 13 mile stretch. Check the shelter journals as most hikers will post whether this is the case for your time frame.

  14. #14
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    I usually cook dinner an hour or two before I reach my campsite, therefore having water at the site isn't a big issue as you'll pass water along the way after dinner or carry it from your dinner site.!

  15. #15

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    Quote Originally Posted by Hnsnhiker View Post
    Some water sources can get low that time of year. A few years back during summer hike the small streams from Calf Mtn shelter to Blackrock hut were dried up and we carried extra water during that 13 mile stretch. Check the shelter journals as most hikers will post whether this is the case for your time frame.
    This is what I was eluding to in my post above. We had a 13 mile dry stretch near Calf Mountain. Just be prepared.
    Section hiking since 2011...

    Track me LIVE Memorial Day weekend at:
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  16. #16
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    Go for 8-15 miles per day. This is quite doable in SNP.

  17. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by jimmyjam View Post
    Plenty of places to camp between shelters or at shelters. I've done all but the last few miles of the park with zero nights in a shelter.
    Unless things have changed I'm pretty sure you can only over night at shelters or the lodges. Anywhere else can get you booted from the park.
    Pain is a by-product of a good time.

  18. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by jimmyjam View Post
    Plenty of places to camp between shelters or at shelters. I've done all but the last few miles of the park with zero nights in a shelter.
    Unless things have changed I'm pretty sure you can only over night at shelters or the lodges. Anywhere else can get you booted from the park.
    Pain is a by-product of a good time.

  19. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by fredmugs View Post
    Unless things have changed I'm pretty sure you can only over night at shelters or the lodges. Anywhere else can get you booted from the park.
    You are wrong. Read your permit, it clearly states where you can and cannot camp. Here are the rules:9) No camping May Occur:
    • ...within 10 yards of a stream or other natural water source. Protect streams and the fish in them from water quality deterioration due to erosion.
    • ...within 50 yards of standing building ruins including stone foundations, chimneys, and log walls. The park has a rich history. Camping in the area of former homesites can damage these remnants of our past. Practice the Leave No Trace Principle of “Leave What You Find.”
    • ...within 50 yards of another camping party or "no camping" post or sign. Preserve the solitude of others and respect areas that are closed to allow recovery from overuse
    • ...within ¼ mile of a paved road, park boundary, or park facilities such as a campground, picnic area, visitor center, lodge, wayside, or restaurant. Backcountry camping requires that you get off the beaten path. If you do not want to travel the required distance, consider a front-country campground.
    • ...within 100 yards of a hut, cabin, or day-use shelter. You may camp in a hut or cabin as described in this bulletin, or in a designated park-constructed campsites at Appalachian Trail huts.
    • ...within 20 yards of trails and unpaved roads.

  20. #20
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    We stayed in or around Shelters. Our milage was between 8-16 miles per day. This is a great hike!

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