Pisgah Cell Service?

[Gambit McCrae]

How is the verizon cell service in Pisgah?
Will be on the whole Art Loeb this weekend and will have a friend meeting up each night parking close to camp due to ankle injury

[golfjhm]

Not perfect but I was able to get calls off and weather updates while on the Shining Rock Ledge (not sure about Davidson River Valley side). However, I'm not sure how your buddy is going to park close to camp each night. Checked Parkway interactive closure map and the stretch between 215 and 276 (where trail crosses) is now closed. Anywhere he parked along 215 or 276, which parallel the ALT, would be 5-7 miles of VERY steep hiking to gain the ridge (+/- 2500 ft) where you would be camping along the ALT - very risky with an ankle injury. Might want to rethink that part of the plan.

https://www.nps.gov/maps/full.html?m....2933/-82.7710

[Rain Man]

I agree with golfjhm re someone with a car getting to you each night. Having hiked the entire ALT, I was surprised to read that, especially north of the Blue Ridge Parkway. South of it, there were a couple of road crossings, gravel mostly. One had a surprising amount of traffic on it at a junction where the trail crossed, plus parking.

As far as cell service, there are a couple of places where I think you can actually see cell towers on peaks miles away. My phone wasn't able to reach those towers for voice. Even texting was about non-existent as I recall (I don't use Verizon, but some in the groups did).

I'd call the Ranger Station for Davidson River and ask them. They were very helpful to me, though hard to get an actual ranger (which is often the case everywhere). The local trail club was helpful too. I contacted them via their web site if memory serves.

[G-FOURce]

I agree with golfjhm re someone with a car getting to you each night. Having hiked the entire ALT, I was surprised to read that, especially north of the Blue Ridge Parkway. South of it, there were a couple of road crossings, gravel mostly. One had a surprising amount of traffic on it at a junction where the trail crossed, plus parking.

As far as cell service, there are a couple of places where I think you can actually see cell towers on peaks miles away. My phone wasn't able to reach those towers for voice. Even texting was about non-existent as I recall (I don't use Verizon, but some in the groups did).

I'd call the Ranger Station for Davidson River and ask them. They were very helpful to me, though hard to get an actual ranger (which is often the case everywhere). The local trail club was helpful too. I contacted them via their web site if memory serves.

Do you mean the station on 276 that is across the street from the Davidson? If so, that's the Pisgah District Ranger Station (828-877-3265). Be careful who you talk to about information there. There are number of good-hearted retirees that work there but you can get widely varying information depending on who you speak with on any given day. Definitely talk to a Ranger or call a local trail club.

[brian2o0o]

Never had a problem sending texts in the Shining Rock area with Verizon, at least from the peaks. Not so sure about the area between Davidson and the Parkway though.