Stealth camping in the Smokies

[KilroyWasHere]

Hi all. Planning a Nobo thru hike in 2018. My understanding is that camping is limited to the shelters or directly around the shelters through the Smokies. What is the reasoning to this and do most thru hikers abide by it? Thanks.


Kilroywashere

[tdoczi]

based on my observation travelling through there in may with some nobos, they either abide by it or do a really good job of not abiding by it.

the reasoning should be obvious. whether you agree with the reasons or not is another matter, but the justification isnt anything unique or earth shattering or interesting.

[Slo-go'en]

You are required to stay in the shelter unless you get there and the shelter is full, then you can go set up a tent in the poop mine field near the shelter. Chances are you will want to stay in the shelter because it's raining.

[KilroyWasHere]

Still unsure why this restriction is obvious. Kindly respond as if I was a rather dull six year old. Thanks.

[MuddyWaters]

Still unsure why this restriction is obvious. Kindly respond as if I was a rather dull six year old. Thanks.

To protect the park.
Small areas are sacrificial. Thats it.
Small areas around shelters, or designated campsites.

[Venchka]

Two reasons:
Be
Cause.
The NPS makes the rules.
Users must follow the rules or avoid the Parks.
Wayne


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[illabelle]

Still unsure why this restriction is obvious. Kindly respond as if I was a rather dull six year old. Thanks.

The "obvious" part is Leave No Trace. Of course LNT principles are interpreted and implemented differently by different people and in different environments. So the not-so-obvious part is this: by concentrating human activity at the shelters, it reduces human impacts elsewhere on the trail. In effect, the shelter areas become sacrificial in order to preserve other areas. The Smoky Mountains do get a lot of visitors. I think most people do obey the rules, at least loosely. Most people do stay at the shelters or in the vicinity. Not so sure they adhere to the part about not tenting unless the shelter is full.

[PatmanTN]

Kilroy,

The Smokies are loved to death. The AT across the crest sees incredible usage year-round. Not just AT through and section trips but park loops too. (There are over 850 miles of maintained trails in the GSMNP).

[SteelCut]

It's not just the AT, all backcountry camping in the GSMNP is by reservation at designated sites.

[Sarcasm the elf]

Still unsure why this restriction is obvious. Kindly respond as if I was a rather dull six year old. Thanks.

1) Because they can

2) It's a popular national park that gets overused, so concentrating the use into certain small areas reduces the destruction in other parts.

3) Because it is a popular national park it attracts a lot of people who have no idea what they're doing in the woods. It's an attempt to keep the idiots safe from the wilderness and the wilderness safe from the idiots.

[johnacraft]

[QUOTE=KilroyWasHere;2162680]Still unsure why this restriction is obvious./QUOTE]The goal is to minimize impact to the environment by concentrating human activity at or near shelters. (One of the Leave No Trace principals is to use existing campsites, and not create new ones.) Most of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park backcountry (including the route of the Appalachian Trail) is designated as Wilderness, in which campers are expected to follow LNT principals in order to preserve the wilderness for everyone. Regulations are designed to protect the resources of this park for you and for future generations.Camp in areas that have already been impacted by use.
As to whether most thru-hikers abide by these guidelines, they do, for a simple reason: finding a flat spot large enough to set up a tent is almost impossible. There is little to no open, flat ground along the Appalachian Trail in the Park.

Thousands of hikers have passed through before you. Thousands will pass through after you. We all follow LNT principals so that we see the beauty of nature, not human damage to the environment.

[Rain Man]

The GSMNP is by no means the only stretch of the AT where camping is restricted due to abuse or "being loved to death.". Several entire states restrict camping, fires, etc.

And yes, most properly respect these reasonable restrictions.

[KilroyWasHere]

Thank you all for your response. Last time I did any substantial hiking on the AT was probably around 1990, so this was helpful.

Jeff

[ScottTrip]

Since you are thru hiking you will be able to purchase the $20 permit so reservations not needed on the AT section of GSMNP. Just follow the rule and camp in the shelter area, it only took me 5 days to cross the park. Just get use to some of the rules, this not following the rules (even if you disagree) is causing a huge conflict on the AT. Don't be one of those hikers ...

[JC13]

You will get a mix of shelter users that follow the rules and those who don't. We went through a couple of weeks ago and at every shelter we stayed at except for Double Spring Gap and Davenport Gap, people tented that were not thru hikers per the GSMNP definition. No rangers were seen the entire trip except at Clingman's Dome.

All that to say, follow the rules so that additional rules don't get levied upon us.

[Dogwood]

Goes beyond what is being said. GSMNP is the most visited NP in the U.S.. The AT through GSMNP is the most used trail in GSMNP annually. The AT through GSMNP in the spring when the AT NOBO bubble comes through and AT hikers in the fall are high peak usage times. Imagine what would happen to the environment we all so enjoy if through GSMNP and the Whites if we started doing what we wanted ignoring regs that are in place for darn good "let's consider a larger whole" reasons.

[madgoat]

In case it wasn't already made clear. Thru Hikers in the GSMNP are allowed to purchase a thru hikers permit ($20) which allows them to stay at the shelters along the AT without getting reservations. A thru hiker (by GSMNP's definition) is someone who starts and ends their hike 50 miles outside the park (so at least a 170 mile section with the park in the middle). Per the parks regulations, thru hikers must stay in the shelter unless the shelter is already full. If the shelter is already full, then the thru hiker can set up their tent outside the shelter.

Any other hiker must get reservations in advance from the GSMNP's website. Reservations cost $4 per person per night and must be made for the specific day you wish to stay at that specific shelter.

Indeed, the goal is to limit heavy use to a specified area. Shelters along the AT all have bear cables, water sources, and most have composting privies to make it convenient to stay there.

Campsite 113 is the only campsite along the AT in the park. It used to be a shelter site, but now it has a series of wooden platforms for you to set up your tent. If you are going to stay there, make sure you can set up your tent either free standing or take enough cord/anchors/etc to make your tent work on a platform.

[TNhiker]

Campsite 113 is the only campsite along the AT in the park. It used to be a shelter site, but now it has a series of wooden platforms for you to set up your tent. If you are going to stay there, make sure you can set up your tent either free standing or take enough cord/anchors/etc to make your tent work on a platfor

pretty sure it's a wood frame with dirt in the middle part allowing stakes to be used........

[HooKooDooKu]

pretty sure it's a wood frame with dirt in the middle part allowing stakes to be used........

That's what I experienced at #113 many years ago.
I'm not sure what the area around the old shelter spot might be like, but I camped at the far side of the campsite (beyond the piped water source). That area is basically a hillside where cribbing and fill dirt have been used to create some tent pads.

[HooKooDooKu]

No rangers were seen the entire trip except at Clingman's Dome.

While rangers are rare in the back country, ridge runners work the AT corridor (staffing levels vary based on the season).