Reserving Shelters in NC

[Biscuit in GA]

How do I make shelter reservations from the NC/GA border northwards to Winding Stair Gap? (Long Branch, Carter Gap, Muskrat Gap) Thanks for the help!

[Biscuit in GA]

*Muskrat Creek Shelter

[CalebJ]

AT shelters are first come, first serve.

[JC13]

You don't need reservations for any of these, only shelters in GSMNP in NC/TN require reservations.

[Tennessee Viking]

For the Southern AT, or really most of the AT, its first come first serve.

The Smokies is the only area with restrictions.

[Slo-go'en]

Show up before anyone else does. Carry a tent in case you don't.

[HooKooDooKu]

And then you only need reservations at GSMNP shelters if you are a section hiker.

If you meet the GSMNP qualifications for a thru hiker, you can get a thru hiker permit which doesn't require reservations for the shelters. However, on such a permit, you have to be prepared to tent outside the shelter if reservation holders fill up the shelter.

[Abatis1948]

Please, do not set up your tent inside the shelters. I hope you enjoy your hike.

[illabelle]

And just to clear up another thing, sometimes folks show up and think that if they are the first to arrive, the shelter is "theirs." Not so. A hiker can only claim one space for each person in their party. For example, if there is a party of 3 and the shelter has a capacity of 8, they should expect to share the shelter with 5 others, making room for more if it's raining.

It's about like a park bench. You're welcome to sit for a spell if there's room, but if there's still room, the next person can sit there too.

Please note: Biscuit in GA said nothing about claiming a shelter, and I'm not suggesting she intends to do so. Just putting this info out there because sometimes people don't know.

[Biscuit in GA]

Thanks, everyone! I appreciate the help!

[Gambit McCrae]

And just to clear up another thing, sometimes folks show up and think that if they are the first to arrive, the shelter is "theirs." Not so. A hiker can only claim one space for each person in their party. For example, if there is a party of 3 and the shelter has a capacity of 8, they should expect to share the shelter with 5 others, making room for more if it's raining.

It's about like a park bench. You're welcome to sit for a spell if there's room, but if there's still room, the next person can sit there too.

Please note: Biscuit in GA said nothing about claiming a shelter, and I'm not suggesting she intends to do so. Just putting this info out there because sometimes people don't know.

Good point to make. It would probably save a lot of people over the years a lot of awkward conversations if there was a blatant statement at all the shelters what the "rules" are. Over the years I have started tenting more and more because of either the company, or possibility of company at shelters. Nothing fun about having to deal with someone who has taken ownership of a shelter...another real not fun thing is to deal with a dog in a shelter that thinks its a playground. If you have a calm pup that stays in his space and is quiet at night then hey Im all about it, the dog walks the trail the same as we do. But if your dog has fleas, and is scratching all night/ getting up and running amuck in the shelter... its another great reason to tent lol I have found that for the most part if tenting near a busy shelter, the "low in etiquette" folks are usually like a magnet to the shelter while the more experienced folks choose to tent. I personally get 10x better sleep in my tent.

[Bronk]

There should be basic rules posted, but the problem is they won't be uniform over the whole trail as each club adopts their own and it would probably just create confusion as people cited rules posted at one shelter while staying at another that doesn't have rules posted. That and micromanagers would inevitably come up with a long list of very stupid rules. A simple statement that shelters are first come first served and one space to a person would go a long way to informing newbies as to the purpose of the shelters. I can easily see how someone unfamiliar with the ways of the trail could indignantly insist that they were there first and the shelter was theirs, and besides, they're not going to have strange men sleep in there with their 12 year old daughter. I recall a thread awhile back where this very scenario played out at The Place in Damascus where a boy scout troop insisted they had reserved the whole hostel and wouldn't let anyone use any of the several empty bunks available because "grown men shouldn't sleep in the same room as little boys."