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  1. #1
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    Default any news regarding Standing Bear Hostel outside GSM

    Hi There,
    I am trying to reserve a bed at Standing Bear Hostel right outside the Great Smoky Mountains for July 3rd, but can't seem to get a hold of anyone. Their voice mail box is full, I have tried their facebook page and their website, and I get nothing. Does anyone have any info about them?

    Thanks
    Goldielocs

  2. #2
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    sounds like things there are running same as always.

  3. #3

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    Yeah lol.. sounds like standing bear.

    Have you done your research on standing bear? Are you sure its for you?


    Sent from my SM-J737V using Tapatalk

  4. #4
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    one thing i will add... i did get someone on the phone there once. i asked if they took reservations on cabins. they said no.

    when i arrived and asked for a cabin, i was told they were all reserved.

    what can ya do, it's standing bear.

    all that said i dont recall ever hearing anything approach a horror story like "i showed up there one night at 8pm in the pouring rain and the place was locked up and no one was around."

    just kind of hold your breath and jump. and have some idea of a backup plan just in case.

  5. #5

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    My info is not yesterday uptodate...but its "post Curtis recent". The owner works, or at least she did when I was hanging out in that neck of the woods, full time and the hostel is kinda like "overflow time" unless she has a caretaker helping. Keep trying to call maybe?

    As far as I know all of the beds, and cabins are first come first serve because as I have heard her say "I will never refuse a bed that someone has reserved and not showing up for and the best way i know how to keep that from happening is to do first come first serve."

    This mentality works great for the thru hiking community but for the section hiking planner, not so much.

    I always tell people, when you get done with the smokies, walk right past green corner rd in the direction of Hot Springs unless you are quitting. Save the day that would be spent at Green Corner Rd for a zero in hot springs 2 days later. If you are planning a section hike, this info is of little help probably
    Trail Miles: 4,927.6
    AT Map 1: Complete 2013-2021
    Sheltowee Trace: Complete 2020-2023
    Pinhoti Trail: Complete 2023-2024
    Foothills Trail: 0.0
    AT Map 2: 279.4
    BMT: 52.7
    CDT: 85.4

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Gambit McCrae View Post
    I always tell people, when you get done with the smokies, walk right past green corner rd in the direction of Hot Springs unless you are quitting. Save the day that would be spent at Green Corner Rd for a zero in hot springs 2 days later. If you are planning a section hike, this info is of little help probably
    kind of a ways until you get a good stopping lace for the night though. if youre coming from davenport gap shelter, ok. if youre coming from more in the middle of the park though.... i think tri corner knob to groundhog creek shelter is probably more than most people would want to attempt.

  7. #7
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    Haven't been there since Curtis passed, but in my experience Standing Bear is the kind of place where if you just show up they will find space for you somewhere. No reservation needed.
    It's all good in the woods.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by LittleRock View Post
    Haven't been there since Curtis passed, but in my experience Standing Bear is the kind of place where if you just show up they will find space for you somewhere. No reservation needed.
    That's what we did, and we were in a decent sized bubble. No one got turned away during our stay.

  9. #9

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    Quote Originally Posted by Gambit McCrae View Post
    I always tell people, when you get done with the smokies, walk right past green corner rd in the direction of Hot Springs unless you are quitting. Save the day that would be spent at Green Corner Rd for a zero in hot springs 2 days later. If you are planning a section hike, this info is of little help probably
    What I do is stop at the Davenport shelter for the night, then in the morning go to Standing Bear for resupply and bake a frozen pizza for lunch, then head up the trail to Groundhog creek.

    To the OP, just show up. At the very least you'll be able to park. If a bunk isn't available, you can tent. Of course, the earlier in the day you show up, the better the chance of getting a bunk.
    Follow slogoen on Instagram.

  10. #10
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    Rhino and Too Slow were the guys helping run things as of last fall...Maria was busy with shuttles. Yeah, they weren't too concerned with answering the phone while I was there lol. Nice guys though. Nice campsite at Snowbird Mtn if you're up to the 4 mile uphill after Standing Bear.

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by Goldielocs View Post
    Hi There,
    I am trying to reserve a bed at Standing Bear Hostel right outside the Great Smoky Mountains for July 3rd, but can't seem to get a hold of anyone. Their voice mail box is full, I have tried their facebook page and their website, and I get nothing. Does anyone have any info about them?

    Thanks
    Goldielocs
    They are more responsive via Facebook messenger from what I remember

  12. #12
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    Saw this dude 'Hawk' that was working there get busted last year, held up with a taser by undercover cops on some sort of sexual predator charges and taken away in an unmarked van.

    Not that this is saying anything bad about the place, I thought it was super cool and chill there, he was just using the place to hide out.

    I came out of Davenport Gap Shelter, stopped here for a resupply/frozen pizza and some other snacks/charge phone ect…. hung out for a couple hours and ended an approximate 6.5 mile day with a stealth camp shortly after I realized I over shot the Pointer Branch campsite.
    NoDoz
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    Stayed there in May. Also they (Maria) shuttled us. About my 5th or 6th time there. No problems.
    [I]ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are: ... Defile not therefore the land which ye shall inhabit....[/I]. Numbers 35

    [url]www.MeetUp.com/NashvilleBackpacker[/url]

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  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by LazyLightning View Post
    Saw this dude 'Hawk' that was working there get busted last year, held up with a taser by undercover cops on some sort of sexual predator charges and taken away in an unmarked van.

    Not that this is saying anything bad about the place, I thought it was super cool and chill there, he was just using the place to hide out.

    I came out of Davenport Gap Shelter, stopped here for a resupply/frozen pizza and some other snacks/charge phone ect…. hung out for a couple hours and ended an approximate 6.5 mile day with a stealth camp shortly after I realized I over shot the Pointer Branch campsite.
    there were def some interesting/questionable folks who were "working" there when i stayed. Maria seemed to be trying to get rid of them but I think they were friends of her son or something like that?

  15. #15

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    Standing Bear is well known to be a party hostel with shady characters floating around.

    When I was there, there was an underage girl doing "work" for stay for like two weeks. Everything was fine but thats still frowned upon by law if im not mistaken.

    In reality, she was working for free PBR. Lots of it.

    Half the stuff in their store is expired.

    There's usually one person running around doing all the work. Its very unorganized.

    They have no clue who's on the property at any given time.

    In the end, Standing Bear is still very Appalchian Trail esque.

    It's not uncommon to hike up to standing bear and have a large group of intoxicated people passing around a spliff.

    People staying up around the fire till 3am having a jam session with two guitars and a drum... and a dreadlocked guy with tatoos half naked who came out of left field.

    If that's not your scene. Carry on. I woudlnt change a thing.

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  16. #16
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    Quote Originally Posted by fastfoxengineering View Post
    Standing Bear is well known to be a party hostel with shady characters floating around.

    When I was there, there was an underage girl doing "work" for stay for like two weeks. Everything was fine but thats still frowned upon by law if im not mistaken.

    In reality, she was working for free PBR. Lots of it.

    Half the stuff in their store is expired.

    There's usually one person running around doing all the work. Its very unorganized.

    They have no clue who's on the property at any given time.

    In the end, Standing Bear is still very Appalchian Trail esque.

    It's not uncommon to hike up to standing bear and have a large group of intoxicated people passing around a spliff.

    People staying up around the fire till 3am having a jam session with two guitars and a drum... and a dreadlocked guy with tatoos half naked who came out of left field.

    If that's not your scene. Carry on. I woudlnt change a thing.

    Sent from my SM-J737V using Tapatalk
    lol wasnt quite THAT bad when i was there. lots of beer drinking, much of it by the "employees." there was about 6 of said employees sitting at the table in front practically fighting over who got to sign you in. it seemed like they were all desperate to prove they were needed. i got the impression they were all "working" for stay. one of them i think was dismissed, (the bunk room was full that night) he was seen the next morning attempting to hammock camp a few hundred feet uphill from the road on the slopes of snowbird.

  17. #17

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    I guess Mountain Moma's is being looked back fondly?

  18. #18

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    Some people seem jealous I can still sport the dredlocks and tattoos half naked. I have to admit though, when it gets into the high 60s I get a little chill and have to get a shirt on.

  19. #19
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    I thought this was going to be some kind of joke. Goldilocs staying at the Bear hostel?

  20. #20
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    kind of a ways until you get a good stopping lace for the night though.
    Not really. No need to go all the way to Groundhog Creek shelter. There is excellent and ample camping at Painter Branch which is 2.3 miles north of Standing Bear. The campsite is not obvious from the trail but plenty of people have found it and stayed there. Stop in at Standing Bear, do your chores and move on. That's what I did last time through in 2017.

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