Roan High Knob Shelter

[Former Admin]

Info, questions, comments, experiences (good or bad) regarding - Roan High Knob Shelter

Past/Present hikers - what can future hikers expect here? Have any good stories or memories from here?

Future hikers - any questions?

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[Jumpstart]

Incredible trail magic in the form of pizza and a 12-pack at this shelter, to be split among just four of us for the night! However, the shetler was small, claustrophobic, becuase it is enclosed on all sides, and if you are NOBO, it will most likely be FREEZING cold and windy here, as it was when we were there. Windows banged in the wind all night and we didn't sleep well.

[Lugnut]

I'll second what Jumpstart says; COLD! This is the highest shelter on the trail in altitude. I think the fontana hilton is supposed to have the highest hikers. Go figure.

[stranger]

Arrived there and found about 6 dead mice in traps that someone must have left there...the spring was very slow but did the trick. Was windy and chilly but not too bad. Restrooms were locked when I went through in late March...old firewardens cabin I think.

[Hillbilly]

The place just sounds great....it's the starting point for my son and I in June 04 on a section all the way through (hopefully) to Mt. Rogers.

Question - We are going to be dropped off at Cloudland, and are planning on our first night at Roan Bald. Is it okay in the protocol of the AT to take a night in a shelter, even though we havent' logged any appreciable miles? - Thanks in advance - hillbilly

[Lone Wolf]

All shelters are first come, first served whether you hiked 1/4 mile or 23 miles to it. Thru-hikers and long distance hikers should never count on a shelter having space.

[mikethulin]

ive been to this shelter in the summer and winter and its always cold and dark it has no views and no light gets inside this shelter the shelter even on a clear day the trees are very thick in the area
can have alot of snow in the winter ive had waist deep snow drifts on the approach trail so look out
thanx mike

[Jack Tarlin]

Another great thing about staying here---it puts you in great shape the next day to have an easy hike and short day to Overmountain Shelter, one of the prettiest places to spend the night on the entire Trail.

[Patco]

Great info from the Tennessee Eastman Hiking and Canoeing Club site. They maintain that section.

http://www.tehcc.org/RoanHighKnobShelter.htm

If you're hiking northbound (NOBO) up Roan Mountain, you will have climbed for several hours upon reaching this shelter. From the road crossing just after Clyde Smith shelter (Dad and I enjoyed watermellon there) you start to climb and it doesn't level off a bit. Several places where you have to grab trees and pull yourself up on big rock steps. Dad climbed this on a cold rainy April day on his long distance hike and did not enjoy it much at the time.

[Brushy Sage]

When Patco and I arrived at this shelter in 2003, we found that a group from Kincora hostel had been there helping the maintaining club make renovations on this shelter. It is improved over the 2002 conditions -- more light gets in -- still no privy (unless added in the past six months or so). A local family who had hiked up there on an outing watched me cook on the whisperlite, and the son said he had never seen anything like that. Then they hiked back down to their car.

[Moon Monster]

The High Knob highpoint is marked by a USGS benchmark on a rock just (<100 yards) beyond the shelter (to the left as you leave the shelter).

Reportedly, it can snow here even when the other two summits of Roan have just rain (even though they are only 1-2 miles away and only 20-30 feet lower than the High Knob)!

There are pit toilets next to the Carver Gap parking lot a mile + north of the shelter. There is also a piped spring there and some campsites, if you want to be off the summit and a tad warmer.

[abales01]

I enjoyed screwing with the flies as they slept in their little clusters. The things were everywhere. Cloudland was very mystical at dusk.

COLD COLD COLD

[bertcourson]

It was raining for the last two miles as I approached from the south. The trail did not wash out as it was well maintained with rock. Upon arrival the view was, well, not very good. I did not know I was on top of anything. The shelter was ok and we slept well. The walk north was down the hill and feeling was that I was leaving an arboreal forest and returning to civilization.

[Pennsylvania Rose]

My kids and I spent the night of April 5th in the shelter. We were thankful for the enclosed walls. The wind never stopped for the three days we had been out to that point, gusting enough to push us sideways on Little Hump. Overmountain Shelter was especially bad the night before. Wind blew through the barn even though we put our tarp over the loft window and our ground cloth on the floor. We had had enough of cold windswept views at that point. Snow and trees were OK by us. And, living in Kentucky, the boreal forest on top of Roan Mtn. is a novelty we enjoy. The mountain has replaced Mt. Rogers as my son's favorite place.

[joel137]

If you are being dropped off at Cloudland, early in the day, you might consider your first night at Overland Shelter.

I've been there twice, in June and it was coldish, the first time the trail register warned of huge rats infesteing the shelter.

They actually were flying squirrels, which could've been confused for rats, only they are much cuter than rats. Its a unique shelter and probably worth the stay for that reason.

[kyhipo]

One of my best days hiking the AT was hiking southbound to Roan shelter,man from the barn to their was great just awesome views it was in late march little chilly,but it was wonderful then coming down into those mt.laurels my goodness the tunnels were just great!little scarey going down that hill after roan on ice ky

[brz]

i should mention that i know of 3 people that missed the sign to
roan high when i was there. 1 by himself the day before and two out of a party of three that day. the latter caused a lot of grief. they said they missed sign because they were looking at ground. sign is dark brown. it is above eye level on a tree with a BLUE blaze. it has "Appalacian Trail" in big letters and under that "Roan high shelter" in tiny letters. its quite easy for a SoBo to entirely miss sign.

given the extreme altitude and very bad weather in Roan highlands, the sign really needs to be changed. all of the 17 folks I meet about this shelter AGREE. I knew of problem in advance by asking passing hikers about problems ahead.

p.s, i had ice form on my hammock up there over night in JUNE! indicated low overnight was 22 degrees f.

also, there is NO EXCUSE for no privy at this shelter! road access is only .5 miles away. such a tragedy for this spectacular place to be littered with tp and feces.

[wilconow]

also, there is NO EXCUSE for no privy at this shelter! road access is only .5 miles away. such a tragedy for this spectacular place to be littered with tp and feces.

Doesn't this have to do with Tennessee?

[Gray Blazer]

It's an easy hike from Carver's Gap to the 1st Shelter South (Clyde Smith ?) anyway, Overmountain Shelter is just a little beyond that and easy to reach in less than a day. And......if you like to tent, Big Hump is a great spot to camp and can be reached from Carver's Gap in less than a day. Camping out on Big Hump can be fun if you have a good tent that won't blow away. It can get windy and cold even in July. have fun!

[SawnieRobertson]

The High Knob highpoint is marked by a USGS benchmark on a rock just (<100 yards) beyond the shelter (to the left as you leave the shelter).

Reportedly, it can snow here even when the other two summits of Roan have just rain (even though they are only 1-2 miles away and only 20-30 feet lower than the High Knob)!

There are pit toilets next to the Carver Gap parking lot a mile + north of the shelter. There is also a piped spring there and some campsites, if you want to be off the summit and a tad warmer.

Good information. When I went came out into Carvers Gap, it was so socked in that the person I was meeting there was invisible until he was within a couple of feet of me. Sure am glad I wasn't looking for those privies.--Kinnickinic