What's the status of Over Mountain Shelter?

[wornoutboots]

Can you still stay here?
Are they tearing this down?
Are they refurbishing it back to a shelter?
I'll be leading a group through here this Spring & would love to revisit it & stay here again if possible.

Thanks!

[gpburdelljr]

This article, updated Dec 6, 2021 shows it is still closed.

https://www.transylvaniatimes.com/ou...147acd134.html

Below is an excerpt from the article:

“The fields around the shelter are still open for tent camping and offer beautiful views of the Roaring Creek valley.
"We're just telling hikers not to pitch their tent within 40 feet of the shelter in event that there is a structural failure," said Thornburgh.”

[wornoutboots]

Thank you!!

[Tennessee Viking]

Closed condemned due to structural instability. The field and privy are still open for use.

Last I heard, the ATC and USFS (possibly the SAHC) are still hashing out plans on what to do in its place.

There have talks about scaling back shelters in the area which are highly accessible and draw large volume, or attract the wrong attention.

Some ideas I heard floating around have been to rebuild a new shelter on site or relocate to another site, convert to a recreation area w/ a roofed pavilion, or just demolish and no new build.

[Teacher & Snacktime]

For a long time now I've looked forward to the idea of coming down off Roan Mtn and working my way to the barn. I have envisioned going over whatever the last hill is and seeing it in the distance as a welcoming beacon. I keep putting that trip off, and I guess that won't happen now. It would be a shame to eliminate the site as a shelter entirely because the loss of that view....oh my.

[Seatbelt]

For a long time now I've looked forward to the idea of coming down off Roan Mtn and working my way to the barn. I have envisioned going over whatever the last hill is and seeing it in the distance as a welcoming beacon. I keep putting that trip off, and I guess that won't happen now. It would be a shame to eliminate the site as a shelter entirely because the loss of that view....oh my.

The pictures that you see so often of the barn in the distance are coming down off of Little Hump Mtn. SOBO. Coming from Roan Mtn, you won't see it until you are well onto the spur trail that leads to it.
It is a great place to stop and relax, eat lunch, etc on your way from Carver's to 19E.