Pine Knob Shelter - MD

[Former Admin]

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

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

Future hikers - any questions?

[Mini-Mosey]

This, too, appears to be one of the older shelters. Has a tenting area near it, spring and privy. I have not stayed at this shelter, just checked it out briefly a while back. Not far from I-70, which is pertinent for those who don't want to stay in a shelter near a road, nor far off Route 40. Just as an aside-the snipers that were running around shooting people last fall were caught at a rest area off I-70 not far from here).

[Papa Bear]

Here's a shot of Pine Knob Shelter.

Pb

[Mini-Mosey]

For the first time in over a year, I went hiking last Saturday. So good to get out again!! It was just a short one..rt. 40 to Annapolis Rocks and back again..but I checked out Pine Knob while out there. I hadn't been there in AGES. It's really been spruced up...repainted..looks a lot "cleaner". Nice work!! There was a guy and his big dog staying overnight there..he had a fire going..he had hiked in from 40.

[Pabst]

Sectioned that area in November. Had lunch at Pine Knob Shelter after staying at Cowell Shelter the night before (Late November 03). It was a well maintained Shelter, freshly painted, and had a small broom. Someone however had left a zip lock bag with there trash in it, inside the shelter. Of course, an animal/rodent go into it and ripe everything to shreads. I cleaned it up and took it with me and headed to Dahlgren Campground. (Which I might add, does not have warm shower or bathrooms in the winter (not mentioned in Thru-Hikers Handbook). I should have known better, but the 2 days before of cold rain/ice blurred my thought process. Couldn't imagine what the Class of O3 NB went through. Anyway, Hit Harpers Ferry the next day.(16 or 17 miles)

[john coffey]

I am a member of the PATC shelter crew and Pine Knob was repainted and had the sleeping deck replaced about a year ago.

[Crash]

I spent a night there with 2 sobo's in Sept. during my section hike. A trail angel stopped by and dropped off some canned goods. Funny thing was the birds were noisy as heck that night or was that the pounding I got from the 80proof liquid one of them was passing around.

[screwysquirrel]

I stayed there last May and there was a bunch of weekenders that took over the place and had a beer blast there. They actually hauled up 3 ice chests full of beer and food from the parking lot. They also brought a chain saw and cut up everthing around the shelter to make a giant fire. These guys were organized. One of them told me they have come up every year from New Jersey since 1994 to do this, since they're married and can't go on the AT anymore. Crazy Horse was there with them. They gave him a bunch of food the next day, so he made out. The caretaker came by in the morning before I left and he was glad they cut up the fallen trees around the shelter. And there's a lot of tenting spaces there, so it wasn't too bad for me. It's not a bad shelter considering that it's really close to the road. Better than the ones along the Blue Ridge.

[icefanclub]

The roof leaked on my down sleeping bag my first night out with Icebound. It was the back right corner area. Just a slow drip on my feet that didn't register with my sleepy head until I was quite wet.

[Footslogger]

Gorgeous setting but kinda close to the highway. Hit it in the mid afternoon on a sunny day. The Mayapples were in bloom and surrounded the shelter area. Sat and took a nice long break and savored the scenery.
'Slogger
AT 2003

[Moose2001]

Nice spot. Stayed there in 2003 and ate lunch there in 2001. The only bad thing is the sound of the Interstate that's close by. But since it rained all night, it was really muted out. The shelter leak has been there for a number of years. Good camping, good spring.

[Patco]

My papa, Brushy Sage, used to live in Frederick, MD and hiked the portion from 40 up to Annapolis Rocks quite often, even helped construct the new camp area there. I was along with him on one such hike and we stopped by Pine Knob shelter and found a few folks who were stoned and getting more stonder. They were also trying to finish a bottle of something to celebrate getting back on the trail after a break. The shelter is fairly close to the road, maybe .5 mile, so it has a party reputation. Dad can share more.

[Brushy Sage]

I used to see folks who would bring a sizeable tent, lawn chairs, coolers, charcoal grills, and have a regular outing in the area between the shelter and the privy. This was mostly on weekends. Because of the traffic noise from I-70, thru hikers tend to use the shelter as a nice stopping place for lunch or a nap, and go on farther to spend the night.

[jlb2012]

more info : http://www.rockclimbing.com/topic/91883

sounds like a bad attack and the shelter is closed at the moment while a hunt continues for the raccoon

[FlyPaper]

Lots of noise from the interstate and an almost non-existant water source.

Otherwise a good shelter.

[Lucy Lulu]

There was a "crazy racoon" attack at this shelter. Sleeveless had it leap on her back while typing on her pocketmail at the picnic table in the evening. It chewed up her back, leg, and arm. She was back on the trail within a day or two, and is doing great as she currently heads on up the trail. I hope at 60, that I have her determination and resilience. Go Sleeveless!!!

[Green Bean]

We were hiking the MAryland Section of the AT when we stayed at the Pine Knob Shelter. there was a group of kids camping 100 yards down from us at a nice camping spot. They ended up being very friendly poeple and we hung out with them around the fire and they showed us a rock face almost straight up from the privy (the AT doesnt cross by it) Then we went down this trail that was unmarked(this was at night when we were doing all this) and we walked and walked and nobody knowing what was coming ecxept john just had a feeling there was somthing coming up and we shine our flashlights up and there is this shelter with two bunk beds and dating back to 1974 and had to be built long before that. So we keep on walking and come to what looks to be a foundation of a house and a brick fire place in front. We then came to another shelter then head back to get some sleep. THe next day we went up and found another shelter. I just thought it would be interesting to find out more about the area and why there are three abandoned shelters and an old foundation of a house so if any one knows anyhting about what i am talking about could ya please email info to [email protected] Thanks!!
~Green Bean~

[Programbo]

This used to be my favorite shelter to stay at way back in the 70`s..Sometimes I would literally stay there for 2 weeks at a time..I know people will say you aren`t suppose to "live" in the shelters but back then there was far less foot traffic on the trail and in the off seasons (When school was in session) you might see but 3-4 people all week long..The spring was very active back then.

[knicksin2010]

I tented here my 1st night coming out of HF. Didn't go all the way to the shelter, I found a nice spot to lay down my bivy coming down the trail to the shelter. If I had it to do over again I would have gone to the annopolis rocks campground because there was still a lot of day light left and it's too close to the road.

[Undershaft]

Nice shelter. Very bold and active mouse population. The tent pads are not level. They look level so be careful when you set up or you might end up with your head downhill which makes for poor sleeping. The water source flow was not that strong.