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  1. #1
    Formerly "Totem"
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    Default Mohican Outdoor Center

    Haven't seen a thread including this sorta stuff, posting it for archival reasons in case anybody's interested... I'm staying at Mohican this weekend doin' dayhikes out of there... this was sent to me in my confirmation email as I reserved the Stone House:

    ----------

    The Stone House is one of the few remaining original Camp Mohican structures built in 1928 and was used for years as a shower house for the north end of camp. The Mohican staff salvaged this building in 2002 adding the two bunk rooms and a new roof and final upgrades were made recently to open to the public.

    The Stone House sleeps 6 people with 3 bunks in 2 rooms, is heated by a wood stove, and has electricity. As water is turned off to the north end of camp in the winter, there is obviously no plumbing so folks can make use of either nearby outdoor privies or the bathrooms (and showers) in the Visitor Center about ½ mile away. Potable water is supplied for cooking purposes as there is a kitchen with a 4 burner kitchen range, refrigerator, micro-wave, outside barbeque grill, as well as pots, pans and utensils for cooking.

    You will need to bring your own bedding, pillow cases and towels. Upon departure we ask all to help out by cleaning up after themselves and leave common areas, bathrooms, kitchens, etc. as they were when you arrived. Also please carry out any leftover food supplies. There is a dumpster and recycling area across from the Visitor Center. Plastic, glass and tin can recycled and comingled, at the time cardboard can not be recycled.
    up over the hills, theres nothing to fear
    theres a pub across the way with whisky and beer
    its a lengthy journey on the way up to the top
    but it ain't so bad if you have a great big bottle o'scotch

  2. #2
    Registered User The Phoenix's Avatar
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    AT hikers camp there for free... it's a nice place... with a nice caretaker... he made us pop corn and we watched a movie with the guy. I didn't stay in a cabin... but I thought it was a rock solid place for thru-hiker's to kick it... either to celebrate getting done with the major rocks or getting ready to enter the major rocks depending on which way you are headed.
    "you know a dream like this seems kind of vaguely ludicrous and completely unattainable. And for anybody who's on the downside of advantage and relying purely on courage: It's possible."

  3. #3
    Registered User Symbol's Avatar
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    This is a great place. I saw a rattlesnake down by the large outdoor fireplace and saw the largest black bear I have ever seen in the wild (and I have seen quite a few over the years) on the hike north out of there a couple of years ago.

  4. #4
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    I loved that place, far better for the money then most hostels...

  5. #5
    ERNMAN
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    I also saw my only bear on the AT just north of that...No rattlers yet !!!! still looking.

  6. #6
    Serial Hiker
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    Default Any recent visits?

    I'll be staying here soon - on the first free non-broiling weekend.
    perrito

    684.4 down, 1507.6 to go.

    "If a man speaks in the woods, and there is no woman there to hear, is he still wrong?"

  7. #7

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    Didnt stay there,( We camped at a site nearby on the AT) but we stopped by the center. The care taker was helpfukl and informative.

  8. #8
    Registered User TT2's Avatar
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    Its not free for thru hikers - its $11, or $9 if you are an AMC member. Showers are an additional $5.

  9. #9
    Registered User Zigzag's Avatar
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    Thought it is still free for Thru's to camp. Member rates to stay in cabins. & I think I heard that Stone House was closed because of snakes.

  10. #10
    Registered User TT2's Avatar
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    All the thru hikers I ran into Saturday, just north of Mohican were complaining, because they too thought it was supposed to be free.

  11. #11
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    When I was there in 03 it was great. When I came back in 2010, it was awful... only one person working the whole place. No food. Lost my mail drop. Definitely not free! I was very disappointed. But I did see a mama bear and her cubs when I left the next morning.

  12. #12

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    The decline in the facility may be related to AMC's shift to only spending money to upgrade facilitites they own the land under. Also the Maine project in the 100 mile wilderness is pretty much sucking them dry.

  13. #13
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    The key to the MOC is knowing what its good for. I just did a section this week with a friend of mine who is a Sobo hiker. We were excited when we read in the thru hikers companion that thru hikers camp free and there was a deli with refreshments. As soon as we got there we bought cold drinks along with some candy bars. Considering the location it is hard to say no to cold drinks and candy. For a can of soda, a vitamin water, a snickers bar, and peanut m&ms I paid $6. I thought this was a fair price and would have paid more to get soda with the nearest town miles in either direction. It was around 5pm and rather push on we decided to camp here for the night. We asked about our free camp site when they informed us thru hikers must pay $9 per person($2 less than a regular person). The lady at the desk mentioned that most hikers expect it to be free. She said it never has been and they don't know how the guide got the information that it was. It was at the beginning of my section which I viewed as a vacation so I didn't think twice and paid for both me and my friend to camp. After setting up my buddy let his appetite get to him and he went for a deli sandwich. I was skeptical because the only indication of a deli was a dry erase board with 3 options. The kid then went into the back and made a roast beef sandwich on the small pieces of white bread you would buy in a loaf at the grocery store. The sandwich came with about 10 potato chips and cost more than $7. He ate it quickly and said it was okay, but admitted it was a rip off and bad decision.
    Looking back now that my hike is complete I wish we only stopped for a short break. It would be a great place to stop for lunch. You could supplement a soda and candy bar with your lunch while sitting on the porch and relaxing. Then you could fill your water from the tap across from the office. Even if you get to MOC in the late afternoon like we did there are plenty of places to stealth camp for free. There are even tent sites made for hikers in Worthington state forest just five more miles south.
    The moral of my long winded story is MOC is a great stop to get refreshments and relax. Just don't get sucked into paying for tenting or the deli.

  14. #14
    Registered User Lyle's Avatar
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    I didn't care much for it. The guy was friendly enough, but I paid for a cabin, and they stuck me in one with another guy who was car camping. Very strange guy, who was kinda weird in a creepy way. He complained when another hiker I had met previously got in late (around 9:30) on a rainy night and I let him cook his dinner in our kitchen before he went out to set up his tent.

    Wasn't a very enjoyable evening. I thought for the money I paid, and the fact that you had to clean, mop, remove all the trash yourself in the AM, that I should have had my own cabin. Plus, all the screens were torn out of the windows, so it was mosquito heaven - tent would have been better. If I ever hike this section again - not likely - I'll avoid MOC.

  15. #15

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    The sandwich was really expensive (small portion) but tasty.

  16. #16
    GoldenBear's Avatar
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    Post Stayed here just a couple days ago

    Figured I should give as much info as possible on the place.
    Mohican Outdoor Center (MOC) is a profit-seeking, family-friendly, outdoor recreation site -- NOT a hostel for thru-hikers. As such, there should be no surprise that, although A.T. hikers are more than welcome to use the facilities and pay to stay there, they should expect very little in the way of special treatment. Their URL
    http://www.outdoors.org/lodging/mohican/
    is pretty clear of the clientele they are seeking. If you recall the youth camps you went to in junior high, you'll get a good idea of what's there.

    MOC is just a quarter-mile west of the Trail's intersection with Camp Road, a paved drive within Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. There is no sign indicating the name of this road, or that it leads to MOC. However, there aren't a lot of paved roads in this area; if you think you are at Camp Road, you probably are.
    As their PDF map
    http://www.outdoors.org/pdf/upload/MOC-MAP.pdf
    shows, you'll soon come to a visitor center / office on your left. Even if you don't spend a dime while there; you're welcome to relax in their parlor, take water from their faucet, get printed info on nearby sites, or drop off trash and recyclables. This office is where you check in and pay to stay at a campsite or on a bunk. They have a small selection of camping supplies for sale at this office, as well as a few food items. The posted office hours are 8 am to 7:30 pm, but I had no problem checking in at 8 pm. If you arrive really late, you can phone or radio the on-site caretaker to get checked in.
    The full-price for campsites and a bunk in a cabin are $11 and $39, respectively. If you are backpacking on the AT, however, you get the AMC member rate of $9 and $31. I got this lower rate even though I was VERY clear that I was not a thru-hiker. They do not now, and (apparently) never did, have free stays of any kind for anyone. MOC does accept credit card payments for lodging.

    Like any lodging facility, MOC attempts to give its customers the best lodging available based on vacancy. If the entire facility has been rented out (that can happen), they may have nothing to offer. Or, if (like me) you arrive mid-week early in the season, they may rent you a spotless, quiet, fairly nice room to yourself. There is no air-conditioning in any cabin, and smoking is prohibited in all buildings.

    The room I was assigned to was in the Black Oak Cabin, close to the office and looking relatively modern.
    http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/show...mageuser=13863
    It has a bunk, a chair, and several outlets -- nice for charging your smart-phone! Each bed has a mattress and a pillow, but no sheets. My room was so clean that I went barefoot the whole ten hours I was there. Because I was one of only four people in a cabin designed to hold sixteen people, I felt as if I was alone for the night. Again, your experience may vary.

    All cabins offer a kitchen
    http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/show...mageuser=13863
    and a den area.
    http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/show...mageuser=13863
    In our cabin, the kitchen has a sink, stove, oven, microwave, toaster, refrigerator, and freezer. Utensils for cooking and for eating are provided, so you can prepare and eat your food for REAL this night. No surprise that they require you to clean the utensils you use -- and, for health's sake, please do a thorough job when you wash them!
    http://www.nps.gov/shen/planyourvisit/hiking-alerts.htm
    http://www.cdc.gov/norovirus/preventing-infection.html

    All cabins have flush toilets, sinks, and showers with plenty of hot water. A clean towel is provided if you stay the night. Again, because "my" cabin was almost empty, I felt as if I had a private bath. Note that, although the hand sinks have liquid soap and the kitchen has dish soap, the showers have no soap of any kind.
    Since I just needed a roof over my head, I made no effort to check out any recreation possibilities. But it would appear one could swim or fish (with NJ license) in Catfish Pond.

    I had been warned that food and supplies are expensive here, so I won't comment on that aspect. Overall, the comfort and quiet I experienced in what (for me, anyway) was almost a private suite made for a pleasant stay.

    Once last thing to note: the pdf map I linked to gave me the impression that SoBo's can take a short-cut to the camp on the orange-blazed Rattlesnake Swamp Trail. This is NOT true -- that trail exists, it is orange-blazed, there is a sign on the Trail noting its name, and it is located where this map shows it to be, just south of the tower. However, there is no advantage for a SoBo to take this trail to MOC; the distance from the overlook to the camp is about the same no matter which trail you take, and you still have to walk to the office once you get to the elevation of the camp. NoBo or SoBo, just stay on the A.T. until you get to Camp Road and head west.

  17. #17

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    Quote Originally Posted by GoldenBear View Post
    Figured I should give as much info as possible on the place.
    Mohican Outdoor Center (MOC) is a profit-seeking, family-friendly, outdoor recreation site -- NOT a hostel for thru-hikers. As such, there should be no surprise that, although A.T. hikers are more than welcome to use the facilities and pay to stay there, they should expect very little in the way of special treatment. ...
    Thankyou, GoldenBear, for this fine report! I may be there as early as next month on a section hike, and this info is definitely helpful and timely. I appreciate it very much!

    RainMan

    .
    [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]

    .

  18. #18

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    Quote Originally Posted by Rain Man View Post
    Thankyou, GoldenBear, for this fine report! I may be there as early as next month on a section hike, and this info is definitely helpful and timely. I appreciate it very much!

    RainMan

    .

    Culvers Gap-DWG 052.jpgCulvers Gap-DWG 053.jpgRainMan you might enjoy checking out the library in the lodge, I wished I'd had more time just sitting in the lodge reading....pretty cool. Many years worth of back issues of "Applachia" Mag on left, and numerous hiking releted titles in the book shelf on the right, even a copy of Colin Fletcher's book "The complete walker...one of my favs that's been on my shelf for years....and many many more...enjoy your hike.

  19. #19

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    Quote Originally Posted by rocketsocks View Post
    RainMan you might enjoy checking out the library in the lodge, I wished I'd had more time just sitting in the lodge reading....pretty cool.
    Thanks, Rocketsocks! I'll probably post if I do get to do the hike. We'll see.

    RainMan

    .
    [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]

    .

  20. #20
    Long term section hiker Stalking Tortoise's Avatar
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    It's hard to believe that it's been 10 years since I spent the night there. My hiking buddy had prime rib and antipasto bread sent there from Omaha Steaks. Paired with cold Cokes from the office, it was one of my best meals on the AT!

    The next morning, we were posing for a picture at the office and this guy slithered right by.

    Completed Sections: Springer to Clingmans Dome, & Max Patch to Gorham NH

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