One of the problems in the Whites is the very large number of people who visit and where there are people there is people poop, literally mounds and mounds of it. One of the jobs of the campsite caretaker is to monitor the size of the mound in the privy, or cone in their parlance, and when necessary, shovel it out and transfer this very fresh pile of people poop to a compost pile. After the fresh manure is properly composted it is dispersed. That is well worth the $8.00 IMHO.
Always felt one of the biggest challenges in the Whites is the weather. Have mixed feelings about the AMC. Of course, being a member I know where to direct my opinions.
200 feet from trail, 200 feet from water source leaving no trace, you'll be fine. Don't heed the haters! Hammock the whites its much easier!
A great website with pics & info is http://hikethewhites.com/. Finding a decent, legal, free campsite is difficult but can be done. Work for stay is often an option at huts & shelters. Lake of the Clouds does offer the option of the Dungeon for a fee, normally shelter/campsite rate. Sure beats walking down below treeline to find a place to camp! You can see why when you check out the pics. Have a caretaker or hut crew make a reservation for you as soon as you can (48 hrs before). Caretakers are also a great source of info for campsites. The croo at the huts are generally helpful if they can be, it isn't their job to baby thru-hikers though. They have no obligation to take you in.
Number of thoughts:
1) If you're headed to the whites, you really ought to check out the hostel in Glencliff. Flat out my favorite hostel on trail.
2) At that hostel, you can get the definite guide on stealthing the whites. Save it to your phone or print it off (or make notes in your AWOL guide), and you're golden
3) You won't get any **** from people unless you camp in stupid places, build a fire, etc. Stop hiking @ 8, hit the trail by 6, and the rangers will never see you. This isn't the Smokies, where the rangers invade camp at 6AM, demanding permits
4) The hut croos will tell you where all the best spots are as well
5) You can ALWAYS do work-for-stay at AMC tentsites and shelters. It's a rule. I personally despise the AMC but love the trial. So I'll work to keep a shelter nice, or pick up trash, or something, while not a dime of my money will go to support that self-inflated, terrible organization
6) The AMC policies may be bitchy, but the people you'll actually meet that work for the AMC are really cool.
I definitely hammock in the Whites, makes your options endless. Just remember the USFS rules and you are good to go.
Greg P.
Interesting thing about hanging a hammock at an official campsite. I was at the Imp Campsite on the AT in August.
Caretaker at site was very specific about which trees I could use to hang my hammock. I had to negotiate with him tree by tree. He said "there are only certain of our sites that work for hammocks." I had to be right next to a tent platform, keep my gear on the platform and stay out of the woods.
He said "You have to be at a tent platform; we don't let people camp in the woods."
Ok with me, but very rigid rules.
Hammocker have an advantage for most of the Whites. The presidentials are hard for any camping without a sigifigant loss of elevation. Two stratagie s I would reccomend. Stay at Nauhiem Tentsite by Mizpah Hut & hike the rest of ridge in one day. You can camp at Valley Way, one of RMC sites or find a legal hang below tree line on the north end of the ridge. Other is to pay to stay at the "Dungeon " at lake of the clouds. Same fee as a shelter to be in the basement of the hut. If yu are lucky & it fill up you will have to sleep on one of the table in the dining room looking out over the valley below. If you prefer to hang head west down Edmons Path about 3/4 mile or Jewel trail about a mile for legal campsites.
Actually, that will be a little tough. Hammocking is really only practical below 3000 feet, down in the hardwood areas of the forest. Dense spruce trees growths are dominate above 3000 feet and getting more then a few feet into those tree with all their branches low to the ground is next to impossible.
Much of the trail from Franconia to Pinkham is above 3000 feet and a lot of it is above tree line where camping is prohibited. Plan to stay at designated sites as there might be places to hang there. If your not at a designated site, you have to be at least 1/4 mile from one, which also often puts you into a no camping zone. We don't make it easy for you up here!
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If you are hiking NOBO thru the Whites stop, a recommended stay, at the Hikers Welcome Hostel. This is a very thru-hiker hostel that can provide you with all the ins and outs of hiking thru the Whites. They can inform you on where to camp and where not to.
The hostel is located on Rt.25 just south on the AT crossing.
Grampie-N->2001