First shelter in Smokies?

imported
#1

What is the first shelter after leaving Fontana Dam in the Smokies and distance to it? Thanks, I heard the first one is closed?

rosie

#2

Mollies Ridge. I have not heard of this one being closed. Check here for info. http://www.nps.gov/grsm/pphtml/newsdetail21705.html

MOTT

#3

There used to be one before Mollies Ridge - maybe 4 miles in? It was closed and replaced by a campsite instead. It was an old stone structure down off to the left of the AT (if you are north bound). Can’t remember the name…

WoodBadge

#4

There use to be a mud pit before Mollies Ridge, but they closed it and made it in to a tenting area. No idea if they are planning on building a new shelter eventually. I can’t remember the name, but I want to say something about birches…

Gravity

#5

Yep, it was called Birch Spring LT. I stayed there back in 73 but I don’t remember it being a mud pit… everthing was frozen solid!

CitySlicker

#6

When we came through there on our thru hike in 2002 there were four horses standing in the spring! It is a horse camp now with hiching post for horses. They have buckets for the horses and signs “don’t water the horse in the spring.” But the horses where in the spring and I asked one of the guys if he could read a sign? And he said, “what sign?” I would skip it even as a camp site.

Papa Smurf

#7

is Mollies Ridge Shelter 10.6 miles from Fontana Dam.
This info is from the 2006 AT Data book.

Southpaw

#8

fontana dam is at the 163.1 mark, birch spring tentsite at 168.7 and mollies ridge is at 174.1. russell field shelter is at the 176.6 mark…

nitewalker

#9

I stayed in that shelter in 2001. Well, not exactly in the shelter, where part of the shelter was. A hefty trail crew were there tearing it down and building tent sites, hanging bear cables etc. A great job they did to! The only thing they asked of us was to move some of the rubble. I believe it used to be one of the oldest shelters on the AT. I stayed at the tent site again in 2004 and it was great to see the place had settled down nicely.

Cheers

Cheers

#10

Just passed by there two days ago. It had a nice big piece of plastic across the front to keep out the weather and the ridgerunner had just finished tidying up. Though if you make it that far into the park, you might want to push on toward Russell Field. It’s a easy hike and it will put you in a better position for the next day’s hike.

Helium