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Shelters: Yes, you have to stay in shelters. As mentioned above you need reservations and you can make them 30 days out from the first day of your trip.Nicer shelters that we saw were Derrick Knob, Silers Bald, Icewater Spring with Icewater probably being the best, but also most crowded, which wasn’t a bad thing.
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Heat: About 15 degrees cooler than down below ( an estimate)during the day. August avg. for Clingman’s Dome is 64 degrees, avg for Gatlinburg is 87.
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Water: Other than a few points you are pretty much restricted to water sources at the shelters, some of which are not as reliable as others. From a hike a few weeks ago here are some notes on the water sources along the AT in the park (going from Fontana toward Davenport):
Campsite 113: Excellent Piped Spring of the trail about .1 mile
Mollies Ridge: Dry as a bone
Russell Field: Nice small spring, just beside a horse trail with lots of horse crap everywhere. As you approach the water the first water you see right on the trail, which does appear to be the srping is not the water source. When I was there this had horse crap within 12 inches and the water looked like that in a used toilet. Anyway from that point where you are thinking “what the hell” the spring is across the trail about 20 feet and back up the trail maybe 5-10 feet so that is is just above this nasty water and flow is such that the bad water flows away rather than to the spring. The spring itself appears very clear and clean and makes a good puddle, about 3-4 inches deep from which to get water.
Spence Field - is off the trail a bit and we didn’t bother since we had just watered a few miles back at Russell Fiels.
Derrick Knob - very good piped spring, strong flow, down a steep .1 mi trail.
Between Spence Field and Derrick Knob their is a sign on the trail pointing to water down the Tenn. side. As we approached a backpacker was coming up and said there was no water there. So I wouldn’t count on it.
Silers Bald: Spring coming out of the ground, okay, not great.
Double Spring Gap: Spring on both sides of the moutain. I’ve only seen/used the NC side which is very close to the trail. MOre of a trickle that created enought of a puddle to filter from.
Clingman’s Dome: A half mile walk down a paved path to restrooms and a water fountain in the parking lot.
Mount Collins: Mt. Collins is about a half mile off the trail and another .2 to the water. I have used it before, but its been a year or so and was in the Spring, not summer. I’d opt for CLingman’s Dome water fountain.
Newfound Gap: The trail passes through the middle of Newfounf Gap and right by a water fountain. Good opportunity to water.
Icewater Spring: The name says it all. The spring in located just down the AT from the shelter about 100 yds or less. Piped spring.
Peck Corner: don’t know, Pecks is off the trail I think about .4 and we kept on truckin.
Tricorner Knob: Good piped spring just in front of the shelter, 30 feet away. Tricorner is closed for remodeling, but I think will be open when you go through.
From here we pushed on out without stopping at Cosby which is off the trail and Davenport Gap so I can’t speak to the water sources there. It had rained the night before and on this last leg there was a good bit of water flowing across the trail. That may not be the case at other times.
Don’t wait too late on making your reservations, weekends fill up before you know it. I’d call 30 days out.
Stuart
Stuart
