I am planning a hike in the Grayson Highlands area the week after Easter. expect there will be heavy usage in this area but the family has never done this section so we will just add to the traffic. The guide book says “tent camping is not permitted around the shelter” Can anyone tell me where, if any, tent sites are near this shelter. Thanks
totally Boagus
the area around rhododendron gap (0.8 miles north on the AT) is usually a pretty popular camping area. lots of open spaces for tents. get your water at thomas knob.
grizzly adam
I stayed in the shelter area (slept out on the rock behind it actually, one of my best nights) while my buddies moved on a few minutes north on the Trail and found a camping spot for 3 small tents. Yes, just before Rhodie Gap. The better water for this shelter is actually .3 mile south of the shelter at a rivulet that crosses the trail before you break out into the open and pass the side trail to Mt. Rogers summit.
Bluebearee
Like BB said, there is an area or two just north of the shelter on the right. The only good source for water in that section are the shelters, Thomas Knob and Wise (a few miles further north).
Be careful of the weather up there, though. I was up at the end of March last year… Fri and Sat it was sunny in the 40s-50s. On Sunday there was about 8 inches of snow, at the bottom of the range.
It’s one of the most sceneic areas in Va. Enjoy.
macgyver
about half a mile before the shelter is an even better water source… I personally don’t like the pony water at the shelter, fenced in or not
aswah
This area has lots of camping areas. Dont limit yourself to the thomas knob area. If you go north from rodedrentren gab there is severeal execellent camp areas. Sometimes not as crowded either. The area around thomas knob is one of the most popular destinations in this area. This section of the A T is one of my favorites as with a lot of other hikers.
david
South of the shelter, in fact just south of the privy you pass enroute to the shelter, are several tentsites that are used with regularity. Most are on the left side of the A.T. if walking north. They are not marked with blazes or signage, but if you’re accustomed to scoping out stealthy sites you should have no problem spotting them.
“Skyline”