CAMPSITES

Shelters may not be located where you are looking to spend the night. They may also be full. And let’s face it––you don’t always want to spend the night with whoever happens to drop in at a given shelter.

A.T. maintaining clubs have created some tentsites along the Trail. These designated campsites provide a flat, cleared place to pitch a tent, a water source, and occasionally a privy. Some heavy-use areas have one or more tent platforms to reduce the environmental impact.

Generally speaking, camping is restricted to designated campsites and shelters to concentrate hiker impacts where use is highest: in the Smokies, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, parts of the White Mountain National Forest, and Baxter State Park in Maine. Camping is prohibited in Harpers Ferry National Historical Park. Additionally, some other parks and forests also have specific restrictions or prohibitions pertaining to camping.

Camping wherever you can find a suitable site is allowed along much of the A.T., especially in the south. In some areas there may be restrictions. For example, in Shenandoah National Park, hikers are prohibited from camping within 50 yards of another camping party or a “no camping” post and must follow other guidelines. While on Pennsylvania Game Lands, hikers must camp within 200 feet of the Trail.

In many places along the A.T., the terrain is too rocky, too steep, too boggy, or the vegetation too thick for comfort. Locating a good campsite in a pristine area that does not involve disturbing the natural ground cover takes time and care. When you find a suitably flat and dry area (at least 200 feet from any water source) look for durable surfaces such as rock, gravel, or grassy areas that will be little affected by your camp.

Remember, “Good campsites are found not made.” In other words, if you need to alter the site to make your tentsite comfortable, look elsewhere. If you happen upon an area that has received enough use to reduce it to bare ground, by all means use it. Once an area has reached this stage, the damage has already occurred and your stay will not impact it much further. Otherwise, look for resilient areas that show no signs of previous use and avoid areas where impact is just beginning and the site still has a chance to recover.

Before unpacking your tent or tarp, look for bird-nesting activity and other obvious signs of animals. Choose an area that seems safe, free of wildlife, and well suited to low-impact camping. Look overhead for large branches that seem ready to drop; there is a reason these are known as widowmakers. When choosing a place to cook your dinner, look for a large rock slab, a gravel area, or other equally durable space well away from your sleep area.

When breaking camp, naturalize and disguise the site by replacing any rocks or sticks you moved so that those who follow will be less likely to choose the site. Recover scuffed up areas with leaf litter or pine needles. Fluff up matted grass and make the place look less like a campsite. Research has shown that as few as five nights of camping use in a year can permanently impact vegetation. This creates a site that is still obvious a year later.