You may want to avoid the smokies ,,,sad but true

**mountainman** · 05-13-2014, 23:15

all hikers now have to register and get a back country permit at any ranger station in tennessee it cost 20 dollars and gets you access to the AT trail and back country camp sites
there are no hammocks allowed and no tents unless the shelter is full then tents are permitted ,,if you get caught its a hefty fine ,im going to just hike on thru and try not to stay over night as little as possible.

**GarrettCook** · 05-14-2014, 00:01

Is this the whole smoky area or just on the AT?

**dougalcorn** · 05-14-2014, 04:52

General backcountry permits are $4/person/night with a maximum of $20/person. "AT thru-hikers" are required to get a $20 permit. Permits do not seem to be required for anyone if you do not stay overnight. Hammocks are not permitted in the shelters, but are permitted at backcountry camp sites. As there are no camp sites on the AT, that pretty much means no hammocks in GSMNP for AT thru-hikers.

http://www.hikinginthesmokys.com/appalachiantrail.htm

71 miles is an awful lot to thru-hike without staying overnight. The above site claims most people take 7 days to thru hike it.

You can also get a permit online: https://smokiespermits.nps.gov/index...PermitTypeID=2. This lays out the rules quite well.

**southmark** · 05-14-2014, 05:01

Having to register and only stay at shelters is nothing new, just the fee is new.

**PhiDelt496** · 05-14-2014, 05:31

Dougalcorn is correct. I spoke with a ranger and the sole purpose of the fee is to prevent people from manipulating the booking system (booking up campsites for busy weekends and not going, overbooking the size of their party to get more privacy). This also helps offset the cost of maintaining the online reservation system.

I hope this clears up the OPs concerns.

**Dead Man** · 05-14-2014, 05:45

Originally Posted by dougalcorn

General backcountry permits are $4/person/night with a maximum of $20/person. "AT thru-hikers" are required to get a $20 permit. Permits do not seem to be required for anyone if you do not stay overnight. Hammocks are not permitted in the shelters, but are permitted at backcountry camp sites. As there are no camp sites on the AT, that pretty much means no hammocks in GSMNP for AT thru-hikers.

http://www.hikinginthesmokys.com/appalachiantrail.htm

71 miles is an awful lot to thru-hike without staying overnight. The above site claims most people take 7 days to thru hike it.

You can also get a permit online: https://smokiespermits.nps.gov/index...PermitTypeID=2. This lays out the rules quite well.

This change in policy changed my section hike plans. The main issue is that you are required to declare in advance which shelter you intend to stay in each night. If you stay in a shelter you don't have on your permit you can be fined up to $5000 &/or 6 months in jail. This is problematic because shelters are spaced further apart in GSMNP than most any where else on the AT. It is also one of the tougher sections to hike. Should you encounter an issue and need to stop short of your reserved shelter you're in more trouble than you know. If things are progressing better than planned you can not continue to the next shelter because you aren't reserved there and you can't stay there. Since you have a reservation you must stay in the shelter. I got into hammocks toquit sleeping on the ground. If I'm a thru hiker, even if I have a permit, if a day camper or section hiker with reservations comes in at any point in the night and the shelter is full, you're up and out to set up the tent.

I understand the point. The NPS wishes to reduce impact on backcountry areas in the most heavily visited park in the entire system. The prior process at least allowed some flexibility. No flexibility and no hammock made the choice for me. I hate it because I'll just bypass an area I really love. Maybe they are getting what they really want in the end, fewer people in the park. We're from the government and we're here to help you....

**dougalcorn** · 05-14-2014, 06:02

Originally Posted by DaddyDaddy

The main issue is that you are required to declare in advance which shelter you intend to stay in each night. If you stay in a shelter you don't have on your permit you can be fined up to $5000 &/or 6 months in jail. This is problematic because shelters are spaced further apart in GSMNP than most any where else on the AT. It is also one of the tougher sections to hike. Should you encounter an issue and need to stop short of your reserved shelter you're in more trouble than you know. If things are progressing better than planned you can not continue to the next shelter because you aren't reserved there and you can't stay there. Since you have a reservation you must stay in the shelter. I got into hammocks toquit sleeping on the ground. If I'm a thru hiker, even if I have a permit, if a day camper or section hiker with reservations comes in at any point in the night and the shelter is full, you're up and out to set up the tent.

I think you might be confusing the thru-hiker permit and the general backcountry permit. The general permit requires you to reserve a spot at a site. The thru-hiker permit doesn't. That's why thru-hikers are asked to give up their spot if someone with a reservation shows up.

It is frustrating there are no accommodations for hangers on the AT in GSMNP. I wish there was an exception for hanging like there is for tents.

**4shot** · 05-14-2014, 06:17

Originally Posted by dougalcorn

General backcountry permits are $4/person/night with a maximum of $20/person. "AT thru-hikers" are required to get a $20 permit. Permits do not seem to be required for anyone if you do not stay overnight. Hammocks are not permitted in the shelters, but are permitted at backcountry camp sites. As there are no camp sites on the AT, that pretty much means no hammocks in GSMNP for AT thru-hikers.

the solution then (imo) is to take the BMT thru the GSMNP rather than the AT. It's a nicer hike and you can utilize the backcountry sites and therefore hang (per dougalcorn's quoted post).You have to request which sites you will be staying at as you go through the park. I was making better time than estimated so I didn't stick to the plan but I had no issues. Most of the campsites were empty (except one). only saw 4 other backpackers during the trip (and maybe a dozen or so on horseback).I did this hike the first part of June last year and may go thru there again in a couple of weeks. I am going to sobo south from Erwin on the AT and take the BMT south from Fontana. Haven't decided if I am going to skip the Smokies this time.

**PhiDelt496** · 05-14-2014, 07:06

The GSMNP is by far the most visited of the National Parks. Not to mention that the busiest long distance trail runs right through the park. The Park Service is charged with BOTH preserving the Natural Ecosystem of the park AND ensuring that each visitor is granted safe access to enjoy this ecosystem. When you factor in the sheer number of annual visitors this task is monumental.

Take a look at some unregulated trails and campsites...it is often chaos and can destroy the enjoyment of the natural area. This is why backcountry campsites must be strictly regulated. Also, since the park service is charged with the safety of those enjoying the parks, it is imperative for them to know non-thru hikers overnight plans to help the park service formulate possible locations of missing hikers. This is the primary reason that shelter reservations take priority over thru hikers.

The other reason for this policy is two fold. First, thru-hikers are responsible for understanding these policies and knowing them prior to their trip. They understand that if they do run across a full shelter, they need to have an alternative plan (pitch a tent or hike on to the next shelter or back to the previous). Non-thruhikers must also be aware of these policies; however, they are offered much less flexibility in terms of arrangements. If they reserve a shelter space for the night, then they will often not carry a shelter in with them and they do not have the option of hiking on to another shelter.

I have to say that the Park Service in the Smokies does a great job maintaining the parks and areas as well as fighting overcrowding of the backcountry. I understand why the policy is a burden to thru-hikers, but just because someone is a "thru-hiker" doesnt mean that the rest of the park must yield to them.

**Rain Man** · 05-14-2014, 09:14

Originally Posted by southmark

Having to register and only stay at shelters is nothing new, just the fee is new.

True. Some folks just look for reasons to get their panties in a wad. When I "thru-hiked" the GSMNP in '05, some shelters were full and AT thru-hikers were hammocking. Hammocks are allowed just as tents are. Registering is nothing new. I had to and had no problem doing it. The only new thing is the fee, and it's miniscule in the scheme of things. I spend a lot more on gas getting there than that little fee.

Rain Man

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