Hike in to MAHAA

[doogie]

I wil be back country camping in the area for seceral days before MAHHA. The permits are free, you can mail in for them or check in at the office. You can park back in the woods (at your own risk). The Rangers want your vehicle info just in case they happen upon your car/truck in the middle of nowhere. There are 26 designated back country sites but they are not on any maps I know of. All directions are written. I've used a couple and scouted about a dozen of them. Going to check out a few more.

Where I'm camping there are no campsites per se, no facilities but there is a spring within a mile. One night I'll be near Milesburn.

I was thinking about one night in Caledonia before heading out but haven't settled on that yet.

As the schedule tightens up over the next week I should be able to offer shuttle assistance.

I assume that you are camping in the Michaux State Forest somewhere. I too would be interested in the locations and short description of the sites you have found.

[Ratdog]

At what office can one get permits and in general where are the sites? Not associated with the AT?

PGFSP office as the sites to which I refer are located in the Micheaux State Forest. You can mail in, or file your paperwork on site.. There is information on the Park website with specifics for mailing. (There is a little bit of a lead time if using snail mail) the directions can be picked up at the office at Pine Grove. Some descriptions are better than others.

There are many trails in the area in addition to the AT, some of these sites are along those other trails, some not. Many sites are just a hundred to a few hundred yards from where you might park your vehicle along an old logging road. From there you can hike out, using an intersecting trail system, to sites on the AT or one of the other well known trails.

I have to dig out my notes from last year and review my list of sites visited/checked out and build my inspection list for this trip.

The difference in using these sites, aside from no shelter, privy or water source, is that you are very unlikely to see anyone else during your stay. Occasionally there may be a local person hiking one of the trails but in my experience, visiting a dozen sites and spending a few days, I saw exactly 2 people for about 2 minutes as they passed by and that was it.

Only concern is to scout your water sources in advance via topo maps and finding likely locations of streams or springs. I make that part of my initial scouting effort.

I find my "happy place" in the woods a little faster when going solo and being isolated, 2 days versus 3 days when hiking/camping with others.

[Ratdog]

Let me post a few links. And yes, for purposes of this discussion, all sites to which I refer are in Micheaux. One way the State keeps down the level of traffic to these sites is a complete lack of advertising. There is typically a simple reference to " there are more sites available, make inquiry at the office". http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/cs/group...cnr_001910.pdf

http://www.apps.dcnr.state.pa.us/for...g/michaux.aspx

[doogie]

I will add a little note to camping in Michaux State Forest. Stay away from the weekend after Labor Day. I spend time in the area every year and know that they run a large dirt bike race/ride through the forest on that Saturday. They have people stopping traffic on 233 when they cross. That's not what I would want while trying to relax in the woods.

[Ratdog]

I assume that you are camping in the Michaux State Forest somewhere. I too would be interested in the locations and short description of the sites you have found.

When you stop in to the office at PGFSP, ask for the list of back country sites. You will receive a copy of the list for the 26 sites and directions. The directions are maybe a couple sentences, head west to Shippensburg Rd, make a rt on this rd, a left on this rd, approx 1.5 miles on right. At that point you look for a single yellow blaze or stake, then hike about 2 miles to site, no blazes, but often along an abandoned logging trail or along an established snowmobile, cross country skiing or horse trail. Not always though.

I will say that I have spent days scouting and many more planned, to find the "better" sites and opportunities. Too many of the sites just weren't to my liking. The good news is, the PA Primitive Camping Guidelines allow you to camp most anywhere as long as you are 100 ft off a trail and 100 yds from a water source. So basically I review trail maps and topo maps, find a nice peak with a view that has a spring within a mile hike that won't leave me exhausted getting up and down the hill.

Last spring, found a great spot to watch the moon rise over a ridge one valley over from me, was absolutely spectacular. It was also the night of a thousand spiders as the daddy long legs were in mating mode and there were literally thousands of them swarming over everything a night. Put a cup down and it was covered in 2 minutes. I was covered with them, only bothered brushing them off my face because the rest was futile. Fascinating. By morning they had vanished.

[Brewguy]

I'll also confirm that in the state forest you can camp pretty much anywhere, there is not really a need for permit, calling to let them know your car will be there is sufficient.

I found the camp sites to be really poor and littered with trash. Best to find your own.

This site is a huge help finding parking related to the AT http://appalachiantrail.rohland.org/

[Demeter]

My DH and I will be heading up Thursday am, picking up Jolly Green at BWI on the way. Camping at Birch Run Thursday night. For those of you planning on camping at Shippensburg, there is a big, nice campsite just south of the road on your left (heading south). Lots of campsites 2-3 miles in either direction, if my memory serves, looks to be hunting sites, so YMMV. Doogie and 2Q have done the hike as well, so maybe they can add their 2 cents.

[doogie]

My DH and I will be heading up Thursday am, picking up Jolly Green at BWI on the way. Camping at Birch Run Thursday night. For those of you planning on camping at Shippensburg, there is a big, nice campsite just south of the road on your left (heading south). Lots of campsites 2-3 miles in either direction, if my memory serves, looks to be hunting sites, so YMMV. Doogie and 2Q have done the hike as well, so maybe they can add their 2 cents.

I did it 2 years ago, but I was trying to get close to PGFSP, so I was focused on Tom's Run shelter area and wasn't looking for other camp sites. I stayed Wednesday night at Quarry Gap Shelter. Wow is that shelter nice, but not many good hanging spots. There is a campsite a little farther up the trail from it, but I didn't find it until the next day since I got in right at dusk. Then Thursday I went to Tom's Run. Lots of good spaces there and just an easy stroll into PGFSP from there.

See you in the trees,
Doogie

[doogie]

If anyone wants to do a pre hike shuttle, I will be at PGFSP at around 7:30 - 8:00 AM Thursday. We could leave a car there and drive together down to the Route 30 AT parking lot.

[2Questions]

If anyone wants to do a pre hike shuttle, I will be at PGFSP at around 7:30 - 8:00 AM Thursday. We could leave a car there and drive together down to the Route 30 AT parking lot.

Sending PM.
Donna