Originally Posted by
PhiDelt496
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.
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