12/31/2023 0 Comments Smoky night book cover![]() ![]() Let’s talk campfires! If you choose to have one-and keep in mind some proponents of Leave No Trace to eschew campfires for environmental reasons-keep in mind they’re only allowed at designated backcountry sites and shelters in established fire rings. You can also call the Backcountry Office at 86 for assistance with permits and reservations, and generally to find out more about backpacking in the Great Smokies indeed, first-time backpackers in the park are encouraged to chat with the Backcountry Office to get the lowdown. ![]() You can obtain permits and make reservations (up to 30 days in advance-the earlier, the better) online at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park website, or in person at the park’s Backcountry Office at the Sugarlands Visitor Center. That said, a few backcountry sites can accommodate parties of up to 12 people under a special permit issued by the park. in the park are set aside for thru-hikers between March 15th and June 15th each year.īackpacking parties are generally capped at a maximum of eight in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Four spaces at the shelters lying along the A.T. Thru-Hiker Backcountry Permits can pitch a tent at a shelter if all its spaces are taken. You can use tents or hammocks at backcountry campsites, but-if you’re holding a General Backcountry Permit-not at backcountry shelters. More than 100 of those designated backcountry sites and shelters exist within the park. Such users also must make advance reservations for backcountry campsites or shelters, which are the only places where you can camp when backpacking you can’t just pitch a tent anywhere, in other words. just in the park, whether on a traverse or as part of another circuit-need to obtain a General Backcountry Permit. Thru-hikers on the Appalachian Trail (the “A.T.”) following the Smoky Mountain crest through the park need an Appalachian Trail Thru-Hiker Backcountry Permit-but only if they’re beginning and ending their backpacking trip 50 or more miles outside the bounds of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.Īll other backpackers-including those who might be hiking the A.T. (Besides being considerate of the Smokies’ wilderness and your fellow park visitors, you’ve got another reason to follow the backcountry rules: Violations may result in a fine as steep as $5,000 and/or six months in jail.)īackpackers in the park need a permit, of which two kinds are issued. ![]() They’re there to protect the natural resources of this special place, enjoyed by millions every year and thus vulnerable to overuse they also help ensure a positive experience for backcountry users. It’s critical to abide by the rules the Park Service has set for regulating backpacking in the Great Smokies. ![]()
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