Icewater Spring Shelter — Great Smoky Mountains National Park

I have stayed at this shelter a few times, and it has not changed much the last three or four times I went. The main difference was the time of year and the ability to see past the trees. During December when I went, you can see much more than I could this time because of the foliage. Another great thing about staying at this shelter during late summer is that there are fewer people staying there. I have stayed at this shelter when there were over a dozen people, some of them sleeping right beside you Not only are you sleeping beside a stranger, but you also have to hear his/her snoring, plus the snoring and groans of several other people. Make sure to carry a good sleeping pad since you will be sleeping on a wooden platform. One of the good things about this shelter during the summer is that you don’t have to carry your zero degree sleeping bag to be comfortable. However, don’t make the mistake of taking a summer sleeping bag either. I’m not sure of the elevation, but it is close to a mile or higher and the temperatures at night usually run in the fifties. Another good thing is that when you wake up in the morning, you can see the morning light without having to unzip a tent door or open any other door. The view from the platform is pretty nice. Make sure to take a water filter since the only fresh water is from a pipe in the ground about a couple of hundred feet away. There is a shelf under the shelter for cooking or eating, but make sure you don’t leave scraps for the critters, including mice, which will be present while you are there. This shelter is extremely popular during late spring when thru-hikers are on their way to Maine along the Appalachian Trail. Unless you are a thru-hiker, the main attraction is Charlie’s Bunion, which is less than a mile away on a side trail. When I went in December, nobody could reach the Bunion because of the ice. This time, it was perfect weather, and the views from Charlie’s Bunion were absolutely spectacular. I have been before when clouds prevented anybody from getting a good view. I highly recommend Icewater Spring Shelter, especially if you can make it to Charlie’s Bunion. Although the only facility is a pit toilet, it is well worth it.

Unlike most campgrounds, this is a camping shelter in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and you only reach it by hiking about four miles.  There are several shelters throughout the national park, but this is one of the more modern shelters.  I first camped at this shelter over thirty years ago, but I have also stayed in it at least three more times, including this most recent visit.  The first time I stayed there, you had to sleep on wire fencing.  Now, you sleep on a wooden platform.  This is why you should take a very comfortable sleeping pad.  I thought I did, but it was still a hard surface.  If this is the first time you have stayed in an Appalachian Trail shelter, be prepared to sleep beside strangers.  Sometimes, it gets to be a bit crowded.  This last time, I was sleeping beside my son and my best friend, and within a foot and a half were two female backpackers.  The shelter was actually crowded.   If you are a light sleeper, make sure to take ear plugs.  It is no fun listening to half a dozen strangers snoring all night.  The hike to the shelter is almost entirely uphill along the Appalachian Trail, but the views are well worth the hike, especially if you venture about nine-tenths of a mile past the shelter to Charlie’s Bunion.  That’s what most day hikers and overnight hikers go there for unless you are a through-hiker just passing through on the way to Maine.  Charlie’s Bunion is the main reason I go because the view is absolutely FANTASTIC!  There is a fireplace and chimney at the shelter, but I have never found it useful since you are not supposed to gather wood and wood is not available at the shelter.  What was once a very primitive privy is now a more modern pit toilet in which you shovel in mulch after you do your business.  Instead of having to tie up your food bags, there is now a cable system for hanging your food.  You WILL want to hang your food so critters won’t get to them, especially since mice love to hang around the shelter looking for food scraps, and there will be mice.  I have seen them more than a couple of times.  You can actually hear them sometimes at night in the shelter.  As many times as I have been to this shelter, I have never seen a bear, but I have heard stories about bears from other hikers.  The main attraction of the shelter, other than through-hikers staying overnight, is Charlie’s Bunion and other hikes that are close by.  The Jumpoff is a good hike, and if you are willing to hike farther, there are other similar hikes.  Make sure to take a water filter with you when you go unless you are willing to bear the weight of lots of water.  There is a water source along the trail about a hundred yards past the shelter.  Like most shelters, you are only allowed to stay one night.  To avoid crowds, hike to it in December.  Not really.  I did that one time.  Never again.  Two-thirds of the trail was solid ice, and getting to Charlie’s Bunion was not possible.  Autumn is my favorite time of year to go since the colors will be amazing, but if you have cloud cover you will not be able to get the best view from Charlie’s Bunion.