Kephart Trail Shelter — Great Smoky Mountains National Park

My wife and I stayed at the shelter while doing a backpacking loop in the smokies. We started at Newfound gap and followed the AT north towards Charlie's Bunion then headed down to the shelter at the split. The views along the ridge are incredible and this is some of the best hiking in the area. I highly recommend this loop and the distance works out nicely for a single night. The shelter itself is nothing too special but has all the amenities of the shelters in the area. There is a bear cable set up so you can hang your gear and multiple fire pits along with a fireplace in the shelter itself for very cold nights. Normally you are required to stay within the shelter but due to COVID concerns, you are temporarily allowed to set up a tent in the area surrounding the shelter. This was a nice option and there were already several established sites. Overall it's not as nice a view as you get staying up on the ridge but it's a quieter area with more privacy and will probably have more space available if you need to book last minute.

This is the second time I have been to Kephart Prong Shelter. The first time was over thirty years ago, and it seemed dreary. This time, however, was a much better experience. To stay here, you have to get a permit from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park since it is within the park boundaries. To get to the shelter, you have to hike two miles starting from Hwy. 441 through the national park between Cherokee and Gatlinburg. The trail is not as steep as some trails, but it is rocky! It is so rocky that my trail shoes didn't quite seem adequate... because the trail was rocky. It was rocky all the way after the first of four foot bridges. After the first footbridge it became"rockier." Large rocks, small rocks, medium sized rocks. It was rocky. Did I mention that the trail was rocky? BTW, I finally decided to take a break at the fourth foot bridge because my feet hurt from the rocky trail. Once you get to the shelter, the trail continues up to the Appalachian Trail. In my opinion, the main reasons for staying at this shelter are(1) that it is on the way to the AT, or(2) you just want to get into the woods for a night. The“bathroom” is a short trek into the woods to the seventh big tree on the left. You have to hoist your food up at night via one of two cable systems. Otherwise, you risk of your food being taken by mice/rats, bears, or other critters. The only water source is from the creek, which is a pleasant sound at night while you’re sleeping. Make sure to take a good inflatable pad. You can take a closed cell foam pad, but they don’t provide a whole lot of cushion on a wood platform. Overall, Kephart Trail shelter is good for a night’s sleep, but I have been to better shelters.