So my title is a little odd...I’ll explain. Normally thru-hikers get first dibs on shelters...also they stink really bad and shelters are tight. However, in the Smokies you can get a permit backcountry permit and camp outside (very clear on the reservation website) the shelter. They sell 10 permits to do this. Problem is, there isn’t a space for even a two person tent outside this shelter. I had to go 500 feet back up the hill to the horse hitching post to find a good spot. There are a few locations that a one person tent could fit, but certainly not ten.

It’s a tough hike in to this shelter as it sits just below Mt Guyot, one of the highest peaks east of the Mississippi. The privy was clean and the water source was running well. Always fun to hang out with the thru-hikers and hear their stories for a while. No views despite the elevation.