Spiffed-up shelter hits the Macon County AT
With a higher-than-normal volume of thru-hikers expected next season, the Nantahala Hiking Club is getting prepared with upgrades to the Rock Gap Shelter located near Standing Indian Campground in Macon County.
“We built four new tent pads to accommodate the expected increase in the number of hikers as a result of the movies ‘A Walk in the Woods’ and ‘Wild,’” said San Ho, the club’s trail manager.
The movies, which chronicle hikes along the AT and Pacific Crest Trail, are expected to spur more people to try a long-distance hike themselves.
In addition to the tent pads, NHC volunteers worked on 100 yards of side trails leading off the AT to the shelter.
“This trail, like all others, suffer from erosion from rain and use,” Ho explained. “This soil erosion can cause the trail to become unsafe for hikers to use and, if not addressed, will eventually make the trail impassable in areas.”
NHC funded the work.
