Best Tent Camping: Southern Appalachian and Smoky Mountains. Johnny Molloy
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take food with you into your tent. You’ll also need to stow scented or flavored toiletries such as deodorant, toothpaste, and lip balm, as well as cooking grease and pet food. Common sense and adherence to the simple rules posted in the campgrounds will help keep you and the bears safe and healthy. (See for what to do if you encounter a bear.)
• USE ESTABLISHED FIRE RINGS, AND BE AWARE OF FIRE RESTRICTIONS. Make sure that your fire is totally extinguished whenever you leave the area. If you cook with a Dutch oven, use a fire pan and elevate it to avoid scorching or burning the ground. Don’t burn garbage in your campfire—trash fires smell awful and often don’t burn completely, plus fire rings fill with burned litter over time. Also check ahead to see if bringing your own firewood is allowed. If it’s not, buying firewood on-site (if available) may be preferable to gathering deadfall, which is frequently green and/or wet.
• DON’T WASH DISHES AND LAUNDRY OR BATHE IN STREAMS AND LAKES. Food scraps are unsightly and can be potentially harmful to fish, and even biodegradable soaps can be harmful to fragile aquatic environments.
• BE A GOOD NEIGHBOR. Observe quiet hours, keep noise to a minimum, and keep your pets leashed and under control.
• MOST IMPORTANT, LEAVE YOUR CAMP CLEANER THAN YOU FOUND IT. Pick up all trash and microlitter in your site, including in your fire ring. Disperse leftover brush used for firewood.
VENTURING AWAY FROM THE CAMPGROUND
If you decide to go for a hike, bike, or other excursion into the boondocks, here are some safety tips.
• LET SOMEONE AT HOME OR AT CAMP KNOW WHERE YOU’LL BE GOING AND HOW LONG YOU EXPECT TO BE GONE. Also let him or her know when you return.
• SIGN IN AND OUT OF ANY TRAIL REGISTERS PROVIDED. Leave notes on trail conditions if space allows—that’s your opportunity to alert others to any problems you encounter.
• DON’T ASSUME THAT YOUR PHONE WILL WORK ON THE TRAIL. Reception may be spotty or nonexistent, especially on a trail embraced by towering trees.
• ALWAYS CARRY FOOD AND WATER, EVEN FOR A SHORT HIKE. And bring more water than you think you’ll need. Boil, filter, or chemically treat water from a stream before drinking it.
• ASK QUESTIONS. Public-land employees are on hand to help.
• STAY ON DESIGNATED TRAILS. If you become disoriented, assess your current direction, and then retrace your steps to the point where you went astray. Using a map, compass, and/or GPS unit, and keeping in mind what you’ve passed thus far, reorient yourself and trust your judgment on which way to continue. If you become absolutely unsure of how to continue, return to your vehicle the way you came in. Should you become completely lost, staying put and waiting for help is most often the best option for adults and always the best option for children.
Paddling Fontana Lake (see Tsali Campground, campground 36)
• CARRY A WHISTLE. It could save your life if you get lost or hurt.
• BE ESPECIALLY CAREFUL WHEN CROSSING STREAMS. Whether you’re fording a stream or crossing on a log, make every step count. If you have any doubt about maintaining your balance on a log, ford the stream instead: use a trekking pole or stout stick for balance and face upstream as you cross. If a stream seems too deep to ford, turn back.
• BE CAREFUL AT OVERLOOKS. While these areas provide spectacular views, they’re also potentially hazardous. Stay back from the edge of outcrops, and be absolutely sure of your footing.
• STANDING DEAD TREES AND DAMAGED LIVING TREES POSE A SIGNIFICANT HAZARD TO HIKERS. These trees may have loose or broken limbs that could fall at any time. While walking beneath trees, and when choosing a spot to rest or enjoy a snack, look up.
• KNOW THE SYMPTOMS OF SUBNORMAL BODY TEMPERATURE, OR HYPOTHERMIA. Shivering and forgetfulness are the two most common indicators. Hypothermia can occur at any elevation, even in the summer—especially if you’re wearing lightweight cotton clothing. If symptoms develop, get to shelter, hot liquids, and dry clothes as soon as possible.
• LIKEWISE, KNOW THE SYMPTOMS OF ABNORMALLY HIGH BODY TEMPERATURE, OR HYPERTHERMIA. Lightheadedness and weakness are the first two indicators. If you feel these symptoms, find some shade, drink some water, remove as many layers of clothing as practical, and stay put until you cool down. Marching through heat exhaustion leads to heatstroke—which can be fatal. If you should be sweating and you’re not, that’s the signature warning sign. If you or a hiking partner is experiencing heatstroke, do whatever you can to get cool and find help.
• MOST IMPORTANT, TAKE ALONG YOUR BRAIN. Think before you act. Watch your step. Plan ahead.
TENNESSEE CAMPGROUNDS
Upper Laurel Fork Falls is within walking distance of Dennis Cove Campground.
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Bandy Creek Campground
Beauty:
KEY INFORMATION
CONTACT: 423-286-8368, nps.gov/biso; reservations: 877-444-6777, recreation.gov
OPEN: April 1–October 31; limited sites open year-round
SITES: 181 (49 nonelectric, 96 electric, 35 group sites)
EACH SITE HAS: Tent pad, fire grate, picnic table, lantern post
WHEELCHAIR ACCESS: 8 sites
ASSIGNMENT: First-come, first-served and by reservation
REGISTRATION: At campground entrance station or self-register on-site
FACILITIES: Piped water, flush toilets, hot showers
PARKING: At campsites only, 2 vehicles/site
FEES: $20/night nonelectric sites, $25–$32/night electric sites, $125/night group sites
ELEVATION: 1,500'
RESTRICTIONS:
PETS: On leash 6' or shorter
QUIET HOURS: 10 p.m.–6 a.m.
FIRES: In fire grates only
ALCOHOL: At campsites only
VEHICLES: 70' length limit
OTHER: 6 people/site; 14-day stay limit; food must be stored in vehicle or trailer unless you’re eating it
Bandy Creek Campground lies at the heart of the 100,000-acre Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area.
A hiker visits the John Litton Farm.
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