Appalachian Trail Histories

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The Punch Bowl Shelter is located in the Jefferson National Forest (VA) between the James and Tye Rivers. It was built by the U.S. Forest Service in the early 1960s and is maintained by the Natural Bridge Appalachian Trail Club.

Collection: Trail Shelters
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The Nahmakanta Lake Lean-to was located on the Appalachian Trail approximately 39.3 miles south of Mt. Katahdin and was maintained by the Maine Appalachian Trail Club. This shelter was torn down in 1981 and replaced by the Wadleigh Stream Lean-to which is 2.6 miles north of the site of the Nahmakanta Lake Lean-to. The Nahmakanta Stream Lean-to is the newest MATC-maintained shelter, built in 2017, and is located 3.2 miles south of the old shelter.

Collection: Trail Shelters
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The Little Indian Gap Shelter was located in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park near what is today known as Indian Gap.

Collection: Trail Shelters
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This stone shelter on the summit of Mount Everett in Massachusetts is located just off the Appalachian Trail, but is regularly visited by hikers. It is a stone-sided lean-to popular with day hikers.

Collection: Trail Shelters
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The Willis Ross Camp stood near the shore of Stratton Pond in Vermont until it burned in 1972 and was not rebuilt. It was an enclosed cabin-style shelter of the type often found along the Long Trail/Appalachian Trail in Vermont. It was built and maintained by the Green Mountain Club.

Collection: Trail Shelters
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The Rentschler Shelter was located in Pennsylvania near Bethel, PA, and was built by volunteers from the Blue Mountain Eagle Climbing Club to commemorate Dr. Rentschler's role in founding their club. The shelter was built in 1933 and torn down in the 1960s. It was a partially closed front log lean-to, typical of the shelters built during this period in Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Maryland. A memorial to Dr. Rentschler remains at the site of the former shelter.

Collection: Trail Shelters
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From reverse of photograph: "Replacing the Roof on the East Carry Pond Lean-to (1954)" The East Carry Pond Lean-to is one of the many Ghost Shelters along the Appalachian Trail. In this photograph from 1954, one can see that it was a small log sided lean-to structure with a shingle roof and a dirt floor. It was maintained by the Maine Appalachian Trail Club.

Collection: Trail Shelters
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The Governor Clement Camp near Killington, Vermont, on the Long Trail/Appalachian Trail in 1959. The Governor Clement Camp is a stone sided lean-to and is maintained by the Green Mountain Club.

Collection: Trail Shelters
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The Pico Peak Camp, now known as the Pico Camp, in November 1959 shortly after its completion. This shelter is one of the enclosed plank sided camps along the Long Trail/Appalachian Trail section in Vermont. It is maintained by the Green Mountain Club.

Collection: Trail Shelters
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The Old Job Shelter near Griffith Lake in Vermont in 1960, along the Long Trail/AT route near Mount Tabor, Vermont. The Old Job Shelter was built by the CCC during the early days of the Appalachian Trail/Long Trail. A few years after this photograph was taken, the U. S. Forest Service built a new shelter closer to the shore of Griffith Lake and named it the Griffith Lake Shelter. The Old Job Shelter was renamed the Peru Peak Shelter.

Collection: Trail Shelters
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The Clarendon Lodge Shelter on the Appalachian Trail/Long Trail in Vermont in the fall of 1960. This enclosed camp has been replaced by a lean-to style shelter and is maintained by the Green Mountain Club.

Collection: Trail Shelters
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The Little Laurel Shelter on the Appalachian Trail in North Carolina was previously known as the Camp Creek Bald Shelter. Located just over a mile south of the summit, this shelter is a stone lean-to and is maintained by the Carolina Mountain Club.

Collection: Trail Shelters
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