The Wayah Gap Shelter in the Nantahala Mountains, in the spring of 1961. The current shelter at this location (now known as the Wayah Shelter) is a more recent structure. The original shelter, pictured here, is a typical three-sided log structure with a dirt floor and a fireplace in front. The trash can in the foreground was typical at many back country shelters until the 1970s, when the trash cans were removed and hikers were expected to pack out what they packed in.

A hand drawn map of Wayah Bald by George Masa in 1932 offers an interesting window into the Trail in this region in its earliest days.

The Big Springs Shelter was located between Mooney Gap and Wallace Gap in the Nantahala National Forest in North Carolina. A plank sided lean-to of the type favored by the U.S. Forest Service, the Big Springs Shelter was removed in 2013 and replaced by the Long Branch Shelter. The new shelter was built and is maintained by the Nantahala Hiking Club. (Location data on the Big Springs Shelter is approximate.)