Campsite #20 Information and Review
LyttleBryan June 23rd, 2009
Update: I forgot to apologize for the quality, or lack there of in the pictures. These pictures were taken with my former camera that I am returning. You can read about that in my other blog post.
Campsite #20 lies in the Western Smokies on the Meigs Mountain Trail between Elkmont and the Curry Mountain Trail. I have yet to stay overnight at the campsite, but explored the campsite quite a bit while hiking Meigs Mountain to The Sinks one bright Saturday afternoon. I liked what I saw and will definitely be planning a trip there as soon as I have a weekend open. Unfortunately that probably won’t happen until Spring of 2012. Yikes! On to the specifics…
- Roominess: This campsite is quite roomy and open. I would enjoy it as a nice option for larger groups of people. There’s enough room for 3-4 tents near each fire ring and that still allows some distance from any neighbors
- Firewood: There wasn’t an abundance of firewood at or in the near vicinity of the site, but I did some walking on the outskirts and saw enough burnable wood that it shouldn’t be difficult to get a good fire going.
- Water Source: There is an unnamed creek flowing immediately to the east of the campsite. It isn’t the Little River, but it’s more than enough to safely filter out of. It’s also close enough that you can hear it as you’re falling asleep which is something I’m very fond of.
- Scenery: It is very pretty at Campsite #20. The day I was there the sun was shining down through the branches of the tall trees in the area making for a very eye pleasing and peaceful surrounding.
- Seclusion: As I mentioned above, the area is very open. You’re likely to see your neighbors, but fortunately there’s probably enough room that you won’t have to hear them.
- Getting There: The route that we took was Meigs Mountain out of Elkmont. Aside from a little bit of uphill right at the beginning it was on the easier side of things. Some other options include taking Curry Mountain to Meigs Mountain, Lumber Ridge to Meigs Mountain, or if you’re in the mood for massive amounts of water crossings, Meigs Creek to Meigs Mountain. From that list the only trail I haven’t hiked is Lumber Ridge. For the rest I can they are all excellent hikes.
- Hammock Trees: The tall trees in the campsite make for some excellent hammock options.
Conclusion: Overall Campsite #20 is a high class campsite. The general roominess of the site makes it ideal for larger groups while the scenery and peacefulness of the creek would also make it ideal for a lone trip with a hammock and a book. I’m looking forward to going back and staying at Campsite #20.
