Near the Fontana Dam parking lot, this shelter got its nickname of “Fontana Hilton” since it sleeps 24 and has flush toilets and showers nearby! We’ll be re-starting our hike from here when we return to the trail.
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Can you reserve spaces in this shelter or is it first come first served?
The shelter, like most along the AT, is first come – first served. When we first reached this shelter, on March 26th, we were early enough in the hiker season to find there would be only about 8 people spending the night; loads of room. We had to leave the trail at this point, however, to attend a family funeral, and when we returned to spend the night on April 4th, the place was jammed. Twenty-four sleeping in the shelter to start with, more outside in tents, and a late arrival with a dog ended up sleeping on the floor! One guy (presumably bothered by the dog) left the shelter in the middle of the night in the rain. We heard he spent the night sleeping in the bathroom. Availability will depend on luck and where you are in the wave of hikers at the time.
What was the problem with the dog?
You’d have to ask the hiker who left. Maybe an allergy? Maybe the smell of wet dog?