If your are going North on the A.T. from Rockfish Gap, this will be the first shelter you come across. The hut is a .3 mile (just about 1600 feet) hike on the Blue Blazed spur off the Appalachian Trail and there is a spring roughly 600 or so feet before the hut. I'd suggest getting to the hut first, gearing down and taking a nice light walk back to the spring, plus the spring area does get kinda muddy too. Calf Mountain is the ONLY shelter with a 4G data connection and reception I've come across on my S.N.P. hike. It has 2 'moldering(composting) privies' which are considerably clean and smell 5000% better than one of those blue porta-johns. The fire pit is adequate and has a small maybe 12"x18" adjustable height grill rack ready for use as soon as you clear the ash and wood from it. The hut itself is clean and the PATC volunteer that we happened to run into says he hikes out here about once a week or so to check it out. He has mouse traps set up and enjoys spending time with the hikers who stay at the shelter, he really seems to have a passion for the outdoors and enjoys his volunteering a lot. This shelter does spoil you though, and here's why: the next few shelters are either high up in the mountains or deep down in valley farther off the A.T. than should be legal. There will be almost no phone reception after going another 3 miles North and there will definitely NOT be a good data connection. Other shelters are not as well maintained save for Blackrock Hut (aforementioned deep valley shelter) and at Calf Mountain mice will not eat your sleeping bag while you're sleeping in it, causing your dog to jump all over you as you are trapped in your sleep burrito screaming "WTF!!!???" Enjoy your time at this awesome shelter... you won't see one this nice for DAYS and MANY MILES. read more

See all