A Thru-Hiker Reveals Their Favorite Secret (and Not-So-Secret) Spots on the Appalachian Trail

What’s a thru-hiker to do when the honeymoon phase starts to wear off and the monotony of the trail begins creeping in? Something that helped ease the mindlessness for me while thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail in 2024 was keeping an eye out for unmarked spots a little off the beaten path.

Thanks to comments on FarOut, I discovered a handful that became some of my favorite places on the entire trail. Here I’ll let you in on how to find them, as well as some other not-so-secret spots that I also really enjoyed.

Secret Spot #1: Ryan’s Place at Jones Falls

NOBO mile marker: 400
State: Tennessee

What’s better than a beautiful waterfall on a hot day? A beautiful waterfall with an awesome secret lunch spot / campsite at the top.

Note: If you’re afraid of heights, this might not be the best adventure for you.

To access this spot, take the 0.1 mile blue blaze to Jones Falls, which is about ten miles north of Roan Highlands and five miles north of Mountain Harbour. Drop your pack and enjoy the beautiful falls; then, when you’re ready, grab a trekking pole and some snacks and look to the base of the falls on the right-hand side. You should spot a rope: grab hold and start making your way up.

There are multiple sets of ropes to help you to the top. I found the trail in between ropes was a little faint but not too hard to follow. It will probably take you 5-10 minutes to reach the top — plan on a little more time for the descent. The climb will require a little upper body strength, but the vast majority of hikers should be able to do this without a problem.

You’ll know you’re at the top when you spot a sign marking Ryan’s Place. My recommendation? Take off those shoes, pop a squat, grab your snack, and get in a little cold therapy with a foot soak, or heck, even a full-body soak — the water has carved out of the rock a perfect little channel to sit in. Take in Campbell View (which admittedly is probably a much better vista before leaf-out). I was up here on a sunny, warm day, and it was just divine to have this peaceful little spot all to myself. The video below doesn’t do it justice.

Some people in the FarOut comments mentioned camping at Ryan’s Place, but when I scouted out potential sites, they all seemed rather slanted and small, so I passed and continued on to the next shelter. And frankly, I would not want to try lugging my pack up to the top and back down. But HYOH!

Disclaimer: I visited this spot before Hurricane Helene ravaged much of the trail in North Carolina and Tennessee, and I can’t attest to current conditions of this spot. As always, please use good judgement if you try to visit.

Secret Spot #2: Hertline Campsite Swimming Hole

NOBO mile marker: 1202
State: Pennsylvania

This is another great spot for a toasty day. When I read in FarOut about a swimming hole at this location, I wasn’t really expecting anything more than a wide spot in a creek. Instead, I walked up to a swimming-pool-like structure!

The turn-off for this awesome spot can be found about 0.1 miles north of the Hertline Campsite & Creek icon on FarOut, which in turn is about six miles north of the famous 501 shelter. If you’re headed NOBO, continue to follow the stream, keeping it on your right-hand side, when it departs from the trail. I remember seeing an arrow and/or blue blaze, and the path is decently well-worn, so it shouldn’t be too hard to find.

Unfortunately, I was fighting off an infected toenail when I stopped here, so I wasn’t able to go for a dip. However, several comments on FarOut attested to the excellence of the swimming here. Some mentioned a rope swing, though I didn’t spot that while I was there. Even as just a lunch spot, this was a beautiful, idyllic place.

If you decide you want to spend a little longer here, you’re in luck — there’s plenty of camping in the area. Better yet, it sounds like this stream is a pretty consistent water source year-round, a rarity in Pennsylvania.

It does seem this site is pretty popular with locals, so keep in mind if you’re here on a weekend, you might have quite a bit of company. When I stopped here, there was a group of probably 30 Scouts just finishing up a swim. It wasn’t long before they left, though, and I got to have the whole place to myself.

Secret Spot #3: Daicey Pond Library

NOBO mile marker: 2189
State: Maine

This spot is tied to some of my favorite memories on the AT by far.

Let me set the scene for you: you’re a day away from summiting Katahdin and finishing the trail. It’s an easy 10 miles to the Birches, it’s a beautiful day, and you’ve got plenty of time to kill. You stumble upon the log cabin library at Daicey Pond, which has a porch with rocking Adirondack chairs overlooking the pond and Katahdin rising in the background.

You hang out with your tramily and other friends, reminiscing over the trail, put your feet up and take a nap in one of those glorious chairs, and eventually take a kayak out on the pond and marvel at the stunning mountain that will mark the end of your 2100+ mile long journey. After attempting to soak it all in, you sigh, pick up your pack, and head on to what will be your last campsite, your last night on trail. (SOBOs, imagine having a chill second day on trail after finishing one of the hardest climbs of the entire trail.)

To get here, turn onto Daicey Pond Road and hike towards Daicey Pond Campground, maybe 0.1 miles, until you reach the lakefront. Kayaks and canoes can be rented from the nearby ranger station for $1 an hour (a major steal if you ask me, but make sure you have single dollar bills with you). Keep in mind that you’ll likely be sharing the pond with other people, as the pond is home to several rental cabins; we lucked out and had it to ourselves since the park was renovating the cabins that summer.

Not-So-Secret Spots

For good measure, I thought I’d throw in a few better-known spots that didn’t have quite the rush of finding hidden “treasure”, but that were amazing places all the same.

Not-So-Secret Spot #1: Zeacliff

NOBO mile marker: 1842
State: New Hampshire

At this point in the trail, I was heading south and had already seen a lot of the Whites and some really amazing views. I came across a humble sign that just said “View” and had an arrow pointing off towards a side trail. I was tempted to keep on walking, but anyone who knows me knows I’m a sucker for a good view. I turned off the trail, not expecting much, only to be blown away by the mountains that suddenly opened up in front of me.

I know that good views abound in the Whites, and it’s hard for me to tell how this one truly stacks up against the gorgeous Franconia Ridge and Presidentials, but it just seems far too gorgeous to me to only be signed as an unassuming “View.”

The blue blaze to access this spot is U-shaped, so there’s two access points from the main trail. There’s a nice little spot for at least one or two people to sit and take in the view, and several people commented on the abundance of campsites nearby, though you’ll have to pack in water.

Not-So-Secret Spot #2: Bromley Mountain Ski Patrol Hut

NOBO mile marker: 1661
State: Vermont

This ski patrol hut was just the respite I needed on a chilly fall evening up in the mountains. I wasn’t originally planning on staying the night here, but when I saw it was fully enclosed, heated, and had outlets — not to mention that I could catch some amazing views of both sunset and sunrise — I was sold. And I’m so glad I stayed. Both sunset and sunrise were phenomenal.

The hut is just a quick jaunt off of the main trail once you reach the summit of Bromley — very easy to find. The biggest downside to this spot if you’re staying the night is that there’s no access to water, so plan ahead. And please be respectful and don’t abuse this site. It’s private property owned by the ski resort, which is gracious enough to leave the hut open to hikers.

Not-So-Secret Spot #3: Mt. Cammerer Fire Tower

NOBO mile marker: 234
State: North Carolina/Tennessee border

This spot was one of my favorites just off the trail. It’s definitely longer than your average blue blaze, clocking in at 0.6 miles one way. But I’m a sucker for a good view and fire towers. This side quest didn’t disappoint in the slightest: both the view and the tower itself were absolutely gorgeous.

This blue blaze is very well signed, so just keep an eye out for Mt. Cammerer Trail. The trail is a little rough, but nothing thru-hikers won’t be used to. Please keep in mind that this spot is located within Great Smoky Mountain National Park, so camping is not allowed here, only at designated sites.

I could keep going on and on, but I have to cut myself off somewhere. The truth is, there are so many spots on the AT that are absolutely stunning. To the current and future AT hikers reading this, I’m cheering you on and hoping that you enjoy these spots and find ones of your own that become sacred to you. Happy trails.

Featured image: Photo via Sheraya Smith. Graphic design by Zack Goldmann.

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Comments 4

  • Jess : Jan 27th

    Spent a nice long lunch break at Jones Falls, but totally missed that rope to climb up to Ryans Place. Guess I’ll have to hike the AT again :’)

    Reply
    • Sheraya Smith : Jan 27th

      Haha, I feel the same way about missing breakfast at Mountain Harbour – definitely worth a weekend trip back at least!

      Reply
      • Jess : Jan 27th

        I missed this too :'( Yep, a definite do-over is in order! Lol

        Reply
  • Katie Jackson : Jan 30th

    I love this! Trying to burn a few of these into my brain for later…

    Reply

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