Nauman tentsite availability on Sat. night?

[jamie]

Hi. I'm new here but I've been reading the site for a while.

I'm thinking of hiking up to the Nauman tentsite this saturday to spend the night, and I was wondering how crowded it might be. Is it unrealistic to expect an open platform? I do several overnight backpacking trips in the whites every year but I've never stayed at an AMC tentsite before. Several posts on this site recommend "arriving early" to secure a spot at a maintained site/shelter. How early? I'm planning to hike up the Crawford Path and Mizpah Cutoff, making it up to the site by 11am or so. If it is already full, are there any suitable (and legal) sites nearby without having to descend too far?

Thanks for the info.

 

[sapblatt]

Welcome

Hi Jamie -

Welcome to VFTT - you will learn a lot here and meet some great people. I would imagine Nauman could fill very early on s summer Saturday. It is pretty close to the road and fairly easy to get to. I know Saturday's are the busiest days for these sites. Last week 13 Falls (the most remote site) was full on Friday and by 4-5PM on Saturday only had one site left.
Good luck!

 

[David Metsky]

Arriving at 11:00AM should ensure you a platform at Nauman, but you may have to share as others arrive. Since it's so close to the hut you can drift over there for soup/tea/warmth on a nasty day, or to use the restrooms.

-dave-

 

[Waumbek]

This is predicted to be one of the best weather weekends in the Whites so it's best to get to Nauman early. If it's any measure, Mizpah hut has only "limited availability" Friday night, and it's full Saturday night. In case you haven't already found it, here's some more info on the tentsite: no shelter, five single platforms, two double platforms, composting outhouse, dishwashing area, metal food boxes for bear protection. Fee $8.

 

[jamie]

Post trip update and thanks

Thanks for all the info. Everything worked out perfectly for us. We managed to arrive at Nauman tentsite a little earlier than expected on sat morning (10am) and all of the sites were open. The place was pretty full by 5pm when we returned from our day of hiking though, and we did end up sharing our platform with another couple. The caretaker mentioned that it was the most crowded night of the season so far (over 30 people). He also mentioned that as a general rule, the tentsites never officially "fill up" to the point where guests are turned away. Most tentsite caretakers will always find someplace for campers to sleep, even if it means sharing their own platform. The most he has fit at Nauman is over 60 people!

Again, thanks for the advice.

-jamie