Smoky Mountains Shelters: then and now

Most of you are probably aware that the backcountry shelters in the Great Smoky Mountains have undergone extensive renovations over the past several years. Many of those shelters date back before the park was even established.

Fortunately, one of the most prolific early photographers of the Great Smoky Mountains, Albert "Dutch" Roth, left us with an invaluable visual record of the mountains from his travels in the park from the 1920s through the 1950s. Included in his vast collection are several photographs of the backcountry shelters in the Smokies and along the Appalachian Trail outside of the park. The photos offer an opportunity to compare how the shelter's looked more than half century ago with today's renovated shelters (here and here).

You can also view the full Albert "Dutch" Roth collection of photos on the University of Tennessee Libraries website.



Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com