Know a city dweller who has a thing against nature? This carefully chosen biking, hiking, birding and camping gear can forever change that attitude.
GIMME SHELTER
Loathe to pitch a tent? Spend the night in a ‘lean-to’—a roofed shelter enclosed on three sides. Here are the park system’s most picturesque
[IMG:https://si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/OD-BL649_OUTDOO_FR_20161004172937.jpg]ENLARGE
ILLUSTRATION: CHRISTOPH HITZ
Tom Jones Shelter, Harriman State Park, Harriman, N.Y. When daily life is hemmed in by concrete and glass, it’s easy to forget nature isn’t far from most city limits: New York’s Harriman State Park is a scant 30 miles north of Manhattan. The park offers multiple lean-to shelters for hikers and weekend campers, such as the scenic, historic stonewalled Tom Jones Shelter. Built in the late 1920s, this little shelter is a half-mile hike from the nearest parking lot, and its grassy perch near the summit of Tom Jones Mountain offers sweeping views. Free, first-come first-served, nysparks.com
Swan Island Lean-Tos, Richmond, MaineSwan Island—a pristine, 4-mile-long island in Merrymeeting Bay, Maine—is protected by the state as a Wildlife Management Area. Only 60 visitors are allowed at one time. The island is home to bald eagles, deer, wild turkeys, shorebirds and waterfowl. You can explore the island’s hiking trails, bike its gravel roads and paddle its surrounding waters on a rented kayak. Then, at night, collapse onto your sleeping bag in one of the 10 lean-to shelters that the island provides for campers. $20 per site, maine.gov
Great Smoky Mountains, National Park Lean-Tos, North Carolina and Tennessee The Smoky Mountains see the most visitors annually of any national park, but that doesn’t diminish the wild feel of these ancient mountains, with rushing streams, wildlife and namesake thick mists blanketing virgin forests and valleys. Many of the park’s 14 lean-to shelters have been recently renovated and are listed as either for hikers only or as horse-and-hiker-friendly. (Don’t worry, the horses stay outside.) Reservations and $4-per-person backcountry permit required,nps.gov
Coolidge State Park Lean-Tos, Plymouth, Vt. Nearly all Vermont state parks offer well-maintained lean-tos as camp shelters for both resident and nonresident outdoorsy types. For example, in Coolidge State Park (named for the nearby birthplace of President Coolidge), you’ll find an entire loop of 36 forested, hillside shelter sites, most known for their spectacular views. In sight are the rolling Green Mountains and the Black River Valley. Not all the state parks are open year round, so check with each park regarding the dates you plan to stay in a shelter. Shelters from $27 per night, vtstateparks.com
Riga Shelter, Litchfield Country, Conn. The Riga Shelter lean-to is near the Appalachian Trail, but you needn’t hike the trail to get there; you can also reach it from two nearby trailheads (about a 4-mile hike). This shelter, on a ridge high above the surrounding valley, is nestled among trees. There’s a stream nearby, and a pump provides clean mountain spring water for drinking. Given the shelter’s elevation (1,610 feet above sea level), you can tuck in for the night and enjoy a gorgeous sunrise. Spend the next day hiking some of the nearby trails in the New England forest. Free, first-come first-served, appalachiantrail.org
—Brigid Mander
wonder what the odds are of snagging that shelter in harriman? i'm guessing pretty unlikely.
entire article (you'll probably need to do the google search work around to get around the paywall):
wsj.com/articles/loathe-the-gr…l-help-1475780969?tesla=y
2,000 miler
