Off Trail Camping near Owl's Head

Here I am, back to the well once again. We are looking on hiking Owl's Head next week and need some guidance on off-trail camping. Somewhere near the base would be great. We hike slow, so we will hike in from Linclon Woods, get near to Owl's Head and camp. The next morning hike up the slide and to the summit with daypacks and then hike back out to Lincoln Woods. Only one night in the woods - any suggestions?

Thanks for all the help.

Owl's Head

I did the exact same hike a few years back and found a spot to pitch the tent right near the junction of the Lincoln Brook Trail and the Owl's Head Path. It might not be totally legal as it was just off the trail and next to the brook, but if you "Leave No Trace" I don't see it as a problem. This is of course, if you can find the Owl's Head Path. The cairns and blazes have been removed. Do a search on this site for Owl's Head threads to learn more.

KD Talbot

There are all sorts of spots along the Lincoln Brook trail. Just go 200' from the trail and you should be all set. Look into the woods as you go past each stream crossing and something will show up.

ETA: the rule in the Wilderness Area is 200' from the trail. Rangers do patrol and they have given tickets. Your call.

Just a note: it's 200' off the Lincoln Brook Trail. There are some old logging roads out there and you do not have to be 200' away from them. In fact, you may find campsites right on an old skidder path at the 200' mark down one of them.

Oh, and 200' away from streams as well, I think?

The site at the base of the slide has, in the past, had a no camping sign posted. Maybe it was removed w/ the cairn?

MichaelJ said:

Oh, and 200' away from streams as well, I think?

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Nope, just trails.

http://www.fs.fed.us/r9/forests/white_mountain//recreation/camping/backcountry_rules_2006-07.pdf

Gotcha. 200' from trails and water sources is a Leave No Trace principle printed on the first page, but not an actual regulation.

its a little farther up, but 13 Falls is supposed to be very nice. I do personaly like formal camping sites for a variety of reasons.

Have you considered
- hiking in,
- eating dinner at the Lincoln Brook, and
- camping atop Owl's head?

I'm pretty sure that the camping would be legal since the herd path isn't an official trail. The top of Owl's head is reasonably flat. If you have a small tent or tarp, you'd be able to fit it in among the trees.

One other dubious benefit of blaze removal - It's going to be a little harder to enforce the "200' from the trail" rule if you can't tell where the trail is

Kevin said:

I did the exact same hike a few years back and found a spot to pitch the tent right near the junction of the Lincoln Brook Trail and the Owl's Head Path. It might not be totally legal as it was just off the trail and next to the brook, but if you "Leave No Trace" I don't see it as a problem. This is of course, if you can find the Owl's Head Path. The cairns and blazes have been removed. Do a search on this site for Owl's Head threads to learn more.

KD Talbot

Click to expand...

Well its been about 8 years and the site is still there... There are other (illegal sites) 100 feet or more to the north, but the fire rings have been scattered.

Not so here....room for two tents on well packed earth, free of stones, steps to the brook, actually better maintained than state park campsites, and with a thoughtfully placed supply of fallen birch and a long limb for hanging bear bags; .

The fire ring has not sunken into the earth, so I assume the rangers come out and dismantle it. I didn't try to measure the 200 feet, but this one is the furthest off the trail. There are signs of waste, but deep among a lattice of fallen trees

North of this site and the Owl's head path, some people crossed west of the brook. I just saw the equipment--can't attest to conditions over there.

Owl's head path has two cairns (for redundancy?), one topped with a pink bracelet. I met two parties coming from the north who very concerned about finding the path.

And yes the rangers were out Saturday night, returning from somewhere north of the suspension bridge. They wear green flashing led's at night.

I was just there a few weeks ago and both the entrance to Owls Head Path and the route from there to the summit were easy to follow and obvious.