Important Information
Gray Knob operates on a first-come, first serve basis. Reservations are not accepted. Because Gray Knob is the highest elevation facility in the Northern Presidential Range that stays open year round, it is possible to reach capacity on weekends. All hikers should be prepared with an alternate plan in case space is unavailable. Please also refer to White Mountain National Forest regulations, HikeSafe guidelines, and RMC’s General Guidelines before your trip.
Nearby RMC Camps:
- Crag Camp – 0.4 miles east via Gray Knob Trail
- The Perch – 0.7 miles west via Gray Knob Trail and Perch Path
- The Log Cabin – 0.7 miles north via Lowe’s Path
A caretaker lives onsite at Gray Knob year round. In the summer season, the Crag Camp caretaker will visit Gray Knob 1-2 times per day to check-in with guests, collect fees, and maintain the facility during the Gray Knob caretaker’s days off.
Location
Gray Knob is nestled at 4,372 feet, just below a rocky outcropping on Nowell Ridge from which the cabin gets its name. The cabin is located on the Gray Knob Trail, a short walk east of Lowe’s Path and at the southern end of Hincks Trail. Gray Knob sits just below treeline, providing convenient access to the Northern Presidential Range for overnight guests.
The Facility
Gray Knob has a capacity of 15 overnight guests. The building is tightly insulated and a caretaker is in residence year-round.
Gray Knob offers the following amenities:
- Indoor sleeping accommodations
- Cot-style mattresses
- A nearby water source
- Counter space for cooking
- An outhouse with a composting toilet
- A woodstove managed by the caretaker in the colder seasons
- Small library and assortment of games
Gray Knob is a pack in, pack out facility, meaning everything guests bring with them must be carried out, including rubbish. We expect all guests to abide by Leave No Trace principles.
Please see the RMC’s general guidelines for further information.
Sleeping accommodations are located upstairs in Gray Knob. While cot-style mattresses are provided, guests are encouraged to bring sleeping pads for general preparedness. Outdoor camping is not permitted at or within a 0.25 mile radius of Gray Knob.
Water is available from a spring, approximately 0.2 miles east on the Gray Knob trail. Guests are expected to carry their own water from the spring. Water jugs are provided. This is a natural water source and is, therefore, untreated. Guests are responsible for their own water treatment.
For cooking purposes, guests are able to use the communal counter space and stove boards at Gray Knob. Guests are required to bring their own food, stoves, cookware, and utensils. For guest safety, only canister-style backpacking stoves are permitted to be used inside the building. All other stoves, including liquid-fuel, alcohol, and solid-fuel stoves must be operated outside only.
An outhouse with a composting toilet is available for all guests to use. To help the composting process, we ask that guests urinate in the woods. Guests must bring their own toilet paper.
During the colder seasons, the caretaker maintains a woodstove that provides a limited amount of heat during the evening hours. The caretaker is responsible for operating the stove at all times. The primary purpose of the stove is to reduce moisture inside the building, rather than to provide comfortable indoor temperatures. Even when the stove is in use, guests should not expect temperatures above 40 degrees Fahrenheit (5 degrees Celsius) inside the shelter.
Overnight Guests
All fees should be paid to the caretaker. The overnight fee is $30 per person, per night for RMC members and $50 per person, per night for non-RMC members. Overnight guests must have a means of payment available. Cash and credit cards are accepted.
Day use of Gray Knob is free.
Dogs
Well-behaved dogs are welcome at Gray Knob and require no additional fees. Owners are responsible for keeping their dogs under control at all times and ensuring they do not disturb other guests or wildlife. Dogs are not permitted to roam freely at Gray Knob. Owners must also clean up after their pets. Caretakers reserve the right to require that a dog stays on leash, or even the removal of a dog and their owner if the dog is aggressive or poses a safety concern.
The Northern Presidentials can be a very harsh environment for dogs. Dog owners are solely responsible for evaluating whether their pet is capable of safely traveling in these conditions and for ensuring their dog’s safety and well-being throughout their trip. Please plan accordingly for your humans and your pets.
Camping Regulations
Gray Knob is located within a Forest Protection Area. Due to terrain and vegetation restrictions, campers seeking a dispersed campsite must travel more than one-quarter mile from the shelter to find a legal location.
The only fires permitted at Gray Knob are in the woodstove, managed by the caretaker. Other open fires are prohibited at and around Gray Knob.
Camping in the alpine zone is prohibited unless there is at least two feet of snow cover. U.S. Forest Service personnel regularly patrol the area to enforce camping regulations.
