Blackrock Hut is 13.0 miles North of the previous shelter(Calf Mountain) and 13.2 miles South of the next one(Pinefield). Unless your putting in some SERIOUS mileage and have plenty of water, stop here. The hut is really nice looking even though I didn’t sleep in it(full by the time I got there) and the spring flows like a faucet on crack. The whole area is clean and there’s plenty of wood for fire. I’m not sure if it’s got mouse issues, but I didn’t hear any of the hikers occupying it mention(or complain rather) about them. There are several Bear Posts where you can hang your food bags too. The privies are decent and the fire pit is a fair size too. So why only 3 stars you ask? I’ll tell you. First, if you’re not able to get a spot in the hut, you setup your tent, therein lies the problem. The ground is very rocky and finding the right placement for your tent and tent anchors is tricky, especially in the dark. It’ll take some patience and rearranging unless you get lucky on the first try. 2nd reason is for the location, while most other shelters are close to the trail and the blue trail spurs are normally easily traversed, this one… not so much. The hut is a couple hundred feet in elevation below the level of the A.T. and the angle is pretty steep some places, there are also some narrow switchbacks to be careful of because they include a big step-down or two. Maybe it was because I was tired or because I ran out of water 2 mountains ago, but I was absolutely ticked about the .5ish mile trek down and then having to setup camp on rocky ground. The PATC volunteer that came in the morning was very friendly and offered use of his First Aid kit if anyone needed it, made some small talk with everyone and began an inspection of the area, then the trail back to the A.T. All in all it’s a good clean shelter with a great flowing spring and beautiful view to wake up to.
