Shelter locations - table?

[mrgpk]

All of the hiking I have done has involved pitching a tent every night, so these shelters sound like premium luxury to me.

It won't affect my trip at all, but I am wondering if there is a table of campsites and the number of shelters available.

Then again, it might be better to not know and just smile upon my good fortune when I luck into one =)

[Jackfish]

Ask and ye shall receive:

http://www.isle.royale.national-park.com/camping.htm

Click on the link above, then scroll down a short distance.

[Keweenaw]

All shelters have a table. No inland campsite has a picnic table (or a shelter), but most have rock/log cooking/eating areas that have been assembled by hikers over the years. I think most lakeside tent sites where there are docks have picnic tables.

Bob

[Ingo]

Lakeside campgrounds with docks and shelters also get regularly stocked with TP

[rainelde]

Most of the tables are moved into the shelters, very nice for cooking and card playing and reorganizing your pack. We moved tables in when we stayed in them. You won't regret a night where you can stretch out. sleep without the tent in these, it actually is nice

[ScoutDad]

A new discovery for me this year on my August 11-14th trip...Daisy Farm now has 22 shelters. And after my hike from Rock Harbor to Daisy Farm via the Tobin Harbor trail & the Greenstone, I was plenty greatful for that shelter!

[DonNewcomb]

Most of the tables are moved into the shelters, very nice for cooking and card playing and reorganizing your pack. We moved tables in when we stayed in them. You won't regret a night where you can stretch out. sleep without the tent in these, it actually is nice

We saw no picnic tables inside shelters. It seems like a bad idea to me. The current wording is that in inclement weather you are encouraged to share your shelter. Having seen a 40-hour rain, I'd like to see it say "shall share your shelter". The shelters are designed for as many as six campers. The table takes up the room of four. In no event should they be left inside the shelter.

[Tom]

I'm with Don (and the Park Service) - The tables are supposed to stay outside.**

**Ok, that being said, I've certainly enjoyed the merits of having a table inside the shelter during that buggy or rainy weather. I do understand their convenience. However, if you can heft them into the shelter, you can heft them out of the shelter when you're done. That way the shelter at least stays as open as planned..

[Keweenaw]

I've never moved a table inside - I have plenty of other ways to abuse my back. Mainly, though, I've never found it to be necessary. By sliding the table back against the screen front of the shelter I always get enough rain coverage from the eave to sit on a reasonably dry bench and cook/eat.

I HAVE, however, had to move a table OUT of a shelter once and it was a pain.

Bob

[phulst]

With only two of us (myself and my son) we much preferred to use shelters that already had picnic tables inside. It makes it so nice to be able to do whatever you want inside with regard to laying out gear, etc. In mid June we had no problems finding shelters at all, much less ones with the tables inside.

Having said that, when our neighbors went to IR a few weeks later they fit 10 people into a shelter due to heavy daily rains. They didn't have the picnic table inside.

[mihiker]

I agree that having a table inside is handy, especially in a long term rain situation.
It does bother me however that those whom moved the table in, did not move it back out when they left. Those suckers are heavy.

[jerry]

During my August visit this year a picnic table up against the shelter worked fine for me. Don't want one in the shelter at all. I thought the rain would wash us into Rock Harbor (I was at Daisy Farm for that "Big Rain" event). The rain and wind woke me up many times during the storm. Read a lot of N. Barr's books and got fat and lazy watching the rain.

[Backpacker534]

It sounds like my comment will pretty much go along with the rest of the posts. I know the rule is that tables are supposed to stay outside, however, when we arrive at a campsite that has shelters we usually look for one with a table already inside. It just seems to make life a little easier for the time that we stay there. I guess we have always been fortunate enough not to have to compete for a shelter, as there have always been open shelters available. However, that being said, if I had a shelter with a table inside and there were additional people who came into camp during a storm, I would gladly move the table out and share the extra space so that someone else could have a more comfortable stay.

[dmdhiker]

There was one layover day caused by rain where I put the table up against the outside of the shelter where the front shelter overhang provided a nice cover. Its was quite comfortable sitting at the table, back against the shelter, watching the rain while having shelter from the weather overhead. This was at Moskey.