Hertlein Campsite

It is an absolute beautiful place too. Camp got down to 19°, it was super cold cooking but the sound of the water was beautiful and the little pawn. Pawn although it's dark now, I can't see the little pawn anymore. I had a very peaceful night's sleep. I was super warm in my feathered friend sleeping bag

I dont know the exact history and I can be wrong. That dam is the same sort of setup where they used to have electrical generators. This is in between Bethel and 183 road crossings. It took me 4-5 hours 1 way and the good part of a day to walk from 1 to the other.

If looking for a night out on the Appalachian trail, this gem of an area is a 6 mile hike in from Rt 501 (heading N) or a 3 mile hike in from Rt 183 (heading S).
Although this area for camping can get quite busy in peak hiking season, there are so many campsite options that you won't feel crowded. There are also 2 tent pads, a spring fed pond (down a trail from the tent pads), with numerous campsites right around the pond. If busy, head up the hill (AT trail goes North, uphill from where the tent pads are) for more campsite options.
Water always running in this area even in hot, dry summers. Just a beautiful spot right on the AT!!!

Historic circa 1907 hydroelectric dam. Relaxing sound of cascading water. Swimming possible for the hardy, but water can be cold, even in the summer. Fire ring and limited space near dam for several tents or hammocks. Other tent sites nearby above on the AT.

The is a very nice little lake there as well, you can swim in

We spent the night on an overnighter at the campsite right next to the lake. The rushing waterfall was calming albeit loud. The water in the pond is quite clear and it would be very inviting on a hot summer day to swing on the rope swing and go for a swim. There are 2 well established camp sites immediately above the pond as well. The hike in from 183 is fairly flat and swampy, but the hike out to 501 gets quite rocky in areas and and has more elevation change. Parking at 183 is in the state game lands lot.

The beauty of this place is what’s keeping me from rating it one star. It really is a nice place to sit and maybe camp. The pond is really pretty and the waterfall is nice to sleep to. My issues with this are: lots of broken glass adjacent to the fire pit where you most likely want to set up a tent. Very rocky, so a lot of work to move stuff plus lots of broken glass. There is a lot of traffic noise from the highway a few miles away, and was irritating when you heard a semi put on the Jake brake. There was a lot of remnants of people there. Trash, fishing lines, water bottles, beer bottles etc. This could be solved very easily.... don’t smash your glass bottles and take out what you bring in!
There is currently an abundance of fire wood (April 12, 2019). It looks like they are doing some campsite maintenance, so lots of downed trees just above the pond that are very dry. Not a bad hike in from RT 183. It’s closer to 4 miles.