Trail Shelters

Trail Shelters. Hot Springs National Park. The first trail shelter was built in May of 1924, along the ridgeline between North Mountain and Hot Springs Mountain. It was part of the construction of the trail that led down to the Gulpa Gorge Campground. The building was a small, stone, open air structure that provided hikers with a place to rest, get out of the rain, or just take in the beautiful view., Four more shelters of varying sizes were built in the park. These shelters were built using native stone and logs and were topped with a redwood shingle roof. Over time, the effects of the weather began to break them down, and many of the roofs fell in, making the shelters unsafe. In the 1960s, some of the shelters were removed, but a few were repaired and remain in use., Today, three of the original shelters still stand: the first shelter, pictured here in 1964, one on Hot Springs Mountain at the intersection of Hot Springs Mountain and Honeysuckle Trails, and a third shelter at the second overlook on West Mountain., Caption , Upper Right: This 1938 image was taken from the trail shelter at West Mountain Overlook.