Camping in the first 12 miles or so?

[All Downhill From Here]

I'll be starting in the last week of Sept, and doing some logistical planning. I have a long drive, so I can't start after breakfast. I'm not sure how far I'll get in the first day. Outside of Mud Lake at mile 5.5 or so, are there any campsites before Woods Lake?

Also, where's a good place to leave a car in Northville for 11 days? My plan is to hike to LP, then bus or hitch back to Saratoga, then hitch but probably Uber to Northville.

[Tick Magnet]

There is a nice lean-to on the north bank of the West Stoney Cr. just downstream of the stream crossing. It's about 100yds off the NPT, but is marked fairly well.

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There are also a few small un-designated campsites on the south bank of the creek near the mouth of Trypoli Cr.

2k campsite - Copy.jpg

[All Downhill From Here]

Awesome thank you! The document I have shows that at mile 19, is that right?

[Tick Magnet]

I'm not a NPT guru, but from my maps and shaky memory, it's "only" 9 ish miles from downtown Northville to the rock hop across West Stoney Cr. However, it's also around 900' up and 800' down to get there. That can be demoralizing with a full pack, but the trail is well designed and has many switchbacks going up and down.

Also, the rock hop across West Stoney Cr. can be easy or impossible, depending on the weather.

3c wsc - Copy.jpg

[TCD]

When we completed the NP years ago, it started in Upper Benson; the southern section from Northville was a road walk, and not required to "complete" the hike. So I'm not familiar with that section.

But an option today might be to drive to the Woods Lake trailhead, set up your camp at Woods Lake, then drive to wherever you are going to park in Northville and walk that first section with a very light daypack.

Of course I'm not sure about the security of leaving your camp for the day at Woods Lake; it's pretty close to the road. Others may know more.

[All Downhill From Here]

It looks like now the trail leads S out of Northville, then west and finally north through the woods to reach Upper Benson. That's the stretch I'm thinking about now.

[DuctTape]

TM is right on.

From the arch in Northville to the next register, as you enter the woods is 3.6 miles.

The new lean-to after fording W. Stony Cr is 8.5 miles from the arch.

Woods Lake is 12.6 miles from the arch.

The nineteen mile mark is at Notch Brook near a different branch of W. Stony Cr.

The campsites at Woods Lake have been moved farther down the trail due to lazy, vandalizing campers in for the night from the road. Likely these old sites have sprung up again, but they are not the designated ones a half mile+ down the trail.

[All Downhill From Here]

AWESOME thanks for this clarification!