5 days in GA

[justingz71]

So me and three other guys are looking to spend 4 to 6 days hiking in georgia, I would really like to start of at neels and work farther north since I did amicalola to neels last summer. We are all in pretty good shape and can do 10-12 miles a day no problem. Does anyone have any suggestions on a good stopping point or is there anywhere close to the 50 mile range where I could drop off my truck and not have to worry about it still being there intact when I reach it.

[greentick]

Deep Gap NC would be about 53 miles. I've left my truck there a few times without any problems.

[Cookerhiker]

So me and three other guys are looking to spend 4 to 6 days hiking in georgia, I would really like to start of at neels and work farther north since I did amicalola to neels last summer. We are all in pretty good shape and can do 10-12 miles a day no problem. Does anyone have any suggestions on a good stopping point or is there anywhere close to the 50 mile range where I could drop off my truck and not have to worry about it still being there intact when I reach it.

Welcome to WB

First of all, do you have maps? If so, you can look at the mileage and elevation and judge your collective capabilities. And you should have maps before you start this hike.

I can only give you an idea of the basics. The major road crossings are:

Dicks Creek Gap/US Rt. 76 - last crossing in GA - 37 miles
Winding Stair Gap/US 64 in NC - 77 miles

There are side trails to other access points between these 2 crossings. For example after 53 miles you come to the Kinsey Creek Trail which leads 3.7 miles to Standing Indian Campground. However, when are you hiking? I'm not sure the CG or the access roads are open or maintained in the winter. You could contact the Forest Service but better yet, WBers who are local and/or more familiar than me about this area will weigh in here.

GA is a very nice section of the AT - enjoy your hike!

[MkBibble]

i just did about the same trip a couple months ago (woody to standing indian). Have fun! I hiked out via the kimsey creek trail to standing indian campground, but i'm not sure if they are still open; i think their number is 828-369-0442. i saw two vehicles parked at USFS73 Deep Gap when I went through. you could also leave your car in one of the towns and use a shuttle. i used sally and joyce (706-896-9339), but i know there are several other choices including ron haven. i think i paid about $50 for a ride to Hiawassee, GA.

[generoll]

the Standing Indian Loop is perfect for a three day hike and won't require a shuttle. The parking lot at Unicoi Gap is probably the best in Georgia if you are looking for a one way hike. Leave your truck there and have someone shuttle you to Springer. That's a decent 5 day hike if you're in reasonable hiking shape. It's just about exactly 50 miles, so you figure it from there.

[justingz71]

i just did about the same trip a couple months ago (woody to standing indian). Have fun! I hiked out via the kimsey creek trail to standing indian campground, but i'm not sure if they are still open; i think their number is 828-369-0442. i saw two vehicles parked at USFS73 Deep Gap when I went through. you could also leave your car in one of the towns and use a shuttle. i used sally and joyce (706-896-9339), but i know there are several other choices including ron haven. i think i paid about $50 for a ride to Hiawassee, GA.

Thanks, I have the thru-hikers companion, It says the campground is closed until may 1 for construction, but Im going to call them to see if I could leave my truck there. This sounds like a great section. I plan on doing the whole thing one day when I have enough vacation time built up from work to take off for half a year lol

[trixie]

so what have you decided? I've been thinking of doing something similar but going south from NC back to Neels...

[warraghiyagey]

Sorry you had to spend 5 days in Georgia. . . did you lose a bet??

[Flippy]

I remember Springer Mountain in Georgia like it was yesterday, even thought it's been since 2006 and 2004. I enjoyed hiking in Georgia, and thought it was very rugged the first time I hiked it 2004. In 2006 with some hiking experience under my belt (feet really) it wasn't as hard as I remembered - but doing much over 15 miles a day in Georgia is a really good day.

Like CookerHiker suggested Winding Stair gap would be my choice, but it would be a hike around five 15 mile days in a row, so you may want to have a bail-out plan. Just in case you have to slow down. Most thru-hikers don't hike big days in the beginning, because we have time and want our bodies to get used to hiking - keep from over exerting yourself. When you are doing a shorter trip, you can go all out and recover when you get home.

Online Appalachian Trail Thru-Hikers’ Companion is good for planning. I carried portions of the paper one when I hiked.

http://www.aldha.org/comp_pdf.htm


I believe each state has it's own patch to work towards. Don't know if you are into that, but some people do it that way. It took me 7 days to hike georgia in 2004.

http://www.georgia-atclub.org/thruhiker.html

Hope some of this helps!