The Foothills Trail - A 76-mile journey into the wilderness. Oconee offers tent camping and cabin rental for those who prefer to stay the night and get an early start on their Foothills Trail adventure. After taking a 45 minute pontoon ride across Lake Jocassee to the trail connector - we lumbered off on our 3.5 hour hike. Slept well, heard the popping of the campfire a few sites over for awhile. Trails are compared with nearby trails in the same city region with a possible 25 colour shades. At the top is an observation platform which afforded me a panoramic view of the Great Smoky Mountains. This alleviates the headache of spotting cars or finding rides back to original trailheads after completing sections. Additional Bridge over Whitewater River now complete! The Foothills Trail is a fun, challenging traipse through classic southern Appalachian terrain. Be careful, be safe, be hiking!!! It was a short 5 mile hike to finish up our journey, and the majority of that was downhill. There is an unknown connection issue between Cloudflare and the origin web server. Chattooga River Valley (miles 10.6-15.5): Many excellent places to swim and camp along the river, which was one of the locations for the movie Deliverance (but dont worry; there dont appear to be any crazed hillbillies in the area). Put in at Frozen Creek Access then hiked to Canebrake. Geology Guide to the Foothills Trail NOW AVAILABLE! Whitewater Falls (miles 30-31.7): Six different falls that tumble a total of 800 feet, making it the highest waterfall east of the Mississippi River. The steps are so long that in the middle there is a bench for folks to rest before they tackle the remainder of the climb. 13.1 miles total for the day! Head West on The Foothills Trail towards Lake Jocassee. He has hiked the Colorado Trail, Appalachian Trail, Foothills Trail, Pinhoti Trail, Centennial Trail, and the Great Plains Trail Pilot Trail, and will start hiking the Pacific Crest Trail on April 7, 2021. You can hike for a few hours or spend days or a week or so hiking here and never do the same hike twice. I was very impressed by the size and power of this waterfall! Did the 5 day plan. My girlfriend and I backpacked this trail last night. Insects can be troublesome, especially mosquitoes and biting flies in warmer months. While there are often more people around features such as Whitewater Falls and Lake Jocassee, hikers will find plenty of solitude on most of the trail, including quiet, secluded campsites. https://foothillstrail.org/maps-coordinates-2/. We switched to the trail because it had nice footbridges to cross the streams. Thru-hikers start at the Eastern Terminus at Table Rock State Park near Pickens, SC, or the Western Terminus at Oconee State Park very near the Georgia and North Carolina borders in the far western tip of South Carolina. Waterfalls abound at mile 16.3 via a side trail at King Creek Falls, and another at mile 23.2. Great campsites, I went off roading Sunday and I left my Sony nex-6 camera. There were no bugs and it got down to the low 40s one night After a brief rain during the 65 degree weather. What a great way to fall asleep, as the rain pattered against my tarp and the thunder boomed and lightning lit up the evening sky! I traveled west>east (or, sort of, south>north) and water was never an issue. Mother Nature smiled upon me with great weather! Really cool to se that engineering out in the wilderness and seamlessly blend it in. At mile 28.9 there is a side trail to Whitewater Falls, at mile 30.1 Corbin Creek Falls, a small waterfall at mile 35.5 and a blue blaze to Hillard Falls at mile marker 36.5. The largest climb of the hike begins at mile 62 and gains 1,839 feetin 4.4 miles before topping out at Sassafrass Mountain, the highest point in South Carolina. The Foothills Trail Conservancy has a detailed, informative website, including maps, elevations profiles, shuttle information and more. The afternoon left me completely exhausted. Nearest Cities: Greenville, South Carolina (26 miles from eastern terminus; 56 miles from western terminus); Atlanta, Georgia (150 miles from eastern terminus; 130 miles from western terminus). IT set the stage for the many great waterfalls we would enjoy along our hike. However, for many people the, A Thru-Hike for Everyone: 5 Trails Under 200 Miles, Outdoor Research Aspire Super Stretch Jacket Review, Backpacker Radio #189 | Christine Reed on POTS, Hiking with Grief, and Her Book: Alone in Wonderland, Getting to Campo: PCT Southern Terminus Shuttle To Run for Second Year, 10 Trek Bloggers You Should Be Following This Winter, The Best Backpacking Stoves for Thru-Hiking of 2023, Top Stoves, Filters, and Power Banks on the Appalachian Trail: 2022 Thru-Hiker Survey, Sierra On Track for Record Snowfall This YearHere's What It Means for PCT Hikers, 8 Classic Pieces of Backpacking Gear Hikers Love (And Why), The Best Headlamps for Thru-Hiking of 2023, https://foothillstrail.org/maps-coordinates-2/. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 14.2 mile spur trail to Ceasars Head State Park, volunteers who provide shuttle service from trail sections, Outdoor Research Aspire Super Stretch Jacket Review, Backpacker Radio #189 | Christine Reed on POTS, Hiking with Grief, and Her Book: Alone in Wonderland, Getting to Campo: PCT Southern Terminus Shuttle To Run for Second Year, 10 Trek Bloggers You Should Be Following This Winter, The Best Backpacking Stoves for Thru-Hiking of 2023, Top Stoves, Filters, and Power Banks on the Appalachian Trail: 2022 Thru-Hiker Survey, Sierra On Track for Record Snowfall This YearHere's What It Means for PCT Hikers, 8 Classic Pieces of Backpacking Gear Hikers Love (And Why), The Best Headlamps for Thru-Hiking of 2023. It was a great trip. The Foothills Trail Conservancy website lists local shuttle services. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. Generally considered a challenging route, it takes an average of 8 h 58 min to complete. The heat and humidity can be intense from mid-May through September. Thankfully volunteers have put steps into the dirt and rock to enable hikers to negotiate the steep trail. There is abundant wildlife and hikers have a good chance of seeing deer, snakes, toads, frogs, raccoons, waterfowl, raptors, and even black bears.While youll find people around popular features such as Whitewater Falls and Lake Jocassee, the full trail offers plenty of solitude, including your choice of quiet, secluded sites available for dispersed camping on all but a few miles. Day 2 we hiked to Cross Bear Creek campsite. NC 226-A to Armstrong Fish Hatchery Rd.. Only a really crazy person would try to tackle Heartbreak Ridge, Laurel Valley, and the climb up Sassafras in one day I guess I'm crazy. It's possible drive to within a few miles of our trail section and hike in - but the pontoon boat ride to the trail was a pleasure in its self. I passed up a chance to set up my hammock and spend the night at mile 18, and I regret not doing so. About an hour later we put the packs back on and headed toward the Cliffs. We had reached the access area by 2:30 that afternoon so I decided to push on past to the Thompson River and grab one of those sites. However from Sassafras Mountain there is a 14.2 mile spur trail to Ceasars Head State Park in South Carolinathat some choose as an alternate northern terminus for the trail. The terrain, tread, and gradesfrom riverside meandering to lung-busting steepall reflect the AT in its Georgia, Tennessee, and North Carolina incarnations. Generally considered a moderately challenging route, it takes an average of 15 h 5 min to complete. Wandering Monk Hikes Day 5 on the Foothills Trail | Climbing Heartbreak RidgeHello everyone welcome! It was a good call since it kept us on the trail longer and we ended up with another awesome site. Click on any map and youll see what Im talking about. Laurel Fork Falls (mile 54.3): A scenic cascade with several streamside campsites just one-tenth of a mile to the east. Hikers spend a good deal of time in the green tunneljust like the ATbut ample opportunities to swim, gorgeous waterfalls, and occasional vistas to the south make this a truly enjoyable trail. Hes the author of several books, including the Amazon bestseller, Bones of My Grandfather: Reclaiming a Lost Hero of World War II, and his most recent, The Trail Is the Teacher: Living and Learning on the Appalachian Trail. Volunteers should be reimbursed fairly for their generous donations of time and gasoline. A group of 3 moms and 3 girls did these 32.6 miles over 4 days. . We actually drove past the designated parking lot on Horsepasture Rd (in a truck) to the intersection of Horsepasture and Laurel Fork Valley Rd (marked by a road sign on a fallen tree. The Guidebook rated these sections as moderate to easy, I assume because of the short distance. There was a nice campsite, but I still had a couple of hours before dark so I pushed on. 70, Old Fort, NC, 28762 What were the generally areas where you made camp each night? Another great waterfall and we got to see a wild turkey, actually flying which was rare. Insects can be bothersome in warmer months. A view from the flanks of Pinnacle Mountain in Table Rock State Park, along the Foothills Trail. Mother Nature entertained us again with another mighty thunderstorm and downpour. Did the 5 day plan. I can usually will myself to keep going but not in this case. For the next 0.7 miles, we ascended and descended over 400 steps! That was my favorite part of the trail. The Trail joins the Chattooga River Trail at mile 10.6 and winds along the Chattooga Rivers sandy beaches for miles. Hard 4.4 (195) Pisgah National Forest. Primitive trail connects Woods Mountain & Armstrong Creek Trails. Sept of 2014. It's Day 5 on the . Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. Experience this 30.4-mile point-to-point trail near Sunset, South Carolina. Come take a hike with me at Blue Ridge Hiking Company! This was a relatively easy day at about 8 miles. Stairs. Check out this page at the Foothills Trail Conservancy. http://www.mtbproject.com/trail/1368860/heartbreak-ridge, 2940 Ft. /8 Miles. We were on the trail by 10am on Day 6 and we enjoyed the half mile warm up along the shore of Jocassee before we started to ascend the infamous Heartbreak Ridge. There are multiple easy access points to the Foothills Trail. Performance & security by Cloudflare. 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