. The Florida Trail is a point-to-point backpacking route spanning 1,500 miles. Photo: Clay Bonnyman Evans photo. Devil's Backbone This ridge-top trail between Baldy Notch and the summit of Mount Baldy is probably LA's greatest ridge hike, with incredible views over the San Gabriel Mountains and the Mojave Desert. The Bartram, Foothills, AT and Benton MacKaye form a Southern Serpentine Route! To help support the investigation, you can pull the corresponding error log from your web server and submit it our support team. We took our time there taking a lot of pics and talking to a nice couple. Those hiking east-west will encounter the most challenging parts of the trail immediately, while those going from Oconee State Park to Table Rock State Park get a much easier introduction to the trail. It can be hiked in 3-7 days. Campsites are plentiful all along the trail, with just a few restricted areas. I was meeting a friend Wednesday evening at the Bad Creek access area so we had planned to take our time hiking those 33 miles so we would arrive there on Wednesday. The Foothills Trail is a remarkably well blazed path, has easy section hiking access, and the unrivaled support of the conference that supports it even providing volunteer coordinated shuttles. The suspension bridge was amazing! The Foothills Trail is something like 76 miles in length and we hiked 6.4 miles of it on a recent brisk afternoon. This trail is great for hiking, and it's unlikely you'll encounter many other people while exploring. Great camping areas. PARKING (Laurel Valley Parking Area) - From the intersection of US 178 and SC 11, drive north on US 178 to the bridge over Eastatoe Creek (approximately one mile past the community of Rocky Bottom). . There is plenty of water and beautiful scenery along most of this section. Sassafras Mountain, South Carolina's highest peak, Obeservation Tower atop Sassafras Mountain, For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps. More. This trail is in South Carolina and North Carolina. 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. Terms under which this service is provided to you. Photo: Clay Bonnyman Evans. Foothills Trail Conservancy PO Box 3041 Greenville SC 29602. info@foothillstrail.org. Find us on Facebook! First . We ended up creating a website (www.thefoothillstrail.com) with the hopes of informing others of the difficulty of the trail, the terrain type, how to read the guidebook (published by The Foothills Trail Conference), and other insider tips. A solid and steady climb with a few short downhills just to give you a quick break. Exclusive to the state of Florida, its dirt and paved paths can be hiked in 60-90 days. I tackled the Foothills Trail during a three day two night fastpack in early January. I started my hike on Sunday February 16th from Oconee State Park. gain about 10,000 feet (the Foothills Trail Conservancy does not offer exact totals; approximations are based on an overall elevation profile). We finished with 5 miles on the day. Beginning at mile 50 the trail slowly gains elevation, passing Laurel Falls (54.30) and Virginia Hawkins Falls (57.3) on the way up. Mother Nature smiled upon me with great weather! Click on any map and youll see what Im talking about. Happy hiking! 70, Old Fort, NC, 28762 Photo: Clay Bonnyman Evans. The Foothills Trail, though steep in places, is not especially rugged, so trail runners are more than adequate. What were the generally areas where you made camp each night? 2022 Foothills Trail Conservancy | An Engenius website. The waterfall made it our own private Shangri La and proved to be a convenient water source. Scenery: Mostly forests, dominated by rhododendron, mountain laurel, oak and pine, with occasional panoramic views, rivers, waterfalls, and the summit of South Carolinas highest peak. 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. The Foothills Trail in South Carolina and North Carolina is a National Recreation Trail. Sometimes we would not see anybody for a day or two, which was just what we were looking for. We were exhausted by the time we set up camp so we ate dinner and then hit the sack. Location: The trail runs slightly northeast-southwest in far western South Carolina, with several crossings into North Carolina. We took our time breaking camp and were on the trail by 11am. NC 226-A to Armstrong Fish Hatchery Rd.. Great campsites, I went off roading Sunday and I left my Sony nex-6 camera. We hiked back up to the Whitewater River and took another break killing time until the hike to the access area. The Foothills Trail climbs gently out of Oconee State Park on a wide, flat trail that becomes increasingly tight before transforming into traditional single track. There are multiple easy access points to the Foothills Trail. That night as we slept we were entertained by a wild thunderstorm. 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 afternoon left me completely exhausted. This trail is great for hiking, and it's unlikely you'll encounter many other people while exploring. To learn more, please visit the About This Site page. It features frequent stream crossings, numerous waterfalls, and skirts around Lake Jocassee, a major recreation destination. I can usually will myself to keep going but not in this case. Geology Guide to the Foothills Trail NOW AVAILABLE! Immediately bear right onto the unpaved fork and continue to the Foothills Trail parking area about 0.3 mile on the left. Beginning at mile 50 the trail slowly gains elevation, passing Laurel Falls (54.30) and Virginia Hawkins Falls (57.3) on the way up. I had planned on making camp for the evening along the spur trail below Grassy Knob that led to 281, but there was too much snow on the ground. Oconee is about 2.5 hours and Table Rock is about three hours from Atlanta. We were on the trail by 8:05, not bad! Greenville SC 29602. The Blue Ridge Mountains are well known for their three hundred sixty degree views from their bare summits. Flowers, and other Flora abound, birds aplenty, There are even plants that only exist in this part of the world. In fact, its not unlike a condensed version of the southern Appalachian Trail, and many prospective hikers have tackled the Foothills Trail as a shakedown for a future AT hike. Photos (139) Directions. NC 28762, http://www.mtbproject.com/trail/1368860/heartbreak-ridge. We decided to climb to the ridge and found the perfect site for the evening atop the ridge. All orders over $60 receive FREE shipping! It was a good call since it kept us on the trail longer and we ended up with another awesome site. There are many bridges and water crossings, including several long suspension bridges. The Foothills Trail Conservancy store offers a complete guidebook, map, and pocket profile. Cross the bridge and turn left at the Laurel Valley Lodge sign. Go to Join Now to join for the first time or to renew your membership. We switched to the trail because it had nice footbridges to cross the streams. The trail goes between Table Rock State Park and Oconee State Park. Additional troubleshooting resources. What an experience! Meet at the Devils Fork boat ramp at 9:00 a.m. Bring snacks, lunch, water and appropriate footwear and clothing. While the relatively mild winters of South Carolina make the trail hikeable year-round, early to mid-spring and fall are the preferred seasons. For those who wish to follow the white blazes of the Foothills Trail, the trail continues down Sassafras Mountain, makes one last climb to up Pinnacle Mountain, and winds its way down to Table Rock State Park. The group will go by boat to Laurel Fork and hike the Foothills Trail to Canebrake, a distance of about 5.8 miles. Day 1 we hiked to Laurel Fork Falls campsite. Foothills Trail Journal Heartbreak Ridge. Laurel Fork Falls (mile 54.3): A scenic cascade with several streamside campsites just one-tenth of a mile to the east. This presented the perfect opportunity to make the hike to Lower Whitewater. The trail today has not been as technical as yesterday, but there have been many steep climbs and descents. The Foothills Trail is well-marked with white blazes. https://foothillstrail.org/maps-coordinates-2/. There are no shelters along the trail, and rain is frequent, so hikers should have a good shelter such as a tent, tarp, or hammock. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a1237b0ae472c2f Today I am climbing Heartbreak Ridge! For those planning to take their time, some local shuttle drivers offer food drops for a fee. It was breathtaking to be able to turn all the way around and see the smoky mist below me in every direction. The Foothills Trail Conservancy website lists local shuttle services. 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 steps are so long that in the middle there is a bench for folks to rest before they tackle the remainder of the climb. Wandering Monk Hikes Day 5 on the Foothills Trail | Climbing Heartbreak RidgeHello everyone welcome! Region: Deep South, Lower Appalachians (South Carolina)Length: 76.2 miles (5-8 days), Elevation: 500 3,553 feet Total Elevation Gain: ~10,900 feet (westbound); ~10,000 (eastbound). Put in at Frozen Creek Access then hiked to Canebrake. I would not call this trail moderate, as there are many challenging sections, no matter which direction you travel. Any suggestions. The trail is well-marked and well-graded. 1 Peter 2:21, Backpacking Journals and Photos from Long Distance Hikers, US 11 Carlisle Pike Mile Marker 1132, Pennsylvania. I dread the descents more than the climbs. If not, then I will assess what my body tells me it will do. My wife dropped me, and my dog Spencer, off at 10:45am and after our goodbyes and a few pictures, we set off on our journey. Thru hiked with a buddy and my dog. Moderate to strenuous on the eastern/northern portion of the trail. Length 11.0 miElevation gain 3,188 ftRoute type Out & back. Experience this 30.4-mile point-to-point trail near Sunset, South Carolina. Day 3 started only 4.8 miles from Bad Creek, where I was meeting my friend the next day. This is considered d the most difficult section of the Foothills Trail. Tougher than expected but had a great time. A very special place to wander and enjoy!!! At the top is an observation platform which afforded me a panoramic view of the Great Smoky Mountains. This website contains affiliate links, which means The Trek may receive a percentage of any product or service you purchase using the links in the articles or advertisements. The Foothills Trail is a 76 mile long collection of trails that run through 3 state parks, through North and South Carolina, and within view of the Georgia border. I also absolutely dig the suspension bridges out there. Generally considered a challenging route. Click to reveal Had brief freezing rains. 13.1 miles total for the day! Foothills Trail Conservancy Dismiss. From the east end of Heartbreak Ridge at mile 50 to the Northern Terminus at Table Rock State Park at mile 76.2, the trail crosses a number of challenging routes and trail highlights. There is an issue between Cloudflare's cache and your origin web server. For the next 0.7 miles, we ascended and descended over 400 steps! This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. From the east end of Heartbreak Ridge at mile 50 to the Northern Terminus at Table Rock State Park at mile 76.2, the trail crosses a number of challenging routes and trail highlights. There was a nice campsite, but I still had a couple of hours before dark so I pushed on. Table Rock State Park offers a myriad of amenities from camping to cabins, swimming to fishing. Bugs were bad at this location. Woods Mountain Trail is not for the faint of heart! Perhaps it was because we were hiking West to East, but it turned out to be not nearly as bad as we were expecting. The Catawba Falls trail is closed until spring of 2023. Following a long ridge that begins high atop the Blue Ridge Escarpment, this trail plunges over 2000 ft. in four miles. 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! Trailhead begins inside the Old Fort Picnic Area with incredible views of Kitsuma Peak at trail end. 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. 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