View Full Version : Georgia/North Carolina Border
BigGiant
01-17-2011, 21:18
I am planning to section hike the AT, beginning this spring. I am planning my first leg to go from Springer Mountain to the North Carolina border. My question is:
Where is the closest road to the GA/NC border? After I cross the border, I am hoping to have someone there with a car and a cheeseburger!
max patch
01-17-2011, 21:40
No road at the border.
Either backtrack to Dicks Creek Gap or continue on to Deep Gap, NC. About 8 miles no matter what you do.
If your ride doesn't want to go on FS roads then at Deep Gap take the blue blaze Kimsey Creek Trail 3.5 miles to Standing Indian Campground.
A FS road 3 miles south of the border is sometimes passable, sometimes not. Ask again closer to your hike for its current status. A few weeks ago generoll reported it was passable but 3 months from now who knows.
max patch
01-17-2011, 21:42
If your ride doesn't want to go on FS roads then at Deep Gap take the blue blaze Kimsey Creek Trail 3.5 miles to Standing Indian Campground.
Clarification that the road at Dicks is paved. Deep Gap is FS road.
JaxHiker
01-17-2011, 22:14
I didn't see any problems with the road at Deep Gap in May.
Hikerhead
01-17-2011, 22:41
I did an up and back from Dicks Creek to Bly Gap many years ago to finish up all of Ga. I thought returning back to Dicks Creek would be all down hill.....I was wrong. Funny how you forget all of those nice down hill grades till you have to climb them. It was a good hike.
There used to be a jeep trail that came up to the trail at Bly Gap from the west, probably an old logging road that might be overgrown now.
The old FS or logging road you see near Bly Gap (on left nobo) is closed to vehicles (locked gate) but you an get within a mile or two.
TOPO Map of the area.
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=6341&d=1243429298
http://map.rmservers.com/map?r=IMAG%7C%25PD%3D678,485%25LL%3D35%2E014538,%2 D83%2E636246%25ZM%3DM5510%2E10%25LLICON%3DIcon4,34 %2E993958,%2D83%2E600060,Plumorchar,Font11,R%7C%25 MS%3DB%7C%7C&d=75&t=mn&z=9&id=RMC&tid=0507019109.1264426017.242763&fix=1&h=84F03A6821742E4180452CDC58C3E964
max patch
01-18-2011, 08:58
There used to be a jeep trail that came up to the trail at Bly Gap from the west, probably an old logging road that might be overgrown now.
Exactly. I was taking a break at Bly sometime in the late 80's when the guidebook said there was no road to Bly. Saw a large pile of empty beer bottles and my first thought was some hikers were really serious drinkers. Then I saw the fairly fresh tire tracks...
max patch
01-18-2011, 09:04
There used to be a jeep trail that came up to the trail at Bly Gap from the west, probably an old logging road that might be overgrown now.
The old FS or logging road you see near Bly Gap (on left nobo) is closed to vehicles (locked gate) but you an get within a mile or two.
IIRC the GA/NC Guidebook issued in the mid 80's still had directions on how to drive to Bly.
MkBibble
01-18-2011, 09:30
After I cross the border, I am hoping to have someone there with a car and a cheeseburger!
If you follow the Kimsey Creek Trail down to Standing Indian Campground, you can wait for a ride at the little store. Nothing fresh cooked, but they have all sorts of microwave foods.
generoll
01-18-2011, 16:59
it's also possible to hike back to Blue Ridge Gap and either be picked up there or if the last mile of FS road is too bad you can hike down towards US76 for about a mile and be picked up there.
Sickmont
01-19-2011, 10:42
Why not do what i'm planning on doing.....parking the car at Amicalola and going to the border and then back. I want to see if i can do it in 8 or 9 days.
US 76 seems pretty obvious - you will be 3 miles short of the NC Line and if you have a car, I think it would be easier to drive into Clayton, GA (15 mile drive or so?) - that said, most folks just wait for a re-supply until Franklin, NC - (easy hitch to grocery / p.o.) which is another 31 miles or the NOC which is about 60 miles into NC (small store and outfitter, drops) - if you want to complete GA before the burger, you could always go and get it in Clayton and wait to eat it until you get to the Muskrat Creek Shelter but I bet you'll eat 2 or 3 on the spot.
Is there a safe place to leave a car at Dicks Creek Gap or Deep Gap? I am thinking of leaving my car there and shuttling back to Neels.
max patch
01-26-2011, 09:49
Is there a safe place to leave a car at Dicks Creek Gap or Deep Gap? I am thinking of leaving my car there and shuttling back to Neels.
Yes, although the road to Deep Gap is scheduled to be closed until 15 March.
You may also want to consider leaving your car at Ron Havens motel in Hiawassee; they also shuttle from there.
max patch
01-26-2011, 09:54
US 76 seems pretty obvious - you will be 3 miles short of the NC Line and if you have a car, I think it would be easier to drive into Clayton, GA (15 mile drive or so?) - that said, most folks just wait for a re-supply until Franklin, NC - (easy hitch to grocery / p.o.) which is another 31 miles or the NOC which is about 60 miles into NC (small store and outfitter, drops) - if you want to complete GA before the burger, you could always go and get it in Clayton and wait to eat it until you get to the Muskrat Creek Shelter but I bet you'll eat 2 or 3 on the spot.
Just to clarify, it is almost 9 trail miles from Dicks Creek (76) to the GA/NC border. I like Clayton, but these days almost everybody goes to Hiawassee instead. Much better trail town.
max patch
01-26-2011, 10:05
Yes, although the road to Deep Gap is scheduled to be closed until 15 March.
Meant to indicate the both locations have parking (Dicks Creek has a large parking lot) and I'm not sure my original answer made that clear.
jcrock79
07-10-2011, 16:11
Why not do what i'm planning on doing.....parking the car at Amicalola and going to the border and then back. I want to see if i can do it in 8 or 9 days.
Hi Sickmont - did you do it? Im planning on doing exactly what you did in mid to late august and wanted to see if accomplishing it to NC border and back in 10 days or less was a feasible option. Thanks!
jcrock79
07-10-2011, 16:14
Why not do what i'm planning on doing.....parking the car at Amicalola and going to the border and then back. I want to see if i can do it in 8 or 9 days.
If you did the hike, any issues with leaving your car in the parking lot at Amicalola? Did you have to pay for a parking permit or was it ok to just leave it there?