Wanting to Hike the Georgia Section This Year: Best ending location?

Hey y'all,
I'm hoping to hike the Georgia section of the trail at some point this year. I'm trying to figure out where a good ending place will be. I have someone willing to come pick me up from either Hartwell, Georgia or Suwanee, Georgia and could really use some help in identifying a good ending point close to the state line that they would be able to pick me up.

At the moment I'm looking at Standing Indian Campground. Is there anywhere closer to the state line y'all would recommend that I am unaware of? The drive to Standing Indian is only about 2 hours, but I'm looking to find a shorter route for them if there is one (and maybe save myself a few miles into NC in the process).

Thanks for any help!
I tried my best to use the search feature for ideas before posting this topic... I'm new here, and normally I just lurk. But could really use the advice.

-Barrett

The easiest access would be to stop at Dicks Creek Gap (Hiawassee), which would leave you with 8-9 miles to the border that you can cover on your next hike. You could hike all the way up to the border and return to Dicks Creek Gap for a pick-up, but personally I'd go to Standing Indian, which is only 40 minutes from Hiawassee. Even better, I'd extend your hike for another day or two and get out at Winding Stair Gap (Franklin, US-64). Keep in mind that, if you have plans to complete the entire AT in sections, then you'll want to also make it easy for yourself to get back to where you left off (I have a *lot* of experience with this over my 40 years of section hiking!).

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Originally Posted by Kerosene

The easiest access would be to stop at Dicks Creek Gap (Hiawassee), which would leave you with 8-9 miles to the border that you can cover on your next hike. You could hike all the way up to the border and return to Dicks Creek Gap for a pick-up, but personally I'd go to Standing Indian, which is only 40 minutes from Hiawassee. Even better, I'd extend your hike for another day or two and get out at Winding Stair Gap (Franklin, US-64). Keep in mind that, if you have plans to complete the entire AT in sections, then you'll want to also make it easy for yourself to get back to where you left off (I have a *lot* of experience with this over my 40 years of section hiking!).

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What makes it an easier access point at Dicks Creek Gap? I wouldn't be able to stop so close to the state line without truly making it there... It would drive me crazy. The back tracking for a pick up sounds like an option however.. But if you recommend Standing Indian over it I may stick with that.

Extending the hike further into NC may be difficult (unless it shortens the drive time a good bit) Just because it will be that much harder to get off of work and school for a larger period of time.

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Originally Posted by Hoop

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Not sure what this is for?.... Did I do something wrong?

Also: Am I missing an edit button somewhere on my last post or is there no such button?

Barrett, edit buttons are only available to donating members, which you can easily do by clicking the Donations button in the upper right of each page.

Not sure what Hoop is trying to say. You didn't do anything wrong.

The AT crosses a highway in Dicks Creek Gap, about 5 miles southwest of downtown Hiawassee. There's a picnic area there along with a paved parking lot, so that pick-up point would probably be easiest for your shuttler.

On the last day of my section hike through Georgia in April 2004, I hiked the 18 miles from Dicks Creek Gap to the border then onward into NC to Deep Gap and down Kimsey Creek Trail to Standing Indian Campground, where my car was parked. My hiking buddy on that trip, Hikerhead, started out with me and hiked to the border before returning to Hiawassee for the night, where his car was parked. I liked my option better, as I hate to backtrack and I had a lovely late afternoon stroll along Kimsey Creek. However, getting to the Standing Indian Campground will be a lot more complicated for your shuttle.

If you are planning to later pickup the trail where you left off....Standing Indian campground is a great choice. You can plan an excellent three day section hike on the AT around the S.I. basin and actually return to your car at the campground via the Lower Branch trail off the AT at Glassmine Gap. This is one of my favorite sections of the AT in North Carolina.

Seems to me you could easily get your answer by reading a map.

You can be picked up at Deep Gap. It is about 7 miles into North Carolina and 1 mile before Standing Indian Shelter. It does require your driver to drive down a 6 mile gravel road though. The road is in very good shape. You could make it in any car...well, maybe not a Fiat or a Smart Car. But my Honds Accord can handle it (99'). The gravel road is FS 71. It branches off of State Road 64 about 14-17 miles before Franklin. That parking area at Deep Gap is also where the Kimsey Creek Trail starts up to take you to Standing Indian Campground 3-4 miles away. Good luck, I'll be starting from Deep Gap myself at the end of May.

JB

My husband and I hiked the GA section in September and had the same question before we went. After talking to some local shuttle drivers, we found out that we could go up to the GA/NC line and then back down to Blue Ridge Gap and be picked up there. It is 3.1 miles backtracking. The driver could not get all the way to the end of the road at the gap though, we had to walk approximately 1 mile down the gravel/dirt road to meet her. Read about it on my blog. http://www.appalachiantrailsectionhiking.blogspot.com/ (look for Day Ten). Good luck, and enjoy your trip.

Folks looking to hike to the GA/NC state line are between a rock and a hard place. It's in the middle of the woods and the nearest road is miles away.

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Originally Posted by Kerosene

On the last day of my section hike through Georgia in April 2004, I hiked the 18 miles from Dicks Creek Gap to the border then onward into NC to Deep Gap and down Kimsey Creek Trail to Standing Indian Campground, where my car was parked.....

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Exactly (except we hiked from Plumorchard Gap Shelter) what I and my hiking partner did when I finished off Georgia. I just don't advise hiking the KCT in the foggy dusk! Very hard to follow when those faded blue blazes fade into the rainy mist.

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Originally Posted by jburgasser

You can be picked up at Deep Gap. ...

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This is how I picked back up the trail for my next section hike. Pilgrim (very nice local guy) shuttled us up to Deep Gap.

Enjoy!

Rain:sunMan

P.S. Apologies for bulldog's uncalled-for and snide comment. I know plenty of AT hikers who apparently can't read a map and refer to Wesser, NC as "NOC." It ain't. Wesser is the place on the map. NOC is a business with more than one location on the AT. So, reading a map seems a challenge for plenty of people on WB. ;)

One option would be hike on to Deep Gap, then take the Kinsey Creek trail down into Standing Indian campground. The road into Standing Indian is much more car friendly than the road into Deep Gap. That puts you a few miles into NC, but you gotta hike 'em some day anyway, so now may be just as good a time as later!