View Full Version : Ga/NC border
grumpymutt
10-24-2005, 08:59
I am planning a trip in March. I would like to start at the NC lane and come south. I am new to this. Can anyone tell me the best place for my wife to drop me off?
Almost There
10-24-2005, 09:04
There is a road up in NC tht goes into I wanna say Low Gap? It's right before Standing Indian. You'll have to backtrack about 10 miles to the NC/GA border. Otherwise Dick's Creek Gap is the closest road on the Georgia side of the line. There's no real easy way to start at the state line. If you haven't hiked Georgia before I would start here. It's a good 5-7 hiking south to Springer depending on your speed. I wanna say the state line is 8 miles north of Dick's Creek Gap. Good Luck.
Whistler
10-24-2005, 09:18
I agree with Almost There. There is access to the trail a few miles over on the NC side of the trail, but you'll have to do more driving on less accessible roads. Head up to Dick's Creek Gap on Hwy 76, about 10 miles east of Hiawassee. The picnic and parking area is pretty obvious. Then head AT north about 7-8 miles to check out the border line and the oak tree, then double back and make your way to Springer.
You'll have about 45 miles until Neel's Gap [AT crosses Hwy 19], where you can buy another load of food for the last 30 miles to Springer [or 38 to Amicalola State Park].
Parking at Dick's Creek is pretty safe too, from my experience. Except for the one time we were sleeping in our car after a late late drive. We woke up to hear a tree, ever... so slowly... leaning... creaking... branches scraping... over our car. It's funny looking back, at least.
Should be a great trip.
-Mark
max patch
10-24-2005, 09:34
Coming from Powder Springs, the best place for your wife to drop you off is at Dicks Creek which is 11 miles east of Hiawassee. As already mentioned, if you want to touch the state line you will need to hike north for about 8 miles and then turn around.
The second best choice would be to dropped off at Standing Indian Campground in NC. Hike the blue blaze Kimsey Creek trail 3.7 miles to Deep Gap which is about 7 miles north of the state line.
The next best choice would be dropped off at Deep Gap via FS71. This would save you from hiking the Kimsey Creek trail but would require your wife to drive on a (pretty good) forest service road. Kimsey Creek is a nice walk.
There is another option which I would not recommend based on the road conditions last time I was on it. There is a road which gets you within a couple miles or so of the state line on the Georgia side. I would not want my wife to travel on that road solo. Its been a while since I've been on this road, perhaps someone with more recent experience can offer better info.
Almost There
10-24-2005, 09:44
I wouldn't drive that road anymore. Deep Gap is the best way to get just north of the state line. If you go into Standian Indian Campground you will have to ford some water to get back to the AT, although I hiked the Kimsey Creek trail this past summer, it was actually a great trail to walk, places where the trail was the creek.
Youngblood
10-24-2005, 11:12
Max, that is Blue Ridge Gap you are thinking of, is 3 trail miles south of the GA/NC border and it is probably not what grumpymutt is looking for since he is new to this and his wife is dropping him off and picking him up(?)... it is a dirt road that is not always in the best of shape and not real easy to find. It is also not clear how much of the trail he wants to hike but I assume he wants to hike between paved road crossings. For reference here is a list of road crossings (paved road crossings for the most part, the USFS Roads are not) for the Georgia AT:
Amicalola Falls SP at GA52; 8.8 miles south of Springer.
USFS Road 42 parking area; 0.9 miles north of Springer.
Woody Gap at GA60; 20.0 miles north of Springer.
Neels Gap at US19; 30.7 miles north of Springer.
Testnatee Gap at GA348; 36.2 miles north of Springer.
Hogpen Gap at GA348; 37.1 miles north of Springer.
Unicoi Gap at GA75; 50.7 miles north of Springer.
Dicks Creek Gap at US76; 66.8 miles north of Springer.
*GA/NC border (not a trailhead); 75.4 miles north of Springer.
Deep Gap, NC at USFS Road 71; 82.4 miles north of Springer.
Maybe this will help him figure out where he wants to go.
Youngblood
max patch
10-24-2005, 11:22
Youngblood, thats the one. I mentioned it without giving directions and recommended not using it as a "preemptive strike" in case someone jumped in later and recommended it as it is in fact the closest to the state line. The last time I was there the road was horrible, and as you mention, its not the easiset road to find.
Youngblood
10-24-2005, 11:36
Youngblood, thats the one. I mentioned it without giving directions and recommended not using it as a "preemptive strike" in case someone jumped in later and recommended it as it is in fact the closest to the state line. The last time I was there the road was horrible, and as you mention, its not the easiset road to find.Agreed, I have been on it twice and don't really want to get on it again.
Kerosene
10-24-2005, 14:28
I second Almost There's suggestion to drive to Standing Indian Campground and then take the Kimsey Creek Trail for 4 miles uphill to its intersection with the AT in Deep Gap (actually in the small parking lot at the end of FS71). FS71 intersects with US-64.
grumpymutt
10-24-2005, 15:26
Thanks Folks.
I'll put in at Dick's Creek.
Dances with Mice
10-24-2005, 16:26
Thanks Folks.I'll put in at Dick's Creek. The times I sectioned Georgia I started at Dick's Creek, went north to the shelter (and I'm blanking on it's name...Old Orchard, or something like that?), dropped my pack there and continued to the state line, tagged it then went back to spend the night at the shelter. It makes for an easy first day since about half the walking is done without the backpack.
You could make it even easier by only carrying a supper & breakfast with you, stashing the rest in a hanging food cache near Dicks Creek to pick up on your way back through the next morning.
Almost There
10-24-2005, 16:40
Dances, that's a great idea, seeing as the trail is almost all uphill from Plumorchard Gap to the border. Although, no shame in heading south from Dick's Creek, either way it's a great hike.
orangebug
10-24-2005, 16:45
He meant Plum Orchard.
This is probably your best plan for the section you're after.
Dances with Mice
10-24-2005, 19:52
He meant Plum Orchard.I knew that.
Dammit, I could picture the sign to the shelter, the trail to the shelter and all those campsites, the water source which you have to step across to get to the shelter, the picnic table, and even the people I've met at that shelter. I just could not remember its name.
BTW, doing the hike as I suggested means you'd spend 2/3 of the first day hiking without a pack instead of half.
OK, so I'm bad with names and math. Good thing I'm just a chemical engineer...
briarpatch
10-24-2005, 20:55
There are good hammocking sites on the right between the AT and the shleter, too. When we went in to dig the pad for the mouldering privy there, I read the shelter register. The shelter has bear cables and there were comments from a scout troop who had been there the week before saying that they could pull a smaller scout all the way to the top!
I've done the same hike that DWM describes and its a good way to start a GA southbound.
Rain Man
10-24-2005, 22:40
I am planning a trip in March. I would like to start at the NC lane and come south. I am new to this. Can anyone tell me the best place for my wife to drop me off?
Don't forget to check with the Georgia AT Club. They are the EXPERTS on the trail in Georgia. They have a web site you can Google. I found them extraordinarily helpful, not that the folks on here aren't too.
Rain:sunMan
.
Mother Nature
10-24-2005, 22:48
Hi y'all,
I maintain the AT section from Blue Ridge Gap toward Bly Gap and the NC border. The dirt road to Blue Ridge Gap is quite good. The GATC drove up there for a major work day last weekend (Oct 22).
I would be glad to be helpful in anyway I can to give directions to that area.
Mother Nature
tiamalle
10-25-2005, 19:32
There is a road up in NC tht goes into I wanna say Low Gap? It's right before Standing Indian. You'll have to backtrack about 10 miles to the NC/GA border. Otherwise Dick's Creek Gap is the closest road on the Georgia side of the line. There's no real easy way to start at the state line. If you haven't hiked Georgia before I would start here. It's a good 5-7 hiking south to Springer depending on your speed. I wanna say the state line is 8 miles north of Dick's Creek Gap. Good Luck.Almost There,This is deep Gap and where you get off of old 64 it is marked Buck Creek.BTW they have fixed that road nicely up to the Gap now.
MoodyBluer
11-01-2005, 11:33
I parked my car at Blue Ridge Gap from Sun to Mon and hiked from Unicoi Gap to Blue Ridge Gap courtesy of a shuttle from Josh at the Hiker Hostel...the FS road is steep in places but has been graded and my little Mazda had no trouble with the road...wouldn't want to be on it in a torrential rain or anything but I've seen many other FS roads in much worse shape than this one.
Gray Blazer
11-01-2005, 13:23
Don't forget the road at Tray Mountain Gap. Free parking. Head south from Unicoi Gap towards Helen and take the 1st FS road on the left.
Gray Blazer
11-01-2005, 13:27
That FS road also goes to Indian Grave Gap first.
Hey Moodybluer, where did you park? Is it relatively safe? Do you need a permit or anything? Is it legal? I'm planning section hikes, 2 for most of GA. 1st: Springer to Hogpen Gap. 2nd: Hogpen Gap to Blue Ridge Gap. 3rd: Blue Ridge Gap to Wayah Gap. 4th: Wayah Gap to Fontana Dam.
I was wondering about FS 72, though.
Thanks, Bigben
The road into Tray Mtn Gap is a good graded road, some "soft" spots of deep large gravel (don't stop!) and is almost a ten mile ride in. Campsite a the top and bearproof trashcans also.
MoodyBluer
11-07-2005, 12:19
Bigben, I just drove up FS 72 until I reached the trail where it crosses (you'll see some steps leading north on the AT), turned around and just parked in a wide part of road off in the grass. No Problem. No permits that I'm aware of needed.
Thanks. How easy is it to find FS roads in GA? Are they at all marked? I have no worrys about road conditions; I drive a lifted Jeep Cherokee with big mud tires, etc. I'm an avid 4-wheeler. I have the AT map of GA and could probably find it off the map, but then again I've never been on a FS road in GA.
Bigben
orangebug
11-09-2005, 10:33
Go to the Forest Service office in Blairsville or Dahlonega and get their map of the Chattahootchee Forest. It is really the only way to keep track of the FS roads, and the Ranger can let you know if you are about to get into trouble.
I have friends who enjoy trolling for Jeeps with their Hummers.
MoodyBluer
11-09-2005, 10:54
FS 72 isn't even shown on my AT map (the one published by the ATC), but the guidebook mentions it...you head west on US 76 towards Hiawassee from Clayton and it's on the right labeled as Upper Hightower rd if I recall correctly. take paved rd for approx 5 miles and it funnels down into a one lane rd that turns into FS 72 and you're almost there....my AT map has this rd labeled as FS 79 AFTER it crosses the AT at Blue Ridge Gap.