The old AT into Hot Springs...

[4shot]

heading SOBO...is it still available/accessible? I realize that there was a bit of road walk iirc. How much shorter was/is this trail vs. the "new" AT (measuring from the bridge to the shelter there whose name escapes me as I type this). Thanks for any replies/info.

[Seatbelt]

Roundtop Ridge Trail leaves the AT just south of the Rich Mountain Fire Tower and is 3.5 miles to Hot Springs; continuing on south from the junction on the current AT is approx. 7.5 miles to Hot Springs, so approx. 2x as long. Not sure which shelter you are referring to unless it is the Spring Mountain shelter which is 10.6 miles north of the French Broad River bridge (on the current AT). Not sure how far north using the old route, but doing the math it looks like it would be approx. 6.7 miles from Hot Springs to the shelter.
Hope this helps.

[map man]

If the Roundtop Ridge Trail that Seatbelt mentions is the old AT, then yes, it is available and pretty easy to spot as a SOBO and is shown on the official ATC map for that section. When I was on it in 2013 it did have some blowdowns, but nothing too horrible.

I hiked it on the last day of a thirteen day section hike from Damascus to Hot Springs because the blisters on the bottom of my feet were killing me and I wanted to shorten my last day. Two years later when I hiked from Franklin to Hot Springs I tacked on an extra day to do an out and back hike from Hot Springs to the spot where I left the AT (because I have a bit of OCD that way).

[oldwetherman]

The "old" AT was the route used Northbound and Southbound from/to Hot Springs for most of the 2016 hiking season. The reroute was a result of the major fire just north of town. I can't speak on the current condition of the old route.

[Starchild]

I used it in 2015 during a section hike 'return', it was fine, a maintained trail, just not the AT.