Some pretty specific questions about Georgia SP Mount Trail Start (experience needed)

[whywoogy]

Hello, I came across this website while searching for info on the GA AT. I live in Florida and want to drive to the beginning of the trail at Springer Mountain.

I am looking for privacy and tent camping with a group of 4-6 people.

Honestly, I would like to be in the woods and not think that I am somewhere near a park or lodge. I would like it very wilderness.

Being a novice of this part of the trail I need to know where I should go/head from Springer Mountain to find this type of rural camping.

1. Is this type of camping available/accessible at the beginning of the trail?

2. Does anyone have a detailed map of the beginning of the trail?


It would be greatly appreciated if anyone could help. Thanks for reading!

[atl_wanderer]

Funny I should join the forum 5 mins ago, and check this post. I just got back from a day hike up at Springer MTN and got some good GPS points of the trail. Are you looking for good directions to the trail head? Or of the actual trail?
I am not 100% positive of the camping areas, though did see at least 1 while I was out there. I believe there is 1 about 1.5 miles N of the start at Springer...

[whywoogy]

Funny I should join the forum 5 mins ago, and check this post. I just got back from a day hike up at Springer MTN and got some good GPS points of the trail. Are you looking for good directions to the trail head? Or of the actual trail?
I am not 100% positive of the camping areas, though did see at least 1 while I was out there. I believe there is 1 about 1.5 miles N of the start at Springer...

thank you for the reply.....do you have the POI's that you can take off your GPS and send them this way?

I have some directions to the trail head. If you can give the GPS directions to both the trail head and the actual trail that would be great beacuse I have a GPS I can load them onto.


I'm looking to do about 3-4 days in camping in the woods. Not too much hiking straight but more so of setiing up a campsite off the beaten path and walking around the general area I am.

[Marta]

Hello, I came across this website while searching for info on the GA AT. I live in Florida and want to drive to the beginning of the trail at Springer Mountain.

I am looking for privacy and tent camping with a group of 4-6 people.

Honestly, I would like to be in the woods and not think that I am somewhere near a park or lodge. I would like it very wilderness.

Being a novice of this part of the trail I need to know where I should go/head from Springer Mountain to find this type of rural camping.

1. Is this type of camping available/accessible at the beginning of the trail?

2. Does anyone have a detailed map of the beginning of the trail?


It would be greatly appreciated if anyone could help. Thanks for reading!

One question I've got is how far you are willing to walk to get to the primitive campsite. There are a whole host of campsites along the Approach Trail (8.8 miles from Amicalola Fall State Park visitors' center to the beginning of the Appalachian Trail on top of Springer Mtn.), some of which are near forest service roads.

On Springer Mtn. itself, there are a number of tentsites near, but out of sight of, the shelter. You can reach this area by hiking the Approach Trail, or you can park about a mile away and hike in on the Appalachian Trail itself.

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy store sells maps and various guidebooks which will give you a better picture of the area.

[whywoogy]

One question I've got is how far you are willing to walk to get to the primitive campsite. There are a whole host of campsites along the Approach Trail (8.8 miles from Amicalola Fall State Park visitors' center to the beginning of the Appalachian Trail on top of Springer Mtn.), some of which are near forest service roads.

On Springer Mtn. itself, there are a number of tentsites near, but out of sight of, the shelter. You can reach this area by hiking the Approach Trail, or you can park about a mile away and hike in on the Appalachian Trail itself.

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy store sells maps and various guidebooks which will give you a better picture of the area.


The approach trail to me seems like state park parking lot camping...is this a correct assumption or no?

I want to be able to get on the AT at the start and to be able to walk off the trail and set up camp away from everyone and be completely secluded. I do not want to pay to stay anywhere whther its a shelter or the park. Hopefully this helps some more :)

Is there public parking at the trail start? (on I believe USFS 42)

Thanks for mentioning the store i checked out their website. :)

[MOWGLI]

I want to be able to get on the AT at the start and to be able to walk off the trail and set up camp away from everyone and be completely secluded. I do not want to pay to stay anywhere whther its a shelter or the park. Hopefully this helps some more :)


I don't know if this is the answer you're looking for, but .2 miles north of Springer Mountain is the Benton MacKaye Trail. If you want seclusion, that's the path you're looking for.



Is there public parking at the trail start? (on I believe USFS 42)

Yes

[MOWGLI]

I don't know if this is the answer you're looking for, but .2 miles north of Springer Mountain is the Benton MacKaye Trail. If you want seclusion, that's the path you're looking for.




FYI, it crosses the AT a number of times in the first 5 -6 miles.

[whywoogy]

I don't know if this is the answer you're looking for, but .2 miles north of Springer Mountain is the Benton MacKaye Trail. If you want seclusion, that's the path you're looking for.


thank you mwogli for the reply... i checked this website (http://georgiatrails.com/trails//mackaye.html) and it states this about the BMT

"Unlike its eastern brother the Appalachian Trail, the Benton MacKaye does not wind through federally protected land at all times. Its not uncommon to find yourself in the midst of summer homes and roads with traffic that can be heavy at times. Wind-blown, sun-dried farms and outbuildings can be easily spotted, their dingy gray in sharp contrast to the brilliant greens of summer. Industry rears its head in many places that are actively logged today"

any thoughts??

[whywoogy]

I just found something cool i think. Take this.....


If i start off at the Appalachian Trail parking lot on Forest Service Road 42 and hike to 3 forks (4 miles or so in) and then take the BMT at three forks would there be secluded camping around there??

[Marta]

The approach trail to me seems like state park parking lot camping...is this a correct assumption or no?

I want to be able to get on the AT at the start and to be able to walk off the trail and set up camp away from everyone and be completely secluded. I do not want to pay to stay anywhere whther its a shelter or the park. Hopefully this helps some more :)

Is there public parking at the trail start? (on I believe USFS 42)



There's no fee for camping along the Approach Trail or in the shelter. There's very little regulation there and you can set up camp just about anywhere. Consideration for other people and respect for the environment require that you minimize your campsite's impact, of course.

One thing you should consider is how far you want to be from water. The water sources along the Approach Trail and on Springer are listed in the Data Book and other information sources.

Parking in the lot at the State Park is only $3 for however long you want to leave your car. Not $3/day, but a total of $3. I think parking in the small lot on FS42 is free. But it's a good long haul up a difficult road. You will likely burn up more than $3 worth of gas getting there.

I second the suggestion to look at the Benton Mackaye Trail. It gets a fraction of the traffic that the AT gets.

[whywoogy]

There's no fee for camping along the Approach Trail or in the shelter. There's very little regulation there and you can set up camp just about anywhere. Consideration for other people and respect for the environment require that you minimize your campsite's impact, of course.

One thing you should consider is how far you want to be from water. The water sources along the Approach Trail and on Springer are listed in the Data Book and other information sources.

Parking in the lot at the State Park is only $3 for however long you want to leave your car. Not $3/day, but a total of $3. I think parking in the small lot on FS42 is free. But it's a good long haul up a difficult road. You will likely burn up more than $3 worth of gas getting there.

I second the suggestion to look at the Benton Mackaye Trail. It gets a fraction of the traffic that the AT gets.

thank you for the info and input, you guys are great!

does anyone know how from from the three fork split (taking the BMT) is the swinging bridge that crosses the toccoa river is?

In other words.....at the Three fork split I want to take the BMT to the swigning bridge, how many miles is that?

[whywoogy]

thank you for the info and input, you guys are great!

does anyone know how from from the three fork split (taking the BMT) is the swinging bridge that crosses the toccoa river is?

In other words.....at the Three fork split I want to take the BMT to the swigning bridge, how many miles is that?


i answered my own question above....thank you guys for all the help. if anyone has a specific direction (or address) so I can type it into mapquest and my GPS to the trail start at springer mountain it would be appreciated greatly!!

[generoll]

There is camping right at Three Forks as well as water. It sits right on a forest service road. It's an average days hike to the Toccoa River and bridge. Then about a half day or so to Ga 60. All days travels are relative. What some might do in two days another would do in one. Read the Sgt Rock thread. He just hiked the part you are talking about and posted a trip report.

[MOWGLI]

thank you mwogli for the reply... i checked this website (http://georgiatrails.com/trails//mackaye.html) and it states this about the BMT

"Unlike its eastern brother the Appalachian Trail, the Benton MacKaye does not wind through federally protected land at all times. Its not uncommon to find yourself in the midst of summer homes and roads with traffic that can be heavy at times. Wind-blown, sun-dried farms and outbuildings can be easily spotted, their dingy gray in sharp contrast to the brilliant greens of summer. Industry rears its head in many places that are actively logged today"

any thoughts??

You have to walk a good distance from Springer before you reach any homes. I'm talking 40-50 miles. Shouldn't be an issue.

[Hikerhead]

Around Shallowford Bridge I believe is where you'll first come to some houses and a road walk. Mostly summer houses. But you also go by 2 or 3 places to eat at. It's all good.

[veteran]

Go to Georgia Hikes

http://www.georgiahikes.com/main.asp

Click on Maps or Trails Data Base. (Lots of good info)

Map of first section of Benton Mackaye Trail

http://www.georgiahikes.com/maps/bin/benton_mackaye_01.gif

[River Runner]

Depending on when you go there is probably not going to be a lot of privacy anywhere near the AT, at least in the spring during thru-hiker season. Maybe not even later what with section hikers. It's a pretty popular area.

Just sayin, if privacy and wilderness are what you are looking for, it may not be the spot.

[the_iceman]

There is a forest road crossing on the AT there. There is plenty of room to camp and a spring is located down a side trail. There is traffic from the forest road during the day but you may be able to get situated down by the spring area without putting the water source at risk.

[orangebug]

Wilderness is not the AT, unless you use the definition of "30 minutes from a tellemetry bed."

You are in a state/national park the entire way from Springer to Maine.

If you are looking for several days of relative isolation, consider the Duncan Ridge Trail/BMT/AT loop. I'd park at Three Forks, and start your walk from there. Another location would be to park near Neel's Gap and catch the Duncan Ridge Trail or the AT at Slaughter Gap to begin the loop, but that adds the distance over Blood Mtn.

Along the AT, and this is a popular heavily used section, there are many tent platforms and other resources to try to avoid having hikers damage the local environment. The idea is to sacrifice a relatively intense local area. Off the AT along the Duncan Ridge Trail or the BMT, there is less traffic and more opportunity for isolation.