View Full Version : difficulty of Neel to Unicoi Gap section?
I understand its about 20 miles-- I'm planning it as a weekend hike. How strenuous is this piece? Also, is it hard to find a hitch back to Neel Gap(where my car would be parked)... or should I arrange a shuttle in advance?
:-?
Pedaling Fool
06-18-2008, 10:36
Hard question to answer, what's your hiking experience? It's a tough section for a beginner, but it's only 20 miles. Do you have 2 complete hiking-days to do it? or more like 1.5 (or less) hiking-days?
Jack Tarlin
06-18-2008, 10:42
IT would make a great weekend hike.
Quick suggestion re. your car: Why not have the good folks at Neel Gap shuttle you to Unicoi and you can walk SOUTH. This way you get back to your vehicle on your own, on your own schedule, and don't have to worry about hurrying to meet your shuttle at the end of your trip; you don't have to worry about getting there early and standing by the road for hours waiting for your ride to show up. I think it's easier to get the shuttling over with at the outset, and this way you can get back to Neel at your own pace, can arrive whenever you want, and your car will be right there when you're done.
deeddawg
06-18-2008, 10:47
Yep, would be a good hike. How strenuous it might be is very subjective; depends a lot on your level of fitness and how much you're carrying.
It'd be a LOT easier to arrange a shuttle. I suppose you could manage to hitch from Unicoi to Neels or vice-versa, I think it'd be pretty tough to do in a reasonable amount of time.
Bulldawg
06-18-2008, 15:56
I'd get Winton and his crowd to shuttle me over to Unicoi. There are only a couple of climbs southbound. The first one is right out of the car at Unicoi headed south. Then it is pretty well average to moderate until Cowrock, which ain't really that bad. A breeze from there IMO. I'd say in the summer with 14 hours of daylight, this is a 1.5 day hike.
Skidsteer
06-18-2008, 18:15
It's the easiest twenty miles in Georgia to be found on the AT. Just my opinion.
Lone Wolf
06-18-2008, 20:22
I understand its about 20 miles-- I'm planning it as a weekend hike. How strenuous is this piece? Also, is it hard to find a hitch back to Neel Gap(where my car would be parked)... or should I arrange a shuttle in advance?
:-?
it's an easy section. park at neel gap. get a ride, and hike back.
Bulldawg
06-18-2008, 21:37
It's the easiest twenty miles in Georgia to be found on the AT. Just my opinion.
I can second that opinion.
We (my partner and I) are both in pretty good hiking shape, I figured a section of average difficulty should be okay to do 10 miles/day. The suggestion to get dropped off at Unicoi and walk back south is great. The shuttles I found out are $60 which is more than I'm willing to pay as an extra cost for a little two day outting. So I'm thinking maybe I should do a circle route?
orangebug
06-19-2008, 12:08
With the price of gas and a weekend walk, the $60 sounds reasonable. You really have some trouble doing a loop hike along this section. Of course, Standing Indian is the best area in the SE for loop hikes of any length.
might want to try the Coosa Back Country Trail. Its a total of about 15 miles. It is a loop trail, that starts at Vogel State Park, about a 10 minute drive north of Neel Gap. You have to get a permit from the park, but its free. Cost a few bucks to park overnight.
Kerosene
06-19-2008, 17:09
It's the easiest twenty miles in Georgia to be found on the AT. Just my opinion.I concur. This is certainly a much easier day hike than the 18-mile roundtrip ascent of Half Dome was, which 8 40-somethings handled with ease (although they were all slower than this 51yo!).
Incahiker
06-20-2008, 09:14
With money and gas the way it is, just do an out to back walk and ditch the shuttle, this is the only way I will do it. Nothing against shuttles, I just don't have the money to afford one. Of course you're gonna have to cut the hiking miles in half, but you will still be able to do 20 miles, just over the same terrain out and back.
Incahiker
06-20-2008, 09:17
it's an easy section. park at neel gap. get a ride, and hike back.
That got me to thinking, I didn't think one was allowed to park at the walasi-yi at neels gap, right on the appalachian trail? Do you have to park down at the Reece memorial trail head and hike back up 1/4 mile on 129 to aceess to the neels gap portion of the AT going east?
That got me to thinking, I didn't think one was allowed to park at the walasi-yi at neels gap, right on the appalachian trail? Do you have to park down at the Reece memorial trail head and hike back up 1/4 mile on 129 to aceess to the neels gap portion of the AT going east?
That is correct. You can also access the Coosa Back Country trail from there as well. Save parking fee at Vogel State Park.
bloodmountainman
06-20-2008, 09:30
That got me to thinking, I didn't think one was allowed to park at the walasi-yi at neels gap, right on the appalachian trail? Do you have to park down at the Reece memorial trail head and hike back up 1/4 mile on 129 to aceess to the neels gap portion of the AT going east?
Parking at Walasi-yi, or Mountain Crossing is for store customers only. You must park at the Byron Reece parking lot. Take the Reece approach trail .7 mile to Flatrock Gap. There is a trail intersection there. Take a left onto the AT and it will take you down to Walasi-yi (Mountain Crossing). On your way to Maine from there!:D
Incahiker
06-20-2008, 10:38
That is correct. You can also access the Coosa Back Country trail from there as well. Save parking fee at Vogel State Park.
Very cool, thanks guys. I just hiked this last weekend with my family. Instead we went right at the intersection with the appalachian trail and went to the top of Blood.
How do you hook up with the Coosa Back country trail from there, thats interesting??
bloodmountainman
06-20-2008, 11:12
Very cool, thanks guys. I just hiked this last weekend with my family. Instead we went right at the intersection with the appalachian trail and went to the top of Blood.
How do you hook up with the Coosa Back country trail from there, thats interesting??
Take blue-blazed side trail ( at the water source before going up Blood) to Slaughter Gap. Coosa Backcountry Trail is yellow blazed, Duncan Ridge Trail is blue blazed.
take-a-knee
06-26-2008, 00:39
It's the easiest twenty miles in Georgia to be found on the AT. Just my opinion.
I agree since I just walked it for the first time a few days ago. Quite a few miles of the AT in this section follow what must be an abandoned road (for logging?). The climb out of Unicoi is work but not really that bad IMO.
Bearpaw88
06-26-2008, 00:50
It's the easiest twenty miles in Georgia to be found on the AT. Just my opinion.
It probably is the easiest 20 miles in GA, but that's not saying much as I thought all of GA was hard (except near low gap shelter) Raven Hills Wilderness is beautiful. It sounds like a good weekend hike.