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Totally Different Subject
12-13-2004, 20:48
Could someone please give me some information about hiking from FL to GA.? TDS.

MOWGLI
12-13-2004, 21:04
Could someone please give me some information about hiking from FL to GA.? TDS.

The Florida National Scenic Trail starts in Big Cypress and goes 1300 miles to the Panhandle. Over 750 miles of the route is trail. The motivated hiker can also start in Key West, FL. On the Florida Trail, there is alot of road walking, and to complicate matters, some of the trail is closed due to hurricane damage. The final segment leading into Alabama (Blackwater State Forest) is closed due to damage from Ivan. The trail is maintained by the Florida Trail Assoc.

The first 200 miles of Alabama is essentially a road walk. The Alabama Hiking Trail Society has a guide on their website describing the roadwalk. The Alabama Pinhoti Trail is 100+ miles, and leads to the AL/GA border. There is currently an acquisition issue on the border that keeps the AL Pinhoti and GA Pinhoti Trails from connecting. Hopefully that'll be resolved for the '06 hiking season.

The GA Pinhoti Trail leads from Cave Spring, GA to the Chattahoochee National Forest near Fort Mountain State Park. There are over 80 miles of multi-use trail on the ground, and two 20-25 mile road walks (between Cave Spring, GA and Rome, GA --- and between Dalton, GA and Chattsworth, GA).

The GA Pinhoti (Georgia Pinhoti Trail Assoc) eventually leads to the Benton MacKaye Trail (maintained by the Benton macKaye Trail Assoc). At the Benton MacKaye, the hiker can turn south (right) and head to Springer. By June '05, the hiker can turn north (left on the Benton MacKaye Trail and head all the way to the AT at Shuckstack Mountain, or Davenport Gap. That route is fairly remote howere - no shelters - limited resupply. It is a much nicer (and tougher) trail than the AT - IMO.

On the following website, you can find links to all the groups that I mentioned. The Florida Trail has a current trail conditions section on their web page. Check it out!

http://www.americanhiking.org/alliance/coalition.html


Please send me a PM if you have any questions. I work with these trail clubs on a regular basis as part of my job. I'll also be hikng the AL Pinhoti Trail next week, and a 60-70 mile segment of the Florida Trail next month.

Good luck.