Prepping for 2014: RT day hikes on the AT - which areas have good roads?

[Crusinsusan]

I want to get myself ready for the AT next year, and so I'm heading to Springer to begin doing some day hikes. I know of the parking spot near the mountain top, and that the road is passable with a standard vehicle, so I'll hike to the first shelter and back.

My plan is to then hop in the car, and the next day, hike another section, and so on for months, hopefully ending up doing overnighters as I improve.

But, I can't tell from maps what the roads are like to various trailheads (well, the springer information was easy to find), and I've gotten dizzy trying to figure out each single road.

I don't have to go in any particular direction (I just happen to live in the South, and so am starting there).

Any ideas? Ideally I'd love to find someone's online itinerary for this sort of thing (like can be found here on WB).

I just can't be the first person to attempt this in a non-high-clearance vehicle.

[Matthikes]

The roads to hawk and Cooper are passable with a low clearance car so you shouldn't have trouble there.

[gstab]

I'd recommend getting a copy of a guidebook (e.g. AWOL's) and looking for places where there is a P symbol for parking. That will tell you that you can park a car, but will still include USFS roads and other less traveled routes that may be tough in a standard car without 4WD or high clearance. Try putting the GPS coordinates from the guidebook into Google Maps, selecting the "satellite" layer, and zooming way in to see what the road and parking lot look like.

You can always just ask around for good day hike spots, but this method will allow you to check each potential spot (and other unmentioned spots) individually.

[fredmugs]

If you're just doing this for training I would go a little further into Georgia where you can park at a road crossing and have a nice lovely climb to begin and finish your day. I slacked most of GA and every day we got dropped off it seemed like we had a pretty tough climb right off the bat.

Another good place to setup up is at Deep Gap or the campground at Standing Indian just over the border in NC. You have the Standing Indian loop so you can go out and back to your car. I did that in a day but I'm not recommending it for others.

[Crusinsusan]

Thanks all!

[Venchka]

After you practice a bit, folks say that the hike north from Nantahala Outdoor Center is "strenuous". I don't know for sure. I have not hiked it yet.
Most any Gap, where a road crosses the trail at a low point, offers climbs in both directions. Parking may be a problem.
You want to do these hopping around day hikes for months? The problem with that is you will loose conditioning in between. I don't get it.

Wayne

[peakbagger]

When I sectioned GA, my hiking partner was having a tough time with a pack so we slackpacked with a Honda Civic and Ford Focus. We were there about 3 days after a small hurricane had hit just over he NC line. We drove up every forest service road including to the top of Tray Mountain. and did the drive along the south side of the summit ridge near Springer. Finding turns was a challenge on occasion but I had a GPS and Delorme Gazeteer. Rarely if ever were the road in poor enough condition but we did carry a hand saw to cut trees the occasionally feel across the road .

[Crusinsusan]

Wayne...I'll be hiking daily, as I travel north:

1. Park
2. Hike north for 1/2 day
3. Turn around, Hike south back to car
4. Sleep in car or campground
5. Next morning, drive to new hike spot and do it again

I'll also travel to see friends and other things....having a holiday and training trip for the summer months. I don't plan to do the whole AT this way.....but will do sections of it.

Peak....I guess that's the way to do it.

[importman77]

Wayne...I'll be hiking daily, as I travel north:

1. Park
2. Hike north for 1/2 day
3. Turn around, Hike south back to car
4. Sleep in car or campground
5. Next morning, drive to new hike spot and do it again

I'll also travel to see friends and other things....having a holiday and training trip for the summer months. I don't plan to do the whole AT this way.....but will do sections of it.

Peak....I guess that's the way to do it.

I had about 3 days to try something similar to this recently. Only I had a scooter on the back of my truck to shuttle myself with. What I found was the trailheads are so remote I lost a great deal of hiking time shuttling back and forth. The FS roads I was on were not bad, any car could traverse them, but you did have to go fairly slow and in some cases you could lose between 1-2 hours getting the shuttling done.
I'll definately do it different next time.

[Crusinsusan]

Well, I won't be shuttling at all...just walking half my day one way and half the day back to my car. If I find I don't like it, I'll find do something else. Anything to get out of Florida in the summer!

[importman77]

Well, I won't be shuttling at all...just walking half my day one way and half the day back to my car. If I find I don't like it, I'll find do something else. Anything to get out of Florida in the summer!

Yeah, I understand what you're saying. I guess I was just trying to point out that the trailheads are a little out of the way. Sounds like your plan would waste less time than mine. For me, I just don't like an out and back that much. I like to keep seeing new things. But that's just me. Hope you have some really nice hikes.

[max patch]

Get the ATC Guide to GA and NC and they give road access to all the trailheads. GA has many road crossings - both paved and good FS roads. I'm doing something similar this summer; only I'll be going out 2-3 days and then returning. Need car access but would rather camp in the woods than sleep in the gaps.

[perdidochas]

Well, I won't be shuttling at all...just walking half my day one way and half the day back to my car. If I find I don't like it, I'll find do something else. Anything to get out of Florida in the summer!

Why not just section hike?

[Crusinsusan]

Thanks max...will look into it.

Perd...I'm not yet in any shape to sling on a backpack, because I have mild scoliosis and must begin by simply walking long distances up and down.

[Trillium]

After personal experience within the past month, my advice is to NOT drive up the FS road that splits off FS58 to the Hickory Flats cemetary.

[Disco]

"SeeksIt" did a double-thru hike in 2012 doing only in-out day hiking as you propose. Check his blog at www.pjwetzel.com (click on 2012 on the right side). He started Jan 1, 2012 and finished in October. Great reading and photos!!

Also, check http://appalachiantrail.rohland.org/ , a website devoted to trailhead parking sites and their ratings.
I have hiked 130 contiguous miles of rocky PA using that site and all in-out dayhikes. Good luck!! - Disco

[max patch]

After personal experience within the past month, my advice is to NOT drive up the FS road that splits off FS58 to the Hickory Flats cemetary.

Why? I did that on Sunday April 21 and had no issues.

[generoll]

you can shuttle all the way from Springer to Fontana. Self shuttling will be more challenging since you are doubling the mileage. There is a very nice loop trail in NC that you might want to consider for a one or two night trip, depending on your pace.

[Trillium]

Why? I did that on Sunday April 21 and had no issues.Not saying it can't be done, we did it twice in an Impala, but it certainly was difficult since it didn't seem like it had been graded this year.