Starting the trail at the northern Terminus

[Gambit McCrae]

I have having a bit of trouble finding the info for where to park and or get dropped off to start the Pinhoti from the northern terminus.

I understand that the Pinhoti terminates at the Benton Makaye, and therefor the trip will not START on the pinhoti. Looking for the most straight forward way of getting to the start of the Pinhoti Northern Terminus.

Looks like to me Watson Gap is the ticket?

[bamadog]

Call Ron Brown.He can shuttle you to close to the start.I started at Amicalola when I did my sobo thru hike of the Pinhoti.Happy trails !

[Gambit McCrae]

Call Ron Brown.He can shuttle you to close to the start.I started at Amicalola when I did my sobo thru hike of the Pinhoti.Happy trails !

I love using Ron Brown and have for many years however I will be staging 2 vehicles for this trip so I need to know how to start the trip on my own

[bamadog]

Amicalola is a safe place to leave one car.The parking area on FS 42 on Springer Mountain is where a lot of people leave their vehicles.

[Gambit McCrae]

Amicalola is a safe place to leave one car.The parking area on FS 42 on Springer Mountain is where a lot of people leave their vehicles.

Not what I am referencing....I am doing a 30 mile section of the pinhoti over 2 nights. I am looking where to to leaving my car to walk to the beginning of the Pinhoti. Springer is 74 miles up the BMT...

[bamadog]

Okay.I did not know that from how your first post read.Looks like the best bet is FS 64.

[Mockernut]

An option- You can park around Jack's River Fields campground and take the BMT up to the Pinhoti. I suppose you could park at Buddy Cove Gap and backtrack to and fro. the terminus but that is a fair amount of double miles. Not really sure what the parking situation is at Watson Gap as it's been a while since I drove by there. Enjoy, sounds like a great trip.

[Slugg]

I finished the Pinhoti heading north with the same logistics as you, needing to leave a vehicle near the northern terminus. I left it at Jacks River fields FS campground, for 2 nights, away from the designated sites in a large field area for horse trailers. Car-camped there the night before and had the place to ourselves. It’s 2.1 miles from the terminus.

Enjoy your trip, really enjoyed that area..

[Slugg]

Sorry just re-read your post and saw you were heading south. So either the CG in my previous post or Watson Gap would be the move, I think the CG is 2.1 and Watson Gap is 2.3 from the terminates.

[10-K]

If you could hike north you could park at Mulberry Gap Mountain Biking Adventure Basecamp. That's where i parked when i thru hiked the Pinnoti. It's just a mile or so off trail near the northern terminus. They might even shuttle you to your start.

[stephanD]

speak to Nathan Wright from the Pinhoti Outdoor Center (205-202-9525). He's the person to go to with all Pinhoti questions.

[JC13]

Anywhere you park near the Northern Terminus is going to be a 2-4 mile hike from what I recall. Buddy Cove Gap, Watson Gap or the Jacks River campground are your options. The downside to me of Buddy Cove is having to do the big crossing below there twice. The plus is if there ended up being heavy rain, you won't get stuck.

[ednotmilkman]

We are finishing a GA thru-hike this morning, and our car is at Watson Gap. With 2ppl, one car, we left car at motel in Cave Spring on Mon, Mar 1, then when we arrived in Dalton on Sat, rented a car just for a day to go retrieve my car and park it at Watson, then returned the rental and continued the road walk. Just know that rental agency (Enterprise) closes Sat noon and all day Sun but you can return when closed.

[Gambit McCrae]

Thanks everyone! The plan is to park a car at the OHV staging area at MM 31.5 and then drive up to Watson Gap with car2. Really looking forward to setting foot on the Pinhoti for the first of many trips!