How well blazed is the trail

[10-K]

Is the BMT trail well blazed and easy enough for someone with very minimal map and compass skills to follow?

[MOWGLI]

Is the BMT trail well blazed and easy enough for someone with very minimal map and compass skills to follow?

It is not blazed at all in wilderness areas - of which there are 8. I would not recommend the trail to someone with minimal map and compass skills. Not at all.

[SGT Rock]

I concour.

[10-K]

How is the trail - is it discernable (the entire length) or can it be easily lost in places?

[MOWGLI]

How is the trail - is it discernable (the entire length) or can it be easily lost in places?

There are places you can get lost. SGT Rock and I both missed the same turn in Tennessee - several weeks apart.

The toughest stretches to follow IMO are in Tennessee. Mostly along the stateline south of Tellico. Get the following map for Tennessee. The trail is highlighted in yellow.

http://www.natgeomaps.com/ti_781

The trail in the Smokies is also highlighted in yellow on the Nat Geo map.

http://www.natgeomaps.com/ti_229
The trail is easy to follow in the Smokies.

Since I haven't hiked the Georgia section in 5 years, I'll refrain from characterizing it.

[sbank03]

Section 8 was recently re-blazed. This is one of the most remote parts of the BMT.

[mudcap]

Be very careful. A person could get nervous very fast.

[Wander]

First post here- great forum by the way-
My son and I just spent two days doing Springer to Skeenah creek (hwy 60). The only place we (I) lost the trail was right at Bryson Gap. We had to backtrack all the way back UP a steep logging road...
If the whole BMT is like the section that we walked- it's my new favorite.

[Dances with Mice]

First post here- great forum by the way-
My son and I just spent two days doing Springer to Skeenah creek (hwy 60). The only place we (I) lost the trail was right at Bryson Gap. We had to backtrack all the way back UP a steep logging road...
If the whole BMT is like the section that we walked- it's my new favorite.

Yep, I know exactly where you mean. The Trail slides off the old roadbed just north of the trail to the spring. The road's been blocked off before right there but each hunting season somebody ORV's up that road and clears out all the obstacles.

[Wander]

Yep, I know exactly where you mean. The Trail slides off the old roadbed just north of the trail to the spring. The road's been blocked off before right there but each hunting season somebody ORV's up that road and clears out all the obstacles.

I'm so glad I'm not the only one...
That hill is brutal.

[Tilly]

How well blazed/maintained is the BMT between Springer Mountain and the terminus of the Georgia Pinhoti?

[dessertrat]

Be very careful. A person could get nervous very fast.

And when it comes to backpacking, nervousness (being "lost") is a good way to get in trouble. Not knowing where you are is just a nice way to spend an extra day or two in the woods.

[CBSSTony]

The parts I have hiked are maintained well and blazed well. Watch out for the dog(s)? in section 7 I think it is. You will turn left onto an abandoned forest road and will notice all the dumped construction trash. As you make a hard right and see a house step quickly and quietly and keep an eye out for the dog. I made it through there fine once and was almost out of range when I was noticed, but I was too far for it to follow. There should be a way around this, but I am not sure how.

[Caveman of Ohio]

Where can I get maps of Sections 1 - 10 for the southern 80.2 miles of trail . I looked on the Bmt website and did not see them on there order form. Also what is a good guidebook for that section?

[Egads]

The GA BMT maps are cartoons. Use the BMT trail guides available for free on the BMT.org website.

The trail itself has sections that are marked very well & others that are confusing or not marked. One spot had blazes going in three different directions. Maybe the locals were pranking the hikers. It fooled me about for about 1.5 miles before I doubled back.

[jesse]

I have done most of from mile 48 to Springer. Did not have too hard a time, but there were a few places I had to hunt for the trail. If you see a double blaze, pay attention. Its a great trail, I can't wait to get back on it. I reccommend the BMT trail guide, I think it can be purchased from the BMT site, or from several local outfitters. I was there in May 08, water was scarce in places.

[hootyhoo]

I have done all but the Springer to Cohutta section and a small section just past hwy 64. Don't be discouraged by the replies. My bet is that most folks are not good with map and compass and may even get nervous from time to time. You could get some GPS skills and do quite well on the BMT. "You are not lost, unless you have to be at a certain place at a certain time". Horace Kephart

[Rockhound]

The map contingent here on WB will jump down my throat again for saying you dont need maps for the AT. So be it. But yes the trail is very well marked. A handbook is sufficient. I would even venture to say that the vast majority of hikers on the AT dont use maps. Tends to be the 40+ male set that will crucify me for saying this. (of which Im one) but honestly of the 1000+ hikers Ive seen on the trail only a handful have I seen with maps. These are the older guys I see pouring over their maps for an hour each night and morning only to wind up at the same spot I do each afternoon. With this said, map and compass reading are great skills to have and if you plan on doing lots of blueblazing or plan on hiking the CDT etc... you will need to have these skills. As for the AT though, its the I-95 of trails. In fact if you do get lost on the AT, (lost lost. not just a few feet off the trail before you find your bearings again) you are probably not capable of reading a map anyway. Modoraters please take noticed. Im sure Im about to get called naive, stupid, irresponsible etc... as is always the case when somebody says you dont need maps for the AT.

[Lone Wolf]

The map contingent here on WB will jump down my throat again for saying you dont need maps for the AT. So be it. But yes the trail is very well marked. A handbook is sufficient. I would even venture to say that the vast majority of hikers on the AT dont use maps. Tends to be the 40+ male set that will crucify me for saying this. (of which Im one) but honestly of the 1000+ hikers Ive seen on the trail only a handful have I seen with maps. These are the older guys I see pouring over their maps for an hour each night and morning only to wind up at the same spot I do each afternoon. With this said, map and compass reading are great skills to have and if you plan on doing lots of blueblazing or plan on hiking the CDT etc... you will need to have these skills. As for the AT though, its the I-95 of trails. In fact if you do get lost on the AT, (lost lost. not just a few feet off the trail before you find your bearings again) you are probably not capable of reading a map anyway. Modoraters please take noticed. Im sure Im about to get called naive, stupid, irresponsible etc... as is always the case when somebody says you dont need maps for the AT.

you've never thru-hiked and had an emergency situation come up where you needed to know the quickest way out. i have.

carry maps folks. it'll save your life or someone else's

[nufsaid]

The map contingent here on WB will jump down my throat again for saying you dont need maps for the AT. So be it. But yes the trail is very well marked. A handbook is sufficient. I would even venture to say that the vast majority of hikers on the AT dont use maps. Tends to be the 40+ male set that will crucify me for saying this. (of which Im one) but honestly of the 1000+ hikers Ive seen on the trail only a handful have I seen with maps. These are the older guys I see pouring over their maps for an hour each night and morning only to wind up at the same spot I do each afternoon. With this said, map and compass reading are great skills to have and if you plan on doing lots of blueblazing or plan on hiking the CDT etc... you will need to have these skills. As for the AT though, its the I-95 of trails. In fact if you do get lost on the AT, (lost lost. not just a few feet off the trail before you find your bearings again) you are probably not capable of reading a map anyway. Modoraters please take noticed. Im sure Im about to get called naive, stupid, irresponsible etc... as is always the case when somebody says you dont need maps for the AT.

I think that this thread is about the BMT.