Pinhoti Trail

[WhiplashEm]

Has anyone done any hiking/camping on the Pinhoti trail? If so, how was your experience, etc?

[atmilkman]

Did 9 days back in May and a couple last month. All shelters were empty except one night, water can be an issue at the south end. Trail is in good shape, blazes relatively easy to follow.

[kayak karl]

here's an old thread. thought MS journal would be there, but its not. there are others. http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/show...=Pinhoti+Trail

[WhiplashEm]

Thanks guys, I tried searching the forums but couldn't come up with anything. What parts of it did you hike, Milkman? I've only been on it once for a dayhike, several years ago, somewhere southeastish of the Piedmont area i think? There was either clear-cutting and / or controlled burns going on where we were, and we came across large swaths of forest that were just gone and it was a bit depressing. Did you run into anything like that?

[Buffalo Skipper]

I have done the section from Adams Gap to Cheaha several times. My guess is that this is one of the tougher sections, but not having done any others, that is pure speculation. I one day would like to thru hike AL and GA. But I really doubt I will have the opportunity for several years...

[The Solemates]

we've been section hiking it over the course of several years and have most of it done now. a good, quiet trail in most places.

[atmilkman]

Thanks guys, I tried searching the forums but couldn't come up with anything. What parts of it did you hike, Milkman? I've only been on it once for a dayhike, several years ago, somewhere southeastish of the Piedmont area i think? There was either clear-cutting and / or controlled burns going on where we were, and we came across large swaths of forest that were just gone and it was a bit depressing. Did you run into anything like that?

The section you are probably talking about is just south of Pinky Burns Trailhead off of Hwy 55 basically south and east of Piedmont. The burn was instigated to try and control the infestation of pine beetles that are destroying the forest at an incredible rate. That area is west of the trail, and as of now has not closed the trail itself but is off limits to bushwacking and such. It does look terrible from the road but once your on the trail headed to Choccolocco you'd never know it was there.
Now that I reread your post I notice that you said a dayhike several years ago so this may not be the exact area you were in. This area has been done within the last year. The area off of Hwy 278 out of Piedmont (High Point Trailhead) looks like it was done several years ago and now is showing signs of recovery, but this is ENE of Piedmont going towards Cave Spring GA. Its the last trailhead in AL. Now there is a section between the Shoal Creek Ranger Distric and Cheaha State Park (Hwy 281 Trailhead) that the tornados came through and more or less have barren the land that is very depressing. We now call this section the Mojave. But this is way south of where you're talking about.
I have done the whole AL part of the Pinhoti but not as a complete "thru" as of yet. Last Oct. I did Bull Gap to Adams Gap, this past April we completed 603A Trailhead and blazed it to Bull Gap, it is now completely in the woods and no longer a road walk. The only road walk left is 603A to Flagg Mountain. About 23 miles. Then from there to the FNST is a crap shoot. (pardon my language, is frustrating with all the bureaucratic foot dragging)
In May I did Adams Gap to Chief Ladiga Campground. And just recently have done from there to Jackson Chapel Trailhead (Cave Spring GA)
Right now the trail is in pretty good shape. Friends of mine have just weedwacked and mowed a bunch of the trail in the north and middle sections.
Shoot me a PM with your non-whiteblaze email addy and I'll send you the recent maint. report. It might help you decide where you may want to hike. I've also got numbers of good people that could help fairly quickly in case of the need of a bailout, that know the FS Road crossings that aren't that well known. You'll like the Pinhoti. You're not gonna run into a lot of people like the AT, but it's a good trail. I hiked it with a friend of mine from FL and she just loved it. Started making an honest hiker out of that flatlander. (LOL) Feel free to contact me, always, always, a pleasure to help out.

[Matt65]

I have probably spent more time here than on any other trail. My hikes are usually a couple day/night section hikes. I would love to thru hike the entire trail one day.

Sent from my DROID RAZR MAXX using Tapatalk 2

[Drybones]

Thanks guys, I tried searching the forums but couldn't come up with anything. What parts of it did you hike, Milkman? I've only been on it once for a dayhike, several years ago, somewhere southeastish of the Piedmont area i think? There was either clear-cutting and / or controlled burns going on where we were, and we came across large swaths of forest that were just gone and it was a bit depressing. Did you run into anything like that?

There was a section south of the Lower Shouls Shelter, across FS500, that was control burned last year and I believe a section of clear cut is north of the Hwy 278 trailhead around Davis Shelter...I'm not certain of this shelter name. It's a nice easy trail to hike with good water sources in most sections. Oakey Mountain would probably be the most demanding section with 1000 ft elevation gain in a mile.

[10-K]

Are there a guide and a real map for this trail? I've tried navigating the Pinhoti Trail website and it's a bit of a maze.

[Drybones]

Are there a guide and a real map for this trail? I've tried navigating the Pinhoti Trail website and it's a bit of a maze.

They had Pinhoti maps at the Heflin ranger station the last time I was there. There is also a Talladega National Forest map that shows the sections located within it, which is what I use. You may be able to get them of the net. There is some good data on the Pinhoti Alliance web site that I copied and pasted onto an Excel spread sheet for future reference...has water locations, mileage, etc.

[SouthMark]

Trail Maps are available from Cheaha State Park store and Solo's trail guide is available to order from the PTA web site. I have hiked all of it, some of it several times. It is a good trail and except for the area around Cheaha State Park there are very few hikers on it. It has more of a wilderness feeling to me than the AT except maybe in Maine. It is well maintained. John C. Calhoun aka "Mother Natures Son" is constantly working on it.

[atmilkman]

Are there a guide and a real map for this trail? I've tried navigating the Pinhoti Trail website and it's a bit of a maze.

Here is a link to the trail on Google, just switch from terrain to map if you want to see which roads it crosses.
http://parkaymaps.110mb.com/pinhoti_gmap.htm
The 5 maps that you can get from the USFS are somewhat outdated. (1997) Still very good but only cover the trail from Hwy 77 Porters Gap Trailhead to Hwy 278 High Point Trailhead.

[perrymk]

Are there a guide and a real map for this trail? I've tried navigating the Pinhoti Trail website and it's a bit of a maze.

I bought and used the 5 set Pinhoti maps years ago.
http://www.nationalforeststore.com/m...tegory_Code=AL

[Matt65]

I always use Mr Parkay's maps as mentioned above, and the trail notes from the Pinhoti Trail Alliance. The offical maps can be ordered here using This order form.

http://www.fs.usda.gov/detailfull/al...053&width=full

[WhiplashEm]

Wow, thanks for all the info! Whiteblaze is WAY better than google

[10-K]

So the "official" maps from the forest service - are these up to date?

Can this trail be thru hiked (both AL and GA) without spending a lot of time trying to find and locate where the trail is constantly?

Resupply? Convenient or requires taking half day or better off the trail?

[kayak karl]

So the "official" maps from the forest service - are these up to date?

Can this trail be thru hiked (both AL and GA) without spending a lot of time trying to find and locate where the trail is constantly?

Resupply? Convenient or requires taking half day or better off the trail?

can't say if its up to date. its a fairly new trail. don't know of a guide book and info is spread all over net. i researched it in '08 because it connected to the flordia trail. MS did it in the winter of '08, but deleted his journal.
there is a lot of road walking, blazes my be hard to find at times (need to read map). resupplies you will probably need to hitch to so, YES you could spend a half day doing it. it also has ROCKS. worst being section 8 .
this journal may help http://purebound.com/trails/pinhoti/

[SouthMark]

The trail in Alabama is not difficult to follow except across a couple rock fields and then I think that it is marked well with the blue blazes. Resupply is doable especially for a fast hiker. On the PTA site if you will look an the left you will see the Alabama and Georgia sections broken down into sections with trail towns and resupply points listed which is also in Solo's trail guide that you an order from the site. The set of maps do not include the southern section up to Porters Gap. I have only done the Bulls Gap to Porters Gap as the other used to be just road walk. Bulls Gap to Porters Gap is easy enough to follow but almost devoid of water.[ he last Alabama Section from Peidmont to Cave Spring, GA is also not included but an easy to follow section with two new trail shelters. Again check the left side of the PTA site for printable trail guides. 10K, if you have nt deleted it, you have my phone number from when you shuttled me from Uncle Johnny's to Hot Springs. Give me a call if you decide to do it and if I can be of assistance.

Dale South

QUOTE=10-K;1328757]So the "official" maps from the forest service - are these up to date?

Can this trail be thru hiked (both AL and GA) without spending a lot of time trying to find and locate where the trail is constantly?

Resupply? Convenient or requires taking half day or better off the trail?[/QUOTE]

[SouthMark]

While on the PTA web site section 3 before Bulls Gap is listed as road walk as of April the entire length of this section is in the woods from the trailhead at FS603A to Bull Gap.