On to Georgia - Amicalola Falls State Park

Northern Georgia

After our slow-paced time on the Natchez Trace Parkway, we got back to 'life in the fast lane' on the state highways and freeways of Tennessee.  We spent a night in a commercial RV park just outside Chattanooga, TN and then we headed over to northern Georgia to Amicalola Falls State Park near the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail. 

Amicalola Falls

David and I have only been to Atlanta and have not traveled in Georgia at all.  We weren't prepared for how gorgeous northern Georgia is.  Mossy rocks and trees, everything is so green.  It almost felt like the temperate rainforest of the Oregon coast. The Appalachian Mountains begin here and the Blue Ridge Mountains too.  Curving and climbing roads slowed us down again as we made our ascent.  It was hard work for our RV engine, so a good thing we got everything fixed in Jackson.

 

The Appalachian Trail Approach at Amicalola Falls State Park
Mt. Katahdin, Maine only 2,108.5 miles!

 

The official southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail is atop Springer Mountain and it is accessible only by foot. There is a trail to Springer Mountain from Amicalola Falls State Park.  Many hikers stay in the state park and take the AT Approach Trail to Springer Mountain.  That adds another 8.5 miles to the 2,108.5 mile journey if you were going to hike the whole trail all the way to Mt. Katahdin, Maine.  Needless to say, David and I aren’t – not this trip anyway.  But we are going to hike lots of little sections of the AT as we make our way north this spring and summer.

Another way to start on the AT is to take US Chattahoochee Forest Road 42 to the Springer Mountain Trailhead and then hike the one mile south to Springer Mountain. As you retrace your steps back down Springer Mountain, you have officially started on the Appalachian Trail.   We talked to a couple who had just hiked Springer Mountain with their son who was planning to “thru-hike” the AT alone.  The three of them had walked up and back down Springer Mountain together with their little dog and then they had said goodbye as their son continued on from the Springer Mountain Trailhead heading off to Maine.  I could tell the parents were having a little bit of a hard time, especially mom.

 

Maya at Springer Mountain, the official southern terminus of the AT

 

Our friends Sasha and KC have thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail and they have said it is surprising how many people do hike it alone or at least start the trail alone.  So many people are on trail every year that there is an AT Trail “community” and people on the trail are very friendly and helpful to each other.  There are state parks, lodges and towns on or near the AT so there are lots of opportunities to get supplies, eat a good meal, make a phone call or even take a few days off to rest and take a hot bath in a lodge.  Still, what an adventure and a commitment!  Basically you are hiking for 4 or 5 months in sun, wind, rain and maybe even snow.  Those that make it can be proud of that accomplishment and have stories to tell for the rest of their lives.

Dwarf crested iris along the Approach Trail

 

 

Mayapple and immature Yellow-poplar trees along the AT

On a much, much smaller scale David and I did hike to Springer Mountain, although in phases.  We could have made the 8.5 miles fairly easily from Amicalola Falls but then we would have had to hike back since we aren’t backpacking and don’t have tents and sleeping bags with us on this trip.  Seventeen miles was just a bit more than we wanted to hike in a day especially climbing a mountain.  So we took the Forest Road to the Springer Mountain Trailhead and hiked the beginning of the AT.  We also hiked a good portion the AT Approach Trail from Amicalola Falls.

 

Top of Amicalola Falls

 

At 729 feet, Amicalola Falls is the tallest cascading waterfall in the Southeast. The park is very popular with AT hikers and provides a parking lot to leave cars while the trail is being hiked.  There is a nice lodge at the top of the falls where David and I ate dinner in the clouds one evening. The beautiful campground is also near the top of the falls and the road going up  is a 25% grade.  Not for those with a faint heart...


David's Stats for Amicalola:
Days Hiked    2  
Total Miles Hiked     15.84 
Ave. Miles per Day     7.13
Total Elevation Gain     3,659 
Ave. Elevation Gain per day   1,775

One rainy day where we did not hike but 1.6 miles.