Find us on Facebook! instead, 91 South Catawba Avenue, Old Fort, We made camp around 5:30 that evening and finished with a total of 20.5 miles for day 2. Thankfully volunteers have put steps into the dirt and rock to enable hikers to negotiate the steep trail. This has been by far my favorite hike Ive done in recent years. Elevation is 3,165, Mail me Be careful! If you are approaching this parking area from the North, it is 8.5 miles south of the junction of US 64 and NC 281 in Sapphire, North Carolina. Living in Greenville, the FHT is just a few miles away. The Foothills Trail is a part of the nearing completion Southern Appalachian Loop Trail. Great camping areas. Trails are compared with nearby trails in the same city region with a possible 25 colour shades. 54.36.118.98 We camped at the site right next to the Laurel Valley parking lot. In early April 2022, gistrailblazer and I thruhiked the Foothills Trail eastbound, from Oconee State Park to Table Rock State Park. This is a 30 mile one day hike on the trail that is a fundraising event for CureSearch for Childrens Cancer. We arrived at camp by 3:30 and explored the Cliffs and the Lighthouse. The rest of the SALT follows the AT to the MST to Art Loeb Trail, from there south is the part that is still in development. We had reached my car by 10:30 am and my journey was complete! Apr 25, 2020 at 8:30 AM . We had gotten to the more strenuous sections of trail and it was quite noticeable. There is an unknown connection issue between Cloudflare and the origin web server. Once as high as the Rocky Mountains or Alps, some 480 million years of erosion have substantially decreased the elevation of the Appalachian Mountains (which extend, believe it or not, into Scotland). Many views along the way - waterfalls, wild boar and wild turkey sightings, streams to cross. Want to report conditions for this trail? First . Click link for details and directions. 'Heartbreak Ridge,' Foothills Trail, SC - YouTube AboutPressCopyrightContact usCreatorsAdvertiseDevelopersTermsPrivacyPolicy & SafetyHow YouTube worksTest new features 2022 Google LLC Woods Mountain Trail is not for the faint of heart! On my fourth day thru hiking the Foothills Trail alone, I started with the climb up and over Heartbreak Ridge and ended up at the Chimneytop Campsite, just b. The best part of this site was the view and waking the next morning to the sunrise. We switched to the trail because it had nice footbridges to cross the streams. Please include the Ray ID (which is at the bottom of this error page). This is a week that will stay with me forever. Really cool to se that engineering out in the wilderness and seamlessly blend it in. Photo: Clay Bonnyman Evans. The last 2.5 hours were just wonderful hiking through quiet woods - sometimes up and sometimes down - as we crossed from ridge to ridge. I have only done a small portion of this beautiful trail but every step is well worth the effort. I hiked solo from Maine to Georgia in 2014 and from Denver to Durango in 2015. What I had failed to realize it that the next mile of the trail is know as Heart Break Ridge. Description. Hard 4.4 (195) Pisgah National Forest. Experience this 30.4-mile point-to-point trail near Sunset, South Carolina. This alleviates the headache of spotting cars or finding rides back to original trailheads after completing sections. . We hiked during the week (6 days actually) and most of the time we were the only people on the trail! Slept well, heard the popping of the campfire a few sites over for awhile. more. I thought the late night hiker was crazy, but only a really crazy person would try to tackle Heartbreak Ridge, Laurel . This was a relatively easy day at about 8 miles. Very well maintained trail. There was a nice campsite, but I still had a couple of hours before dark so I pushed on. You do need to watch for bears and bees, although the bees seem very tame. These sections provided us with some really nice views of the surrounding peaks. The steps are so long that in the middle there is a bench for folks to rest before they tackle the remainder of the climb. The trail is well-marked and well-graded. Not unlike the AT, the Foothills Trail is more challenging at one end. We were on the trail by 10am on Day 6 and we enjoyed the half mile warm up along the shore of Jocassee before we started to ascend the infamous Heartbreak Ridge. This mornings highlight was the climb to the top of Sassafras Mountain, the highest point in South Carolina. Will Hike this in a few weeks. We finished with 5 miles on the day. Lake Jocassee (mile 48.5): The rocks beneath the bridge over the Toxaway River make an excellent spot for lunch, rest, or drying out your gear. In addition to the well thought out sectioning, the Foothills Trail Conference has compiled a list of volunteers who provide shuttle service from trail sections. However, for many people the, A Thru-Hike for Everyone: 5 Trails Under 200 Miles, Outdoor Research Aspire Super Stretch Jacket Review, Backpacker Radio #189 | Christine Reed on POTS, Hiking with Grief, and Her Book: Alone in Wonderland, Getting to Campo: PCT Southern Terminus Shuttle To Run for Second Year, 10 Trek Bloggers You Should Be Following This Winter, The Best Backpacking Stoves for Thru-Hiking of 2023, Top Stoves, Filters, and Power Banks on the Appalachian Trail: 2022 Thru-Hiker Survey, Sierra On Track for Record Snowfall This YearHere's What It Means for PCT Hikers, 8 Classic Pieces of Backpacking Gear Hikers Love (And Why), The Best Headlamps for Thru-Hiking of 2023, https://foothillstrail.org/maps-coordinates-2/. Following a long ridge that begins high atop the Blue Ridge Escarpment, this trail plunges over 2000 ft. in four miles. Thru hiked with a buddy and my dog. It is very close to civilization but seems like you are in the middle of nowhere when on it. The Bartram Trail can be found (somewhere, I havent done it yet) on the other side of the Chattooga crossing the road bridge just up stream of the Burrells Ford campground, which leads to the AT in the Wayah Bald area. The Foothills Trail in South Carolina and North Carolina is a National Recreation Trail. We took our time breaking camp and were on the trail by 11am. Immediately bear right onto the unpaved fork and continue to the Foothills Trail parking area about 0.3 mile on the left. Great review. We decided not to have lunch there and push on another mile to the old Cantrell home site. Along this section and the next we encountered a good bit of snow still on the ground from the previous weeks winter storm. The Foothills Trail is a 76 mile long collection of trails that run through 3 state parks, through North and South Carolina, and within view of the Georgia border. Terms under which this service is provided to you. Although mostly well-built and -maintained, as of October 2018 there were quite a few blowdowns, including a couple that force hikers into significant bushwhacking and route-finding back to the trail. We reached the end of the section by 5:30 PM. Chattooga River Valley (miles 10.6-15.5): Many excellent places to swim and camp along the river, which was one of the locations for the movie Deliverance (but dont worry; there dont appear to be any crazed hillbillies in the area). From Bear den campsite to Cane Brake boat access, not flat, Great hike! Avid bikers will love Heartbreak Ridge, an exciting two-mile bike trail that begins along the top ridge of the Blue Ridge Escarpment and descends 2,000 feet! Come take a hike with me at Blue Ridge Hiking Company! A rat snake, coiled alongside the Foothills Trail. The Guidebook rated these sections as moderate to easy, I assume because of the short distance. Head West on The Foothills Trail towards Lake Jocassee. If anyone finds it please message me 8644096466. If not, then I will assess what my body tells me it will do. It traverses the highest point in South Carolina, Sassafras mountain, to the beauty of Whitewater Falls and the Jocassee Gorge and lake area. After a week on the trail I had made it to my last night. The Foothills Trail is a fun, challenging hike through classic Southern Appalachian terrain. Start and stop your timer on the first wooden step heading into Laurel Valley . Camping on a sandbar along the Chattooga River is a backpacker favorite. Photo: Clay Bonnyman Evans. I really need to recover tonight. Foothills Trail thru-hike day six (NC/ SC) - YouTube This is my day six vlog (of eight) from my Foothills Trail thru-hike in North and South Carolina. There were plenty of views and beautiful streams and waterfalls this time of year. The tread on most of the trail is largely free of rocks and roots, except for a few limited areas, making for pleasant hiking. What I had failed to realize it that the next mile of the trail is know as Heart Break Ridge. There is a small amount of roadwalking. This is a lovely hiking area with lots of camping spots and scenic views. Ill have to download some gps coordinates for my favorites. The park also has a store and gift shop with limited groceries to fuel your post thru hike hunger. Heartbreak Ridge - 19.10 Miles - From Cantrell Campsite To Lake Jocasse - This morning's highlight was the climb to the top of Sassafras Mountain, the highest point in South Carolina. Though technically a four-season trail, the heat and humidity from May through September can be oppressive. An awe inspiring trek from Table Rock State Park through the foothills of the Southeastern Appalachian Mountains to Oconee State Park which features the Jocassee River gorges, Sassafras Mountain, and the Wild and Scenic Chattooga River. Oh, and theres the little matter of more than 500 steep steps up Heartbreak Ridge as you leave Lake Jocassee. Go to Join Now to join for the first time or to renew your membership. We finished up with 9.4 miles for the day. One of the classic mountain bike descents in Pisgah is one of the most infamous hiking climbs in Pisgah when paired with the Star Gap Trail. Thanks for your support! Our family of 2 adults and 2 teenagers did these sections over 2 days. Log In. Loved the wild rivers! Campsites are plentiful all along the trail, with just a few restricted areas. We would maintain about a 2.5 mile per hour pace for the day. The trail is blazed and is normally hiked in 10 days. 2022 Foothills Trail Conservancy | An Engenius website. Thank you to Heyword Douglass, Executive Director of the Foothills Conference, for your encouraging emails and photographs! Day 5s goal was to get to Canebrake and finish the section. Just know that as a general proposition, the Foothills Trail is rich with water sources in fact, all those creeks, rivers and lakes is one of its great appeals. Region: Deep South, Lower Appalachians (South Carolina) Length: 76.2 miles (5-8 days) Physical Difficulty: Moderate Nearly eighty miles of this scenic landscape straddle the border of South and North Carolina under the famed peaks of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Hey, Mike N. Im the author of this piece. Nearest Cities: Greenville, South Carolina (26 miles from eastern terminus; 56 miles from western terminus); Atlanta, Georgia (150 miles from eastern terminus; 130 miles from western terminus). And many a Foothills Trail hiker has found herself sprinting away from the occasional swarm of irritable hornets, especially in fall. Sassafras Mountain, South Carolina's highest peak, Obeservation Tower atop Sassafras Mountain, For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps. Discover this 48.9-km point-to-point trail near Sunset, South Carolina. It is my favorite trail for many of the reasons you noted. Thanks for your support! Cross the NC/SC state line into North Carolina and continue for about a mile to the Whitewater Falls parking area which is marked with a large U.S. Forest Service sign. Cars or finding rides back to original trailheads after completing sections it to my last night the also..., Laurel the more strenuous sections of trail and it was quite noticeable the Foothills trail hiker found! Hike through classic Southern Appalachian terrain the climb to the top of Sassafras Mountain, the heat and humidity May... From May through September can be oppressive we reached the end of campfire! 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