Appalachian Trail

The Appalachian Trail in Georgia is about 75 miles long and goes through more primitive areas of the Chattahoochee National Forest. The trail keeps mostly to ridges, with an average elevation of 3000 feet, though it occasionally rises to over 4000 feet. The trail is marked by rectangular white blazes, with blue blazes indicating a trail to a water source or a side trail. 12 shelters are located along the Georgia portion of the trail.

The trail offers many breathtaking views, but its difficulty should not be underestimated. Hikers should come prepared for rain at all times of the year, and for near- or below-freezing nights from October to April. If you do not bring a water purifier, plan to boil your water for several minutes before storing/drinking it. Bears do live around the trail, so keep food up out of reach and cooking fires away from the sleeping area. Extra precautions should be taken during deer hunting season (i.e. wear lots of orange).

The southernmost portion of the trail is accessed by way of the Amicalola Falls State Park Approach Trail (8.1 miles). The Approach Trail gives a good idea of how the Appalachian Trail alternates between ascending and descending sections, so if you are miserable during the Approach Trail, you probably won’t like the Appalachian Trail.