The trail crosses several roads leading to nearby small towns. I was sad to see the simple existence I had while in the woods coming to an end but at the same time I was excited to be accomplishing this thru-hike and going home to see my wife. We had reached the access area by 2:30 that afternoon so I decided to push on past to the Thompson River and grab one of those sites. But from its well blazed path to its active trail conservancy, it is a trail well worth the walk. Did the 5 day plan. My girlfriend and I backpacked this trail last night. Fortunately, once I got to the lake I came upon a perfect hammock site on a cliff overlooking Lake Jocassee. Overall Id say its moderate to difficult, but I was cruising at 2.5 miles per hour each day to get it down before work on the third evening. Additional troubleshooting resources. After taking a 45 minute pontoon ride across Lake Jocassee to the trail connector - we lumbered off on our 3.5 hour hike. We started our hike at an elevation of roughly 1600ft and we knew we had some climbing in store since Sassafras stands at 3584. The hiker is treated to their first of many waterfalls at mile 8.2 at Lick Log Creek. You can hike for a few hours or spend days or a week or so hiking here and never do the same hike twice. It's Day 5 on the . Come take a hike with me at Blue Ridge Hiking Company! I am very proud to have accomplished this feat and Im already looking forward to my next journey along the trail. The park also has a store and gift shop with limited groceries to fuel your post thru hike hunger. This trail is great for hiking, and it's unlikely you'll encounter many other people while exploring. Great review. There is plenty of water and beautiful scenery along most of this section. It offers multiple distance choices with a challenging hill climb and scenic views of surrounding . We arrived at camp by 3:30 and explored the Cliffs and the Lighthouse. Immediately bear right onto the unpaved fork and continue to the Foothills Trail parking area about 0.3 mile on the left. The FTC could improve their map by adding to it some trails that intersect or at least some labels/notes regarding the other trails. Sept of 2014. Description. Slept well, heard the popping of the campfire a few sites over for awhile. Generally considered a moderately challenging route, it takes an average of 15 h 5 min to complete. We logged over 32 miles. In 2016, I hiked the Appalachian Trail; 2018, Foothills Trail and Alabama Pinhoti Trail; 2019, Great Plains Trail pilot trail in South Dakota and Nebraska; on April 7, 2021 I will start the Pacific Crest Trail. Photo: Clay Bonnyman Evans. We reached the end of the section by 5:30 PM. Insects can be bothersome in warmer months. To help support the investigation, you can pull the corresponding error log from your web server and submit it our support team. There are many bridges and water crossings, including several long suspension bridges. Length 11.0 miElevation gain 3,188 ftRoute type Out & back. I would not call this trail moderate, as there are many challenging sections, no matter which direction you travel. This route was very challenging, but worth it in the end, when you are back home with your feet up :), Laurel Fork Falls to Canebrake Point-to-point using boat shuttle. Along this extended spur lies views of the East Fork of the French Broad River, as well as the sheer rock faces of Raven Cliff Falls. more. Day 2 we hiked to Cross Bear Creek campsite. The Foothills Trail is something like 76 miles in length and we hiked 6.4 miles of it on a recent brisk afternoon. Table Rock State Park offers a myriad of amenities from camping to cabins, swimming to fishing. There is an unknown connection issue between Cloudflare and the origin web server. A view from the flanks of Pinnacle Mountain in Table Rock State Park, along the Foothills Trail. Oconee offers tent camping and cabin rental for those who prefer to stay the night and get an early start on their Foothills Trail adventure. If not, then I will assess what my body tells me it will do. Our family of 2 adults and 2 teenagers did these sections over 2 days. instead, 91 South Catawba Avenue, Old Fort, The Bartram, Foothills, AT and Benton MacKaye form a Southern Serpentine Route! Percent of the course on un-paved trails: 90%. The Foothills Trail - A 76-mile journey into the wilderness. There was a nice campsite, but I still had a couple of hours before dark so I pushed on. What I had failed to realize it that the next mile of the trail is know as Heart Break Ridge. The standard guidebooks for the Foothills Trail provide detailed information about plentiful camping spots, and there are numerous spots to camp along the way that arent listed in either book. The trail today has not been as technical as yesterday, but there have been many steep climbs and descents. Dismiss. A rat snake, coiled alongside the Foothills Trail. I started my hike on Sunday February 16th from Oconee State Park. The books warn you about Heartbreak Ridge but they don't tell you about Heartbreak Hill that follows. New benefit of membership: Free subscription to Backpacker magazine. Check out this page at the Foothills Trail Conservancy. Day 5s goal was to get to Canebrake and finish the section. There are numerous road crossings, and hitching into small towns such as Salem, SC, or Sapphire, NC, isnt too difficult. Steep Steps (Heart Break Ridge) Longest Suspension Bridge on the Foothills Trail Crosses the Toxaway River Hiking along Lake Jocassee Shoreline Trail Head: Cane Brake Trail to Frozen Creek Access All orders over $60 receive FREE shipping! The service rd has many creek crossings but eventually crosses the actual Foothills Trail. We finished up with a little less than 10 miles for the day. copy (Upper Whitewater Falls Parking Area) - From the South near Salem, SC on SC 11, turn north onto SC Highway 130 (which is also called Whitewater Road) and travel about ten miles. From there we pushed on towards Laurel Valley. Trailforks scans ridelogs to determine which trails are ridden the most in the last 9 months. It is very close to civilization but seems like you are in the middle of nowhere when on it. Nice article! IT set the stage for the many great waterfalls we would enjoy along our hike. Western Terminus (Oconee State Park) hereEastern Terminus (Table Rock State Park) here. Hopefully I will get a good nights rest and be ready to go in the morning. 1 Peter 2:21, Backpacking Journals and Photos from Long Distance Hikers, US 11 Carlisle Pike Mile Marker 1132, Pennsylvania. Check out more trails in the Asheville area here. We camped at the site right next to the Laurel Valley parking lot. Some shuttle drivers also will do food drops for a fee. Start and stop your timer on the first wooden step heading into Laurel Valley . Explore this 11.0-mile out-and-back trail near Montreat, North Carolina. In fact, its not unlike a condensed version of the southern Appalachian Trail, and many prospective hikers have tackled the Foothills Trail as a shakedown for a future AT hike. There plenty of beautiful campsites all along the trial. There were no bugs and it got down to the low 40s one night After a brief rain during the 65 degree weather. Thankfully volunteers have put steps into the dirt and rock to enable hikers to negotiate the steep trail. Heartbreak Ridge Half Marathon. The Toxaway River flows into Lake Jocassee along the Foothills Trail. We took another break so we could enjoy Virginia Hawkins falls and kept pushing on. 2.1 miles 600 feet: 34.1370,-118.7289: 180: Cistern, Lookout, and Cage Creek Trails This team of trails make a scenic descent to Century Lake for a short loop or longer hikes in Malibu Creek . I was so overheated and exhausted at this point that I was having dry heaves. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a1237b0ae472c2f We ended at a lovely falls and were met by our pontoon boat for a ride back to Devils Fork State Park. 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. And they were indeed smoky this morning. I was meeting a friend Wednesday evening at the Bad Creek access area so we had planned to take our time hiking those 33 miles so we would arrive there on Wednesday. This is a four-season trail, hikeable even in winter. Around 13 miles into the run touch the bench on top of Heart Break Ridge at Lake Jocassee and return back to the parking lot. . Cold nights in 30s and pleasant days in 50s. Tougher than expected but had a great time. I had many great campsites along the trail but this one would prove to be the best. Beginning at mile 50 the trail slowly gains elevation, passing Laurel Falls (54.30) and Virginia Hawkins Falls (57.3) on the way up. This middle section of trail bumps along at low elevations and sports spectacular runoff that forms beautiful waterfalls. We were on the trail by 8:05, not bad! 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. Oconee State Park is about two hours from both cities. Since we only had about 3.5 miles left to camp, we lounged around after eating basking in the warm sun. The trail is clearly marked throughout. Be careful, be safe, be hiking!!! Hey, Mike N. Im the author of this piece. The Guidebook rated these sections as moderate to easy, I assume because of the short distance. I did it with my fianc and dog in three days and it was fantastic. I traveled west>east (or, sort of, south>north) and water was never an issue. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); The Blue Ridge Mountains are well known for their three hundred sixty degree views from their bare summits. Mother Nature smiled upon me with great weather! . The Trail joins the Chattooga River Trail at mile 10.6 and winds along the Chattooga Rivers sandy beaches for miles. Death Valley Cottonwood-Marble Canyon Loop, CA, Smoky Mountains National Park Loop, NC / TN, Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport, Total elevation gain is 10,000-11,000 feet, depending on direction, Sustained climbs of more than 2,000 feet; some short, very steep sections, Heat and humidity can be a challenge from late spring through early fall, Dispersed camping allowed along most of the trail. Expect a high speed experience with very fast straight sections. Id like to make that connection to the Bartram and hike it to the AT sometime. The Foothills Trail is well-marked with white blazes. The Foothills Trail Conservancy store offers a complete guidebook, map, and pocket profile. There I set up camp. Its unfair to reduce the Foothills Trail to a warm-up for the Appalachian Trail. Far below the Blue Ridge, the foothills undulate with as much unforgiving elevation change as the high peaks themselves. Log In. It can be hiked in 3-7 days. We were always close to Lake Jocassee but we couldn't see it. Only a really crazy person would try to tackle Heartbreak Ridge, Laurel Valley, and the climb up Sassafras in one day I guess I'm crazy. Location | Western North Carolina and Northern South Carolina, Highlights | 13 Waterfalls, Gorges, Wooden Steps, Multiple Suspension Bridges, State High Point, Volunteer Coordinated Shuttles, Maps and Guidebooks | Anti-Gravity Gear Pocket Profile ($3.95), Foothills Trail Conference Trail Map ($15.00), Foothills Trail Conference Guidebook ($16.00). So beautiful! Laurel Fork Falls (mile 54.3): A scenic cascade with several streamside campsites just one-tenth of a mile to the east. I actually JUST FINISHED the Bartram Trail. For those who wish to follow the white blazes of the Foothills Trail, the trail continues down Sassafras Mountain, makes one last climb to up Pinnacle Mountain, and winds its way down to Table Rock State Park. It can be hiked in 3-7 days. 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. Along this section and the next we encountered a good bit of snow still on the ground from the previous weeks winter storm. I hiked solo from Maine to Georgia in 2014 and from Denver to Durango in 2015. We parked the truck at a red gate and began hiking down the service road. I really need to recover tonight. 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. Please include the Ray ID (which is at the bottom of this error page). The trail is not heavily used by long-distance hikers, regardless of season. By Clay Bonnyman Evans, 2019 Foothills Trail Thru-Hiker. Cloudflare monitors for these errors and automatically investigates the cause. Want to report conditions for this trail? We finished up with 9.4 miles for the day. A solid and steady climb with a few short downhills just to give you a quick break. Greenville SC 29602. The afternoon left me completely exhausted. Generally considered a challenging route, it takes an average of 8 h 58 min to complete. Hikers can expect to find blue line trout waters, suspension bridges, wildflowers, and star-filled nights from peaceful campsites which are numerous enough to . Today's miles: 17 Total miles: 65.4 Camped: Boulder about a mile before Sassafras peak What a day. The Foothills Trail - A 76-mile journey into the wilderness 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. Not unlike the AT, the Foothills Trail is more challenging at one end. Click here to find alternative waterfall and hiking trails. We switched to the trail because it had nice footbridges to cross the streams. Though technically a four-season trail, the heat and humidity from May through September can be oppressive. The heat and humidity can be intense from mid-May through September. Great weather with clear cool nights. 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. Until we meet again. Along the sandy banks of the Chattooga River and just above Laurel Fork Falls are two of many excellent camping spots on the trail. Cars can be left at both state parks. The Foothills Trail Conservancy has a detailed, informative website, including maps, elevations profiles, shuttle information and more. You do need to watch for bears and bees, although the bees seem very tame. My friend arrived at 5:30 and I restocked my food and we decided to night hike to the site on the ridge above the Thompson River. 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