There are plenty of non-thru options, as well, including the so-called crown jewel route, southbound from Laurel Valley to just below Whitewater Falls. As you mentioned, a word to the wise in late summer and early fallyellow jackets! You walk along the Chattooga River, cross numerous creeks, the Toxaway River, Laurel Creek anyway, multiple sources. Two park, At the base of Linville Gorge you will find a 6,812 acre lake with more than 150 miles of shoreline.. Thank you to Heyword Douglass, Executive Director of the Foothills Conference, for your encouraging emails and photographs! You do need to watch for bears and bees, although the bees seem very tame. Living in Greenville, the FHT is just a few miles away. Click on any map and youll see what Im talking about. Any suggestions. The trail begins along the top ridge of the Blue Ridge Escarpment, accessed from either Curtis Creek Road or from the Old Toll Road, outside the Ridgecrest Conference center. I have to proceed cautiously on those stretches; my legs are not what they once were. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a1237b0ae472c2f Oconee is about 2.5 hours and Table Rock is about three hours from Atlanta. Good views at spots along the trail as well. Hikers who travel westbound from Table Rock State Park face the challenge of 3,553-foot Sassafras Mountain, the high point of South Carolina, right out of the gate, while those who start at Oconee State Park get a much gentler introduction to the trail along the banks of the Chattooga. Log In. 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. The Foothills Trail: A 77-Mile Taste of the Southern Appalachians The idea for the Foothills Trail, a National Recreation Trail located in far western South Carolina, began in the 1960s as an effort to preserve and protect the beauty of the Appalachian Foothills. Another great waterfall and we got to see a wild turkey, actually flying which was rare. http://www.mtbproject.com/trail/1368860/heartbreak-ridge, 2940 Ft. /8 Miles. It wasnt that bad going east to west but it definitely doesnt look fun the opposite direction. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. 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. 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. This has been by far my favorite hike Ive done in recent years. And many a Foothills Trail hiker has found herself sprinting away from the occasional swarm of irritable hornets, especially in fall. 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. This is a 30 mile one day hike on the trail that is a fundraising event for CureSearch for Childrens Cancer. This trail is awesome . Really cool to se that engineering out in the wilderness and seamlessly blend it in. For the full 4x4 trail guide please visit:https://www.trailsoffroad.com/trails/812-2n61y-heartbreak-ridgeHidden on the east side of Big Bear in Southern Cali. 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. The Foothills Trail - A 76-mile journey into the wilderness. That night as we slept we were entertained by a wild thunderstorm. Day 8, my final day on the trail, started early. Tougher than expected but had a great time. Woods Mountain Trail is not for the faint of heart! Cloudflare monitors for these errors and automatically investigates the cause. 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! As hard as our Colorado hike minus elevation. Mountain Bike Trails Play Young's Ridge Mill Creek Road and Old US Hwy. Experience this 30.4-mile point-to-point trail near Sunset, South Carolina. Check out this 19.1-mile point-to-point trail near Lake Toxaway, North Carolina. 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. Oconee State Park is about two hours from both cities. This was an awesome site and from atop the giant rocks we could see for miles and got the privilege of watching a beautiful sunset. We were always close to Lake Jocassee but we couldn't see it. Thanks for your support! Thru hiked with a buddy and my dog. The last 2.5 hours were just wonderful hiking through quiet woods - sometimes up and sometimes down - as we crossed from ridge to ridge. The afternoon left me completely exhausted. Length: 76.2 miles (the Foothills Trail Conservancy rounds this off to 77 miles). Id like to make that connection to the Bartram and hike it to the AT sometime. The next third of the Foothills Trail winds down into North Carolina, providing spectacular views of Lake Jocassee to the South before a long slow descent entwining through the Jocassee Gorges. What I had failed to realize it that the next mile of the trail is know as Heart Break Ridge. Please include the Ray ID (which is at the bottom of this error page). Additional troubleshooting resources. To help support the investigation, you can pull the corresponding error log from your web server and submit it our support team. This vlog is from mid-May. The Florida Trail is a point-to-point backpacking route spanning 1,500 miles. Excellent article. Sassafrass Mountain (mile 66.4):At 3,553 feet, the highest point in South Carolina, with 360-degree views from the fire tower on top (note: the tower was closed for construction in late 2018). Check out this page at the Foothills Trail Conservancy. Generally considered a moderately challenging route, it takes an average of 15 h 5 min to complete. At the top is an observation platform which afforded me a panoramic view of the Great Smoky Mountains. Day 3 started only 4.8 miles from Bad Creek, where I was meeting my friend the next day. Woke up to the popping of the same campfire. We finished with 13.2 hard miles for the day and ate dinner then took our aching feet to bed. virtually impossible to get lost. 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. Camping: Dispersed camping is available for most of the trail, except for 1.7 miles along the Whitewater River on Duke Energy property. Whitewater falls is breathtaking, and the climb out will leave you breathless! Theres a section known as heart break ridge where supposedly it is the hardest section of the trail coming from the Toxaway River. Foothills Trail Conservancy PO Box 3041 Greenville SC 29602. info@foothillstrail.org. Some areas are very strenuous while others are moderate with some easier components. While youll spend a good deal of time in the proverbial green tunnel, the trail still offers abundant views. 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. 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. The waterfall made it our own private Shangri La and proved to be a convenient water source. Thru-hikers start at the Eastern Terminus at Table Rock State Park near Pickens, SC, or the Western Terminus at Oconee State Park very near the Georgia and North Carolina borders in the far western tip of South Carolina. On top of Heartbreak Ridge, we heard 4 large birds . Head West on The Foothills Trail towards Lake Jocassee. 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. We were on the trail by 9am on day 2. A view from the flanks of Pinnacle Mountain in Table Rock State Park, along the Foothills Trail. It is 76 miles and as such, is frequently underestimated by those who set out to hike it. Perhaps it was because we were hiking West to East, but it turned out to be not nearly as bad as we were expecting. The best part of this site was the view and waking the next morning to the sunrise. This was a relatively easy day at about 8 miles. The Foothills Trail is something like 76 miles in length and we hiked 6.4 miles of it on a recent brisk afternoon. Cross Bear Creek campsite is nice but you have to hang your own bear line. There are numerous road crossings, and hitching into small towns such as Salem, SC, or Sapphire, NC, isnt too difficult. Did the 5 day plan. Location: The trail runs slightly northeast-southwest in far western South Carolina, with several crossings into North Carolina. Terms under which this service is provided to you. I got to meet several interesting and nice people that were making the short hike to Lick Falls. Photo: Clay Bonnyman Evans. The Foothills Trail, though steep in places, is not especially rugged, so trail runners are more than adequate. Several campsites along the trails and we eventually set up camp at one right along the creek that runs to Laurel Fork. It's possible drive to within a few miles of our trail section and hike in - but the pontoon boat ride to the trail was a pleasure in its self. We would maintain about a 2.5 mile per hour pace for the day. New benefit of membership: Free subscription to Backpacker magazine. 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. Lots of inclines and declines so pack light! The Foothills Trail is a 76-mile point-to-point hike in the Appalachian Mountains of western South Carolina best hiked in fall, winter, or spring. Clay Bonnyman Evans is a freelance writer living in Hilton Head Island, S.C., and his hometown, Boulder, Colorado. Go to Join Now to join for the first time or to renew your membership. The Guidebook rated these sections as moderate to easy, I assume because of the short distance. Hopefully I will get a good nights rest and be ready to go in the morning. Summer heat and humidity are intense, due to relatively low elevations, while night-time winter temperatures typically sink into the 20s. The service rd has many creek crossings but eventually crosses the actual Foothills Trail. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. instead, 91 South Catawba Avenue, Old Fort, It was very strenuous and not for the out-of-shape. Discover this 48.9-km point-to-point trail near Sunset, South Carolina. This mornings highlight was the climb to the top of Sassafras Mountain, the highest point in South Carolina. Hikers should plan ahead for shuttle transport. This is considered d the most difficult section of the Foothills Trail. 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). Had brief freezing rains. Following a long ridge that begins high atop the Blue Ridge Escarpment, this trail plunges over 2000 ft. in four miles. 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