PTA Site Map / etrail or snailtrail
The Pinhoti Trail
A Southeast Region Appalachian Trail Connector
Northbound snailtrail / Section 3
Northern Terminus / Finish Hike
34.3 ~ Bull Gap Trailhead
22.9 ~ FS 603A Trailhead
Southern Terminus / Start Hike
Reference Points ~ Rebecca Mountain, Sylacauga, AL
Hike Distance ~ 11.4 Miles
Hiking Time vs Distance ~ 30 minutes = 1 mile
Trail Blazes ~ Light Blue Vertical Rectangles
Trail Description ~ Easy ~ Road Walk
Driving Directions
For a weekend section hike, you may want to bring two vehicles to the trail so that you can shuttle
yourselves from one end of your chosen section to the other. First, you will need to park your
“finish hike vehicle” at your section’s northern terminus and then drive your “start hike vehicle” down
to your section’s southern terminus.
Northern Terminus / Park Finish Hike Vehicle First
11.4 ~ BULL GAP TRAILHEAD
From the intersection of AL 21 and AL 148 in downtown Sylacauga, AL, go east on AL 148 for 11.5 miles
to the top of the ridge, at Bull Gap.
There are two dirt roads here on the left that are about 50' apart. Turn left on the first dirt road,
FS 607 / Old Rocky Mountain Road.
Go 50 yards to the trailhead parking area, on the left.
Southern Terminus / Park Start Hike Vehicle
0.0 ~ FS 603A TRAILHEAD
From the Bull Gap Trailhead parking area, go back out to AL 148 and turn right.
Go 8.1 miles to FS 603. It’s 0.6 miles past 4 mile marker. Turn left.
Go 2.6 miles to FS 603A. Turn Left.
Go 0.5 miles to a fork in the road with a gate blocking the left fork. As of 1-20-12, this is the
temporary FS 603A Trailhead parking area. Please don't block the gate. On foot, follow the right
fork 0.1 miles. Look for the blue blazes. You’ll see where the trail goes in the woods on the left.
Hiking Directions
Southern Terminus / Start Hike
22.9 ~ FS 603A TRAILHEAD
PTA Site Map / Top of Page ^-^
The Pinhoti Trail
A Southeast Region Appalachian Trail Connector
Northbound snailtrail / Section 3
Northern Terminus / Finish Hike
34.3 ~ Bull Gap Trailhead
22.9 ~ FS 603A Trailhead
Southern Terminus / Start Hike
Reference Points ~ Rebecca Mountain, Sylacauga, AL
Hike Distance ~ 11.4 Miles
Hiking Time vs Distance ~ 30 minutes = 1 mile
Trail Blazes ~ Light Blue Vertical Rectangles
Trail Description ~ Easy ~ Road Walk
Driving Directions
For a weekend section hike, you may want to bring two vehicles to the trail so that you can shuttle
yourselves from one end of your chosen section to the other. First, you will need to park your
“finish hike vehicle” at your section’s northern terminus and then drive your “start hike vehicle” down
to your section’s southern terminus.
Northern Terminus / Park Finish Hike Vehicle First
11.4 ~ BULL GAP TRAILHEAD
From the intersection of AL 21 and AL 148 in downtown Sylacauga, AL, go east on AL 148 for 11.5 miles
to the top of the ridge, at Bull Gap.
There are two dirt roads here on the left that are about 50' apart. Turn left on the first dirt road,
FS 607 / Old Rocky Mountain Road.
Go 50 yards to the trailhead parking area, on the left.
Southern Terminus / Park Start Hike Vehicle
0.0 ~ FS 603A TRAILHEAD
From the Bull Gap Trailhead parking area, go back out to AL 148 and turn right.
Go 8.1 miles to FS 603. It’s 0.6 miles past 4 mile marker. Turn left.
Go 2.6 miles to FS 603A. Turn Left.
Go 0.5 miles to a fork in the road with a gate blocking the left fork. As of 1-20-12, this is the
temporary FS 603A Trailhead parking area. Please don't block the gate. On foot, follow the right
fork 0.1 miles. Look for the blue blazes. You’ll see where the trail goes in the woods on the left.
Hiking Directions
Southern Terminus / Start Hike
22.9 ~ FS 603A TRAILHEAD
- Starting from the gate on FS 603A, go back out to FS 603.
HISTORY 2009 ~ May13 ~ Courtesy of Mike Leonard, Conservation Fund board member ~
Continued progress on the Pinhoti. In the last week or two, the Conservation Fund closed on the
1100 or so acre Evergreen Tract on the crest of Rebecca Mountain at the south end of the
Talladega National Forest (Section 3).We expect the U.S. Forest Service to buy it from the
Fund by early June. This means that the final and southernmost portion of the Pinhoti in the
Talladega National Forest can be built along a dramatic ridge crest route. $550,000 of the
$1,500,000 cost was covered by private funds from a conservation donor based in N.C. That
private money had much to do with the U.S. Forest Service making it a high priority project.
HISTORY 2009 ~ As planned, the Forest Service has purchased the Evergreen tract from the
Conservation Fund and the Pinhoti Trail corridor through here is now protected by the USFS.
- Turn right and go to AL 148.
- Turn right and go until you reach the top of the ridge at Bull Gap.
TT ~ Turn left on AL 148 and go appx. 3 miles to Sylacauga, AL.
- Once you reach the top of the ridge at Bull Gap, there are two dirt roads on the left that are
about 50' apart. The first road is Old Rocky Mountain Road / FS 607. Turn left here and go 50
yards to the trailhead parking area (just a pull-off on the left).
- This is the end of the Section 3 road walk.
HISTORY 2009 ~ Money has been appropriated for a trailhead parking area. Look for
construction to begin soon.
HISTORY 2009 ~ The trailhead parking area was completed by the US Forest Service in
May, 09.
PTA Site Map / Top of Page ^-^
| Millennium Legacy Trail |
Section 3 Hike Planner
CS ~ Convenience Store
0
TT ~ Trail Town
26.1
SC ~ Small Camp
0
LC ~ Large Camp
0
TS ~ Trail Shelter
0
SW ~ Seasonal Water
0
RW ~ Reliable Water
0
HS ~ Hot Shower
0
CS ~ Convenience Store
0
TT ~ Trail Town
26.1
SC ~ Small Camp
0
LC ~ Large Camp
0
TS ~ Trail Shelter
0
SW ~ Seasonal Water
0
RW ~ Reliable Water
0
HS ~ Hot Shower
0
