PTA Site Map  /  etrail or snailtrail
The Pinhoti Trail
A Southeast Region Appalachian Trail Connector

Northbound snailtrail  /  Section 8
Northern Terminus / Finish Hike
106.2 ~ South FS 500 Trailhead
96.7 ~ US 431 Trailhead
Southern Terminus / Start Hike

Reference Points ~ Interstate 20, Oxford, AL
Hike Distance ~ 9.5 Miles
Hiking Time vs Distance ~ 30 Minutes = 1 Mile
Trail Blazes ~ Light Blue Vertical Rectangles
Trail Description ~ Moderate ~ Foothills, Watersheds, Short Climbs

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
106.2 ~ SOUTH FS 500 TRAILHEAD
    Exit I-20 at US 431, east of Oxford, AL.
    Go north on US 431 for 0.3 miles to the stop sign at US 78. Turn right.
    Go 5.3 miles to a paved road on the left, just before the overhead bridge at the top of the ridge.
    Turn left.
    Go 0.1 miles to the stop sign at AL 281.
    Go straight across onto the dirt road, FS 500.
    Go 0.1 miles to the South FS 500 Trailhead parking area, on the right.

Southern Terminus / Park Start Hike Vehicle
96.7 ~ US 431 TRAILHEAD
    From the South FS 500 Trailhead parking area, go left 0.1 miles back out to AL 281. Turn left.
    Go 6.7 miles to the first paved road on the left past the US 431 bridge. Turn Left.
    Go 0.4 miles to the stop sign at US 431. Turn left.
    Go 0.6 miles to a dirt road, FS 585, on the left. Turn left.
    Go 0.1 miles to the US 431 Trailhead parking area, on the left.





Hiking Directions
Southern Terminus / Start Hike
96.7 ~ US 431 TRAILHEAD ~ 885' ~ CS, SW, RW
    From the trailhead parking area, follow the downhill gravel road 0.1 miles to the highway. Cross
    over and go right 25 yards. The north trail goes back in the woods on the left.
    ROADKILL WARNING ~ You'll probably want to scurry right on across this highway!!
    CS ~ Go right on US 431 for 0.6 miles to the Cheaha Country Store. You can go left 2.8 miles to
    I-20 but there are no businesses there.
    RW ~ Before you cross over US 431, there is a difficult creek access on the right.
    SW ~ After you cross over and start up the trail there is a spring on the right.
    NEXT RW ~ 5.6 miles.
96.9 ~ SPRING / BOG CROSSING ~ SW
97.5 ~ BEAVER POND
    There is an old Beaver Dam here but I have never seen the Beaver. Dr. Lee, at the Hiking
    Alabama website, saw him a few times though.
98.5 ~ FS 518 CROSSING ~ 1080'
    The trail goes diagonally across the road to the right.
    You will start hearing the hum of I ~ 20 traffic around here and it will continue for the next
    4 miles or so. Camp at your own risk. 8~{
    NEXT RW ~ 3.8 miles.
98.7 ~ ROAD BED CROSSING
99.0 ~ CAMPSITE / SPRING CROSSING ~ SC, SW
99.1 ~ SPRING CROSSING ~ SW
99.4 ~ SPRING CROSSING ~ SW
99.6 ~ ROAD BED CROSSING
99.9 ~ SPRING CROSSING ~ SW
100.5 ~ CAMPSITE / SPRING CROSSING ~ SC, SW
100.9 ~ SPRING CROSSING ~ SW
101.0 ~ I - 20 CROSSING ~ 1074' (no services)
    When the trail comes out on AL 281, turn left and go across the bridge. Then turn right on the
    gravel road that is 100 yards past the bridge. Go 10 yards to where the trail goes back in the
    woods on the left.
101.2 ~ ROAD BED CROSSING
101.3 ~ ROAD BED CROSSING
101.6 ~ COLONIAL PIPELINE ~ 1010'
    Follow the lower side of the hump straight across the clearing. There is a blue blaze at the
    tree line. There is also a false trail that goes across the top of the hump.
    This pipeline runs between Texas and the lower New England states.
102.0 ~ CREEK CROSSING ~ RW
102.1 ~ GREENSTONE SHELTER (proposed) ~ LC, TS
102.3 ~ RIO GRANDE CROSSING ~ LC, RW
    You will find plenty of flat spots near the creek.
    NEXT RW ~ 11.7 miles.
102.5 ~ PLANTATION PIPELINE ~ 990'
    The trail goes straight across the clearing.
    This pipeline runs between Louisiana and Virginia. It ran through my backyard in N. E. Atlanta,
    where I grew up.
    WILDFLOWER ~ Begger Lice ~ Purple ~ September
102.6 ~ EL LOCO SPLIT
    When the trail comes to the old road bed, you will see blue paint everywhere and 2 parallel
    roads going straight ahead with an island of trees in the middle. Follow the road on the right
    side of the island. Go 100 yards to the end of the island and turn left back into the woods.
    This left turn is not marked (spring 2003).
    WILDFLOWER ~ Blazing Star ~ Purple ~ September
103.0 ~ ROAD BED CROSSING
103.3 ~ AL 281 CROSSING ~ 990'
    The trail goes straight across AL 281.
103.5 ~ HIDEOUT GORGE
103.7 ~ INDIAN CAVE ~ SW
    There is a shallow cave (home?) down near the spring. Look for a small grinding bowl made into
    the cave floor.
    WILDFLOWER ~ Mountain Laurel ~ White ~ May
104.3 ~ SOUTHERN NATURAL GAS PIPELINE / SISTER RIDGE VIEW
    The trail goes straight across the clearing.
    This pipeline runs all through the southeast. There is a good view on the left of our Sister
    Ridge (Choccolocco Mountains) as she follows the backside of Ft. McClellan. This ridge runs
    west of the Pinhoti for 61.1 miles. She starts in Coldwater and passes through Anniston, Ft.
    McClellan, Jacksonville and ends in Piedmont. You will have views of her off and on all the way
    up to Dugger Mountain. Our Sister Ridge is home to 15 of the
    100 highest named summits in Alabama.
    WILDFLOWER ~ Blackberry ~ White ~ May

Sister Ridge (Choccolocco Mountains) 61.1miles
SOUTH to NORTH
COLDWATER
    Coldwater Spring ~ 584' / Coldwater Peak ~ 1709' / Oak Mountain ~ 1705'
ANNISTON
    Mount Royal ~ 1519' / Twin Mountains ~ 1170' ~ 1225' / Blue Mountain ~ 1516'
FT. McCLELLAN
    Reynolds Hill ~ 1378' / King Hill ~ 1945' / Stanley Hill ~ 1900' / Morton Hill ~ 2063' /
    Marchets Hill ~ 2104' / Wykoff Hill ~ 1800' / Bain Gap ~ 1420' / Frederick Hill ~ 1800' /
    Mount Tylo ~ 1360' / Caffey Hill ~ 1440' / Moorman Hill ~ 2030' / Mokeley Hill ~ 1840' /
    Noyes Hill ~ 1560' / Big Oak Mountain ~ 2050' / French Hill ~ 1140' / Truitt Hill ~ 1480'
JACKSONVILLE
    Foster Mountain ~ 1420' / Whites Gap ~ 1256' / Ben White Point ~ 1592' /
    Chimney Peak ~ 1720' / Chimney Mountain ~ 1272' / Hurricane Mountain ~ 1876'
PIEDMONT
    Last Lonely Mountain ~ 1160' / Piedmont ~ 701'

Trail Guide (cont.)
104.4 ~ CAMPSITE ~ SC
    99.9 % of all the campsites that are listed in this trail guide are the ones with existing fire
    rings. The number of existing fire rings (66 in 2003) averages out to like one every two miles.
104.7 ~ ROAD BED CROSSING
104.9 ~ ROAD BED
    The trail goes to the right 45 yards on the road and then goes back in the woods on the left.
105.0 ~ SPRING CROSSING ~ SW
105.1 ~ ROAD BED CROSSING
105.6 ~ BEACON / TRANSPONDER POWER LINE CROSSING ~ 1200'
105.8 ~ POWER LINE CROSSING ~ 1100'
106.0 ~ US 78 BRIDGE ~ HEFLIN ~ 976' ~ CS, TT
    When the trail comes out on AL 281, turn left and go across the US 78 bridge.
    TT ~ Turn left on the paved road that is 50 yards past the bridge and loop around to the stop
    sign at US 78. Go left at the stop sign 2.8 miles to Heflin. Map
    CS ~ Go right at the stop sign 1.3 and 1.5 miles to small stores. The 1.5 store, at the
    intersection of US 78 and AL 9 N., has a short order kitchen.
    WILDFLOWER ~ Black Eyed Susan ~ Yellow ~ May
106.2 ~ SOUTH FS 500 TRAILHEAD ~ 935' ~ LC, SW ~ (Photo)
    After you cross the US 78 bridge, turn right on the gravel road (FS 500) that is 50 yards
    past the bridge. Then go 0.1 miles to the trailhead parking area, which is on the right just past
    the RR tracks. The north trail goes back in the woods behind the Info Board.
    LC, SW ~ The spring crossing is 100 yards north of the Info Board. Go about 30' past the
    spring crossing to a small trail on the right that takes you up to a couple of fire rings. The
    train whistles will keep you hopping all night, so if you have another camp option, you should
    take it.
Northern Terminus / Finish Hike

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Millennium
Legacy Trail
Section 8 Hike Planner

CS ~ Convenience Store
96.7, 106.0
TT ~ Trail Town
106.0
SC ~ Small Camp
99.0, 100.5, 104.4
LC ~ Large Camp
102.1, 102.3, 106.2
TS ~ Trail Shelter
102.1 (planned)
SW ~ Seasonal Water
96.7, 96.9, 99.0, 99.1, 99.4, 99.9, 100.5, 100.9,
103.7, 105.0, 106.2
RW ~ Reliable Water
96.7, 102.0, 102.3
HS ~ Hot Shower
0