PTA Site Map
Pinhoti Trail Alliance
Connecting Alabama to the Appalachian Trail

Snail Trail
Section 12 (Previously Alabama Section 1)

Trail Data
Trail Club ~ Appalachian Trail Club of Alabama
Hike Direction ~ Northbound
Hike Distance ~ 16.2 Miles
Southern Terminus ~ 110.6 ~ North USFS 500 Trailhead
Northern Terminus ~ 126.8 ~ High Point Trailhead
ECT Mile Point ~ 1356.3 ~ 1372.5
Trail Description ~ Difficult ~ Dry Rocky Ridges, Long Climbs

Abbreviations
CS ~ Convenience Store / Nice Mom and Pop stores.
    x
TT ~ Trail Town / Large enough for McDonald's.
    126.8
SC ~ Small Campsite / At least one tent site.
    x
LC ~ Large Campsite / At least three tent sites.
    110.9, 113.0, 115.7, 117.0, 118.2, 123.1, 126.0
TS ~ Trail Shelter / Three sided, open front.
    110.9, 117.0
SW ~ Seasonal Water / Needs rain in the past week.
    113.7, 113.9, 115.7, 117.4, 119.4, 123.1, 124.2
RW ~ Reliable Water / Always available.
    110.6, 113.0, 118.7, 126.0, 126.8

Trail Marking
The new standard blazes for marking the Pinhoti are light blue vertical rectangles. The
standard distance between blazes is around 0.1 miles. Most of these are painted on trees
at about eye level and are about the size of a dollar bill. Until this new changeover is
complete, you will also see some white blazes, silver metal diamonds and white plastic
diamonds with a turkey track on them and some white painted turkey tracks. All of these
will guide you in the right direction.

Time vs Distance
To help you judge the time needed to travel from point A to point B, consider that the
average hiking pace is 2 mph:

60 minutes = 2 miles
30 minutes = 1 mile
15 minutes = 1/2 mile

Driving Directions
Be aware that most of these trailheads and road crossings are in pretty isolated areas
and also be aware that you’ll find very few signs pointing the way. Your odometer is going
to become your best friend. Although various cars and trucks tend to measure distances a
little differently, these mileages should be fairly close.

110.6 ~ NORTH USFS 500 TRAILHEAD
    Exit I ~ 20 at US 431, east of Oxford.
    Go north 0.3 miles to US 78. Turn right.
    Go 3.9 miles to AL 9. Turn left.
    Go 10.9 miles to CR 55, at the yellow flashing light. Turn right.
    Go 8.9 miles to USFS 500. Turn left. There is a black mailbox on the right at this
    turn with the address - 20346.
    Go 2.0 miles to the trailhead parking area.
    This is just a pulloff on the left, before the trail crossing, that's big enough for 2
    or 3 vehicles.
    The north trail is on the right.
    The south trail is on the left.

119.1 ~ CR 94 CROSSING
    Follow the North USFS 500 Trailhead directions to the flashing yellow light at CR
    55.
    Continue on AL 9 past the yellow light 10.0 miles, through Piedmont, to US 278.
    Turn right.
    Go 1.2 miles to the 4 way stop sign.
    Go straight across 0.8 miles to the stop sign at CR 70. Turn left.
    Go 5.8 miles to CR 94. Turn right.
    Go appx. 1.0 miles to the crossing.
    The north trail is on the right.
    The south trail on the left.

120.7 ~ CR 70 / MAXWELL GAP
    Follow the CR 94 Crossing directions to the stop sign at CR 70. Turn left.
    Go 4.8 miles to Maxwell Gap, at the top of the ridge.
    The north trail is on the left.
    The south trail is on the right.

126.8 ~ HIGH POINT TRAILHEAD / US 278
    Follow the CR 94 Crossing directions to the 4 way stop sign. Turn left on US 278.
    Go 7.5 miles to the trailhead parking area, on the right, just past the 165 mile
    marker.
    The north trail is 0.3 miles past the trailhead on US 278, almost to the end of the
    long straightaway, on the left (no parking).
    The south trail is behind the Info Board at the trailhead parking area.

Trail Guide
110.6 ~ NORTH USFS 500 TRAILHEAD ~ 860' ~ RW ~ (Photo)
    The north trail is on the right about 50' up the road from the trailhead parking area.
    Every now and then you will come across an area that has been burned. Most times,
    these fires are started by the Forest Service and are called Prescribed Burns.
    The main reason for this is to keep the leaf layer on the ground, which is called
    Duff, thin enough so that if there is an accidental fire in that area, it won't burn
    hot enough to kill all the trees. At the same time, these controlled burns also keep
    the Kudzu like growth of Sweetgum and Red Maple under control. When there is a
    fire caused by nature or man in an area where the Duff is thick enough to kill the
    trees, which is what happened here, this is called a Hot Fire. Sometimes an
    interesting thing happens after a Hot Fire, an annual plant called Fire Weed
    sprouts up, which looks a lot like corn in height and leaf shape, and the area will
    start to resemble a large cornfield. I had the opportunity to see this happen here
    on the north side of USFS 500 in 2002.
    RW ~ This is the water source for the North Dugger Mountain Shelter.
    NEXT RW ~ 2.4 miles.

110.7 ~ NORTH DUGGER MOUNTAIN SHELTER ~ 1020' ~ LC, TS ~ (Photo)
    When you reach the old FS road, the trail goes straight across.
    LC, TS ~ Turn right on the road and go about 50 yards to the shelter site. There
    are a few flat spots near the shelter for camping.
    UPDATE ~This is one of the three shelters built by the USFS in 2006 with grant
    money received after the Pinhoti's designation as a Millennium Legacy Trail. The
    view from the front is Oakey Mountain. Construction of the shelter was completed
    in Feb., 2006.

111.1 ~ OAKEY MOUNTAIN VIEW ~ (Photo)
    There are great views of Oakey on the right for the next half mile due to a "Hot
    Fire" that swept through here a few years ago.

111.6 ~ * ROCKY RIDGE ~ (Photo) ~ (Photo, Snow)

111.7 ~ ROAD BED ~ (Photo)
    When you get to the road bed, turn right and go 0.15 miles. Then go back in the
    woods on the left. Keep an eye out for the blazes.
    HIKER ~ Adze

113.0 ~ TERRAPIN CREEK WATERSHED / OAKEY MTN. ~ 840' ~ LC, RW ~ (Photo)
    When you reach the lake, the trail is going away from the dam. After a short
    distance there is a switchback to the left that takes you back to the dam. The trail
    goes across the top of the dam and then straight into the woods.
    The USDA calls this Floodwater Retarding Dam # 31. It was built in 1972 and the
    lake has a surface area of 49 acres. This dam and the ones at Choccolocco and
    Sweetwater are known as 200 year dams. Notice that there are 2 concrete
    overflows. The engineers estimated that after 100 years the lowest overflow
    would be covered in silt and after 200 years the upper overflow would be covered.
    Then it's time to go to plan B.? When you first get in sight of the lake, there is an
    awesome view of Oakey Mountain rising to 1940'. The trail crosses over her at
    1720' on the far left side, 2.2 miles away from the dam.
    LC, RW ~ There is a campsite at the bottom of the dam by the creek.
    NEXT RW ~ 5.7 miles.
    MOSS ~ British Soldiers
    FLOWERING SHRUB ~ Smooth Hydrangea

113.7 ~ DOUBLE SPRING CROSSING ~ SW ~ (Photo)

113.9 ~ NORTH SPRING CROSSING ~ SW ~ (Photo)

114.0 ~ * LOST TRAIL COVE ~ (Photo)
    There is an unexpected, marked switchback on your left in the back end of a cove.
    It's not marked before the turn, but after you make the turn there is a blaze.
    From here up to the Oakey Mountain Crossing, there are great winter views of the
    western end of Big Tank Ridge and the Piedmont Valley.
    UPDATE 2005: A good sign has been planted in the back of the cove with an arrow
    pointing left for northbounders and right for southbounders.

115.2 ~ OAKEY MOUNTAIN CROSSING ~ 1720' ~  (Photo)
    Here are some great views on the left of Little Tank Ridge in the foreground, Big
    Tank Ridge in the background and Wilson Ridge on the right. These 3 ridges run
    west to east as opposed to Oakey Mountain and Augusta Mine Ridge, which run south
    to north. The trail crosses the east end of Wilson Ridge on its way up to Maxwell
    Gap.

115.3 ~ NORTH OAKEY SWITCHBACKS ~ (Photo)

115.7 ~ NORTH OAKEY CAMPSITE ~ LC, SW
    There is a good seasonal spring crossing here and the fire ring is on the left. This
    area is a little boggy during wet seasons and would probably not be suitable for
    warm weather camping.
    SW ~ This is the south water source for the Oakey Mountain Shelter.

117.0 ~ OAKEY MOUNTAIN SHELTER / ROAD BED ~ LC, TS ~ (Photo)
    When you get to this old road bed, the trail goes straight across.
    LC ~ Go left on the road bed 25 yards to a large, level campsite. There are also
    plenty of level spots at the shelter.
    TS ~ Turn right on the road bed and go 20 yards. Look for the shelter on the right.
    SW ~ The water source is the spring crossing at mile 115.7, or 117.4.
    UPDATE ~ This is one of the three shelters built by the USFS in 2006 with grant
    money received after the Pinhoti's designation as a Millennium Legacy Trail.
    Construction of the shelter was completed in March, 2006.

117.4 ~ SPRING CROSSING ~ SW ~ (Photo by T. C.)
    The watershed area for this spring is pretty large and I've never seen it dry, but
    it's not really big enough for me to want to call it a reliable water source. The
    Terrapin Creek Bridge is 1.1 miles away but getting down to the creek is way above
    and beyond the call of duty! Getting enough water here at this spring to last 8.6
    miles to Lanie Creek is probably your best option.
    SW - This is the north water source for the Oakey Mountain shelter.

118.5 ~ CHIEF LADIGA RAIL TRAIL ~ CLT MILE 7.0 ~ 767'
    The Pinhoti turns right on the a. Ladiga, b. Ladiga Trail.
    This is a Rails to Trails project that is almost completed from Anniston to the
    Georgia state line, near Cedartown. It then hooks up with the almost completed
    Silver Comet Trail and goes on into Atlanta. There were rumors of a proposed
    campground being set up here for hikers and bikers but I haven't heard anything
    for a couple of years now.

118.7 ~ TERRAPIN CREEK BRIDGE ~ 767' ~ RW ~ (Photo by TC)
    RW ~ You will have a difficult time gaining access to the creek at the bridge.
    NEXT RW ~ 7.3 miles.

119.0 ~ CHIEF LADIGA RAIL TRAIL ~ CLT MILE 6.5
    The Pinhoti leaves the Ladiga Trail here on the left. Look for this well marked left
    turn about 50 feet before the CLT 6.5 mile post.

119.1 ~ CR 94 CROSSING ~ 780'
    The trail goes straight across the road.
    There is a steep 600' climb 1/2 mile ahead. Keep an eye out for some stunning
    views on the left of Oakey Mountain and the Terrapin Creek valley below.

119.2 ~ * 94 CAMPSITE ~ 850' ~ LC
    There are several large, level sites in this area without fire rings.

119.4 ~ * 94 SPRING CROSSING ~ 920' ~ SW
    This is a pretty good spring, below a large drainage area.

120.4 ~ WILSON RIDGE CROSSING ~ 1380' - (Photo)

120.7 ~ CR 70 / MAXWELL GAP CROSSING ~ 1156'
    The trail goes diagonally across the road to the left.
    There is another steep climb ahead, only it is 700' this time ! Keep an eye out for
    some great views behind you and on your right of the north side of Wilson Ridge.

120.8 ~ AUGUSTA MINE RIDGE (begin) ~ 1871'
    Once you finish the climb, the trail crosses over to the west side of the ridge. This
    sometimes confusing section of trail will be hopping on and off a 4 wheeler road for
    the next 0.6 miles. Keep a sharp eye out for blazes and curved rows of rocks.
    There are a lot of good winter views through here of the Piedmont valley and at
    several places you will see Wolf Ridge (microwave tower) up ahead where it leaves
    Augusta Mine Ridge and works its way west down into the valley.

122.2 ~ * ROCKY TOP 8 ~ 1871'

122.3 ~ ROBERT R. FURGERSON MEMORIAL PLAQUE ~ (Photo)
    Look for the plaque on a pile of boulders to the right. This section of the Pinhoti was
    made possible through the generosity of Audrey A. Furgerson, who granted a 1500'
    trail easement to us in memory of her late husband, Robert. Thank you. The
    Memorial is on the right.

122.8 ~ AUGUSTA MINE RIDGE (end) ~ 1590' ~  (Photo)
    After a long open descent on the road, there is a wooden sign post on the left
    indicating the last turn off of the road.

123.1 ~ LANIE GAP ~ 1460' ~ LC, SW ~  (Photo)
    There are 4 wheeler roads coming in from the north, south, east and west. The
    Pinhoti comes in from the southeast and immediately leaves northeast. Look for the
    blazes on the right, by the fire ring.
    The trail has now left Augusta Mine Ridge and is on Wolf Ridge.
    SW ~ The headwaters of Lanie Creek begin about 200' east of the Gap (no trail).

123.3 ~ WOLF RIDGE MICROWAVE TOWER ~ 1639' ~  (Photo)
    There are some big rocks lining the trail on the right and the tower is barely visible
    on the left through the Pines.

124.2 ~ LANIE HOLLOW ~ 900' ~ SW ~  (Photo)
    The trail has now left Wolf Ridge (1639') and is on Rock Quarry Mountain (1620').
    There are great views of Lanie Hollow and Augusta Mine Ridge along your right side.
    SW ~ There are 4 spring crossings along the next 1.8 miles.

126.0 ~ LANIE CREEK CROSSING ~ 900' ~ LC, RW ~  (Photo)
    There is a small trail to the left just before the crossing that goes downstream
    about 25' to a better crossing.
    Look for the concrete dam on the creek a little bit past the crossing. About 150
    miles south of here there is a dam that is almost identical to this one on Flagg
    Mountain, the last 1000' + mountain in the Appalachian Chain. That one was built to
    form a small pond like this one that was used as the water source for the CCC
    Tower and Cabins. The old pump house and pump at Flagg Mountain, just below the
    dam, are still intact. Water was pumped 0.25 miles up to the top of the mountain.
    This dam on Lanie Creek may have once been used to supply water for the mine
    workers here.
    INDIAN TRAIL TREE (not authentic) ~  Look for this tree about 0.2 miles north of
    the creek crossing, on the left edge of the trail. Here is a link to the Indian Trail
    Tree Geo Cache home page.
    FORDING HAZARD ~ This creek is about 10' wide, 1' deep and has a little room to
    spread out after a heavy rain, but can get over knee high. Use extreme caution.
    NEXT RW ~ 0.9 miles.

126.8 ~ HIGH POINT TRAILHEAD / US 278 ~ 800' ~ TT, RW ~ (Photo)
    The trail comes out at the trailhead parking area on US 278.
    TT, HS ~ Go left on US 278 7.5 miles to Piedmont. Map
    TT, HS ~ Go right 14.3 miles to Cedartown, GA.
    RW ~ Go right 0.1 miles to a difficult access creek running along the right side of
    the road.
    NEXT RW ~ 1.7 miles.

PTA Site Map
Millennium
Legacy Trail
Section 12 ~ Trail Condition

Northern Terminus

0.0 ~ Trailhead
Brush 200? ~ Blowdowns 200? ~ Blazes 200?
0.0 ~ x
Brush 200? ~ Blowdowns 200? ~ Blazes 200?
0.0 ~ x
Brush 200? ~ Blowdowns 200? ~ Blazes 200?
0.0 ~ x
Brush 200? ~ Blowdowns 200? ~ Blazes 200?
0.0 ~ x
Brush 200? ~ Blowdowns 200? ~ Blazes 200?
0.0 ~ x
Brush 200? ~ Blowdowns 200? ~ Blazes 200?
0.0 ~ x
Brush 200? ~ Blowdowns 200? ~ Blazes 200?
0.0 ~ x
Brush 200? ~ Blowdowns 200? ~ Blazes 200?
0.0 ~ x
Brush 200? ~ Blowdowns 200? ~ Blazes 200?
0.0 ~ x
Brush 200? ~ Blowdowns 200? ~ Blazes 200?
0.0 ~ x
Brush 200? ~ Blowdowns 200? ~ Blazes 200?
0.0 ~ x
Brush 200? ~ Blowdowns 200? ~ Blazes 200?
0.0 ~ Trailhead

Southern Terminus