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

Trail Guide - Section 13 (ATA)

Trail Data
Trail Club ~ Alabama Trails Association
Hike Direction ~ Northbound
Hike Distance ~ 12.8 Miles
Southern Terminus ~ 126.8 ~ High Point Trailhead
Northern Terminus ~ 139.6 ~ Jackson Chapel Trailhead
ECT Mile Point ~ 1372.5 ~ 1385.3
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.
    128.8, 131.7, 132.4, 133.5, 134.8, 135.9, 136.8, 137.7, 139.3
TS ~ Trail Shelter / Three sided, open front.
    128.8
SW ~ Seasonal Water / Needs rain in the past week.
    139.0, 139.1
RW ~ Reliable Water / Always available.
    126.8, 128.4, 131.7, 132.2, 132.3, 132.4, 132.5, 133.5, 137.6, 137.7,
    137.8, 139.6

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.

126.8 ~ HIGH POINT TRAILHEAD / US 278
    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 20.9 miles, through Piedmont, to US 278. Turn right.
    Go 1.2 miles 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.

131.8 ~ CR 8 / SALEM CHURCH ROAD CROSSING
    From the High Point Trailhead parking area, go back on US 278 0.1 miles to
    CR 45. Turn right.
    Go 0.5 miles to CR 8, just past the Hurricane Creek Bridge. Turn right.
    Go 2.1 miles to the trail crossing.
    The north trail is on the left.
    The south trail is on the right.
    There is limited parking at the gate on the left just before the crossing.
    Don't block this private gate. You can also go past the trail crossing 0.6
    miles to Salem Church and park there. The congregation is familiar with the
    ATA Trail Crew, hikers and have allowed day and overnight parking in the
    past.

139.6 ~ JACKSON CHAPEL TRAILHEAD
    From the High Point Trailhead parking area, go back on US 278 0.1 miles to
    CR 45. Turn right.
    Go 2.7 miles to the dead end / T intersection at Rock Run Road. Turn right.
    Go 5.4 miles to US 411. Turn right.
    Go 5.1 miles to Jackson Chapel Road (look for a large Mountain Springs
    Baptist Church sign on the right). Turn right.
    Go 3.6 miles to the second big yellow gate on the right. The turn in is gravel
    and has enough room for 4 vehicles. Do not block this gate.
    The north trail is a road walk from here to Cave Spring, GA. Continue on
    Jackson Chapel past the trailhead parking area.
    The south trail is on the right, about 25' before the gate.

Trail Guide
126.8 ~ HIGH POINT TRAILHEAD / US 278 ~ 800' ~ TT, RW ~ Photo
    From the trailhead parking area, the north trail turns right on US 278. Go
    0.3 miles, almost to the end of the long straightaway, then enter the woods
    on the left at a large piece of broken concrete drain pipe. Look for the blue
    blaze.
    ROADKILL WARNING ~ You'll probably want to scurry right on across this
    highway!!
    TT, HS ~ Go left on US 278 7.5 miles to Piedmont. Map
    TT, HS ~ Go right 13.4 miles to Cedartown, GA.
    RW ~ Turn right on US 278 and go 0.1 miles to a creek running along the
    left side of the road.
    NEXT RW ~ 1.7 miles.

127.2 ~ ATA SECTION DEDICATION MARKER ~ 900'' ~ (Photo)
    There is a dedication marker for the completion of the ATA Section here at
    the beginning of the trail on the right. The Gerald Willis family owns all of
    the land surrounding the trail from here to a point up past Hurricane Creek
    and have always been good friends of the hiking community. They have also
    granted a land easement for the trail corridor to pass through their
    property. The marker also recognizes the Forever Wild Land Trust, who
    purchased a 594 acre trail corridor from mile 134.6 up to the 136.9 ~
    Georgia State Line. These two actions are a big part of what allowed the
    ATA Section to become a reality. Thank you.

127.3 ~ * THE PITTS 1 ~ (Photo)
    Keep a sharp eye on the blazes through these winding open pit iron ore mines.
    It's kinda like the old Scream Machine at Six Flags !
    MINERAL ~ Hematite (red iron ore) is the Alabama state mineral.

128.4 ~ * DAVIS MOUNTAIN SWITCHBACKS ~ RW ~ (Photo)
    Follow the switchbacks downhill 0.2 miles to the spring. Once you cross the
    spring turn left and go 25 yards on the road bed, then go back in the woods
    on the right for the 0.2 mile switchbacks up to the shelter.
    RW ~ This is the water source for the Davis Mountain Shelter.
    NEXT RW ~ 3.3 miles.

128.8 ~ DAVIS MOUNTAIN SHELTER ~ 1200' ~ LC, TS ~ (Photo)
    The trail goes straight for 10 yards past the shelter on a 4 wheeler road,
    which then turns left and the trail goes straight.
    Winter views from the shelter are mostly southern with Augusta Mine Ridge
    as the centerpiece. The Alabama Trails Association built their first trail
    shelter up here on this classic Rocky Top (9) in June of 2004. The major
    funding for this project was provided through a generous grant from the
    Alabama Power Foundation and additional funding by Alabama Outdoors and the
    ATA. Over 2 years of serious leg work was done before construction even
    began on the site. The building of this shelter was the joint effort of four
    Alabama and Georgia trail clubs and some pretty dedicated hikers! A big
    thanks go out to everyone involved!
    WILDFLOWER ~ Blazing Star / Fall / Purple
    LC, TS ~ The shelter is on the right just off trail and plenty of campsites
    are nearby. There is a metal fire ring with a grill top at the shelter.

128.9 ~ ROAD BED ~ (Photo)
    This is the first of 6 old woods roads that the trail will go straight across in
    the next 0.4 miles.
    INDIAN TRAIL TREE (not authentic) ~ Look for this tree just past the
    crossing. It's on the left about 15' off trail.

129.5 ~ * INDIAN TOP SWITCHBACKS ~ (Photo)
    There is a distant northeast winter view of just the top of Indian Mountain
    here at the beginning of the switchbacks. The part of the mountain that you
    can see is around 4.4 trail miles away at the 133.9 ~ 1500 Foot Overlook.
    FLOWERING TREE ~ Service Berry / Early Spring / White

129.7 ~ ROAD BED
    When you reach the bottom of the switchbacks the trail goes straight across
    this dirt road.

129.8 ~ ROAD BED
    The trail turns right on this dirt road. There is a Pinhoti trail sign across the
    road pointing to the right for northbounders and another one pointing left for
    southbounders. Go 0.2 miles down the road and look closely for another trail
    sign on the right pointing NB'ers to the left back into the woods and SB'ers
    back up the road.

130.5 ~ * HAWK'S REST ~ (Photo)
    This rocky spot is a great place to lay back and watch Hawks floating the
    thermals above the lake at eye level. The ATA Section has several of the
    best overlooks on the Pinhoti.

131.3 ~ * DANTE'S SWITCHBACKS !! ~ (Photo)
    Visions of Dante's H E double L! Just imagine what it was like to build this
    downhill section of trail !! There are great views of Indian Mountain across
    the valley for the next 0.4 miles. The trail reaches the top of the Indian
    Mountain ridge straight out in front of you 1.6 miles away and travels east
    and then northeast to the State Line.
    WILDFLOWER ~ Wild Iris / Early Spring / Purple
    FUNGUS ~ Stump

131.7 ~ HURRICANE CREEK BRIDGE ~ 818' ~ LC, RW ~ (Photo)
    At the bottom of the switchbacks the trail comes to a road bed at the
    creek. Turn left and go 15 yards to the bridge, on the right.
    The old bridge was stolen and has now been replaced with a nice suspension
    bridge. The materials for the new bridge were furnished by the Alabama
    Power Foundation. Thanks guys !
    LC, RW ~ Continue on the roadbed 0.1 miles past the bridge to a large, flat,
    grassy area by the creek.
    NEXT RW ~ 0.5 miles.
    UPDATE JUNE, 05 ~ The bridge has been struck twice by big floating trees
    this year. Repairs have been made and a plan to eliminate the problem is
    underway.

131.8 ~ SALEM CHURCH ROAD / CR 8 ~ 838' ~ (Photo)

132.1 ~ ROAD BED
    When you get to the old road bed, turn right and go 0.1 miles to Hawkins
    Hollow.

132.2 ~ 132.6 ~ HAWKINS HOLLOW ~ RW ~ (Photo)

132.3 ~ CREEK BRIDGE ~ RW ~ (Photo)
    This bridge was built by the ATA Trail Crew on March 17, 2007.
    NEXT RW ~ 0.1 miles.

132.4 ~ HAWKINS HOLLOW TENT PLATFORM ~ LC, RW ~ (Photo)
    The campsite is about halfway through this rocky, steep sided hollow. There
    are some large rock formations on the ridge up behind the camp.  
    NEXT RW ~ 1.1 miles.
    UPDATE JAN, 05 ~ The ATA has built a raised 10' x 12' tent platform at
    this site.
    UPDATE JUNE, 05 ~ A pic-a-nic table has been built here by the ATA.

132.5 ~ * INDIAN MOUNTAIN SWITCHBACKS ~ RW ~ (Photo)
    After the creek crossing, look for the first turn on the right.

132.9 ~ * THE PITTS 2
    On the second road bed, turn left and go 20', then turn right through the big
    Pine blowdown.
    This is a smaller version of The Pitts / 1.

133.5 ~ HUNT CLUB GAP ~ LC, (future RW)
    The trail goes straight across 2 more old road beds.
    WILDFLOWER ~ Aster / Fall / Blue
    LC ~ On the second road bed you can turn left and go 50 yards to some flat,
    leafy, grassy campsites with no fire rings.
    RW ~ Turn right on the road bed and go downhill 100 yards to a future side
    trail on the right that will carry you about 50 yards through the woods to a
    year round spring.
    NEXT RW ~ 4.1 miles.

133.9 ~ 1500 FOOT OVERLOOK ~ 1500' ~ (Photo)
    You can see into Georgia here on the left and if you look to the right you can
    see Davis Mountain in the foreground 2.6 trail miles away, Augusta Mine
    Ridge behind that 11.6 trail miles away, Oakey Mountain behind that 18.7
    trail miles away and Dugger Mountain behind that 25.7 trail miles away.

134.4 ~ * SOUTH FACE SWITCHBACKS ~ (Photo)
    Up near the top of the climb the trees thin out for good winter views looking
    south.
    UPDATE 04 ~ This view is only half of what it was 5 years ago because of a
    mass of fast growing Pines.

134.6 ~ SOUTH FOREVER WILD BOUNDARY ~ (Photo)
    The State of Alabama's Forever Wild Land Trust has purchased a 514 acre
    tract and 80 acre tract for the trail corridor from here to the Georgia
    State Line.

134.8 ~ 1700 FOOT OVERLOOK ~ 1700' ~ LC ~ (Photo)
    The trail goes through an open rocky area with a very broad view of Georgia.
    LC ~ Continue north on the trail about 100' to a few nice leafy flat spots on
    the left complete with a new metal fire ring and grill top. There is also a
    small view of Weiss Lake from the campsite.

135.9 ~ FLAG POLE MOUNTAIN ~ 1968' ~ LC
    The trail goes through the campsite, then makes an immediate right turn to
    circle around the hill crest for 40 yards, then turns left off the 4 wheeler
    road.
    This is the highest trail elevation on Indian Mountain. During WW 2 this area
    was used as a military training site.

136.4 ~ DR. TOM McGEHEE MEMORIAL - (Photo)
    Dr. McGehee (see page 2) had an apparent heart attack and died near here
    while on a trail construction trip with the Alabama Trails Association on
    February 17, 2001. He was an active member of several local, state and
    national outdoor groups and also taught Wilderness First Aid across Alabama.
    The marker was furnished by the Huntsville Sierra Club Chapter who, with
    help from the ATA, carried it up the mountain on Sept. 15, 2001.

136.6 ~ * WEISS LAKE OVERLOOK

136.8 ~ FOREVER WILD WELCOME SIGN ~ LC
    The trail continues past the sign along the ridge line for about 50', then
    starts veering off to the right down the east slope.

136.9 ~ ALABAMA / GEORGIA STATE LINE
    Welcome to Georgia! The trail continues straight past the sign board.
    In July 2005, the Conservation Fund purchased a 650 acre, 2.7 mile trail
    corridor from the state line to the first road crossing on the Georgia side,
    Jackson Chapel Road. As of the fall of 2007, trail construction is still ongoing
    by members of the Alabama Trails Association, Appalachian Trail Club of
    Alabama, Horn Mountain Trail Club, Georgia Pinhoti Trail Association, Alabama
    Hiking Trail Society and the North Alabama Sierra Club.

137.6 ~ SHAGBARK FLATS ~ SW

137.7 ~ SHAGBARK SHELTER (proposed) ~ LC, TS, SW
    This shelter has been named after a very unique species of Hickory. You'll
    find 7 of these beautiful trees within 50' of the shelter site.
    UPDATE ~ On April 21st, 2007, a picnic table was constructed here by the
    ATA, ATCA and the HMTC.

137.8 ~ LEAD DOG BRIDGE ~ RW
    A new footbridge was built across the creek in March, 2007 and was named
    in recognition of ATA member Gene Padgham, whose many years of tireless
    dedication to the Pinhoti Trail are well known to all.

137.9 ~ WOODS ROAD CROSSING
    The trail goes straight across the road.

138.4 ~ WOODS ROAD CROSSING / THE BRIAR PATCH
    The trail crosses this road diagonally to the right.
    This road marks the beginning of a recent clear cut that is just beginning to
    grow back.

138.8 ~ WOODS ROAD CROSSING
    The trail goes straight across the road.

139.0 ~ DOUBLE SPRING CROSSING ~ SW

139.1 ~ CEMENT BOX SPRING ~ SW
    Look for a short side trail on the right that will take you to an old concrete
    spring box. The box is about 2 1/2 feet square and is a good running water
    source that was put here many years ago, probably by the Augusta Mining
    Company.

139.3 ~ THE PITTS 3 ~ LC
    Along through here you will see one of the old open pit iron ore mines that are
    scattered throughout this part of Alabama and Georgia.
    LC ~ The trail follows an old road bed through some of this section and you'll
    find many level places for camping.
    MINERAL ~ Hematite (red iron ore) is the Alabama state mineral.

139.6 ~ JACKSON CHAPEL TRAILHEAD ~ RW
    The trail comes out at the trailhead parking area by the gated Jeep road.
    RW ~ Turn right on Jackson Chapel road and go 100 yards. Look for
    Hematite Creek running under the road.

PTA Site Map
Millennium
Legacy
Trail
Section 13 ~ 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