PTA Site Map
Pinhoti Trail Alliance
Connecting Alabama to the Appalachian Trail
The 14 Day Thru Hike
of the Alabama Section
To be used as a supplement to the Pinhoti Trail Guides
Sure, 14 days is a long time.
140 miles is a long way!
I have done 6 long hikes that add up to 2,120 miles (350, 60, 130, 450, 130, 1000), read a lot
of trail journals and hiker web sites. Everyone seems to agree that it will probably take
anywhere from 4 to 6 weeks to get your trail legs under you. During this time it is
suggested that you should try to keep your daily mileage around 10 miles per day or, if
you’re like me, you’ll just fall out after 10 miles and refuse to go any farther! The 10
miles between camps idea has been widely practiced for many years to get hikers
through this adjustment period.
Most folks are not and never will be in good enough shape to hike continuous 15 or 20
mile days starting on your very first day. This guide has been created specifically for
this large group of hikers who may never have a chance to hike the 240 to 360 miles
that’s needed to get into that kind of shape. The whole purpose of the 10 mile camps is to
give you the best shot possible at finishing this trail, or any trail, happy, healthy and
ready for more.
The Hike
First, let me say that this is my hike, which should not be confused with your hike. Your
daily mileage may / will vary, your campsite choices may / will be different from mine.
Great, always hike your own hike. That’s exactly what I’m doing here and what I do on
the trail. Consider these pages as just a little something to get your own planning started.
I guess that I could have played with the campsite mileages by adding a few miles here
and taking some away there just for convenience sake, but in the end I decided to stick
as close to the 10 mile distances as possible.
There are 13 campsites for the 14 Day Thru Hike and some of these don’t have existing
tent sites or fire rings, some do. Some of the sites don’t have close water sources either,
some do. There will also be a hitch hike to replenish your food supply, which also means
a hot shower and Ice Cream and BBQ and...
While on the trail, I just deal with the inherent challenges the trail dishes out as they
come up, as opposed to doing major pre-planning and preparation. Here again, you may /
will go about this differently. Hike your own hike!
Reliable Water Sources
At each of the 13 campsites listed in this guide there is a footnote called "Next Reliable
Water". There are, at the very least, dozens of seasonal springs along the Pinhoti Trail. A
lot of these springs are at elevations that would require some rain in the past week for
them to be flowing and some of them would require rain in the past day or so.
As a safety precaution, the "Next Reliable Water" footnotes should be what you defer to
in your planning and as a result there will be many days that you need to carry up to a
gallon of water (8 pounds!). This 1 gallon figure assumes that you’ll be drinking
moderately during the day and using 2 cups each for supper and breakfast. Fortunately,
water weight drops pretty fast during a days hike!
The Pinhoti Trail Guides list every seasonal spring on the trail too, so when the time
comes for you to drive out to the trail and start your hike, you can make the decision
then of weather the springs will be running or weather you need to plan on only finding
reliable water sources.
Mid Point Re-supply
The town of Heflin is at mile 71.7, almost at the mid point of your hike, is only 2.8 miles
from the trail. This will be the only full re-supply described here, but there are several
more good size towns within 6 or 8 miles of the trail.
In this town stop I’ve included an overnight in a motel. So, you’ll have a chance to re-
supply your food, get yourself cleaned up, do laundry and get a couple of big meals
inside you.
There are also 2 small Mom and Pop convenience stores that are within walking distance
of the trail. Two of these stores will add 2 to 3 miles and about 1 or 2 hours to your day,
Able Mall at mile 57.2 and Parks Store at mile 62.4.
At mile 45.0, the trail will come within 0.2 miles of Cheaha State Park. There is a small
convenience store there and a very nice restaurant. Taking advantage of both of these
would allow you to start your hike carrying only 4 days of snacks instead of 7 and 1 less
lunch.
Leave No Trace
Well, so far so good, huh? All of that hike your own hike stuff was very nice and
politically correct, right? So, I guess this is where I put on one of my local trail club
t-shirts and draw the line in the sand : )
This is about you and your campsite. When you shoulder your pack in the morning and
hit the trail, go about 10’ and turn around. If it looks any different than it did when you
first saw it the day before (other than carrying out trash left by some bald headed, bow
legged, big eared fool!), then you have done a dis-service to every hiker that comes along
after you.
Leave No Trace. www.lnt.org
The Campsites
Northern Terminus
Finish Hike --- 144.6 ~ Cave Spring, Georgia -- Home
Campsite 13 --- 130.5 ~ Hawks Rest Overlook -- Next Camp ~ 14.1
Campsite 12 --- 120.4 ~ Wilson Ridge Crossing - Next Camp ~ 10.1
Campsite 11 --- 110.0 ~ Dugger Mtn. Shelter ---- Next Camp ~ 10.4
Campsite 10 --- 100.4 ~ Choccolocco Shelter ------ Next Camp ~ 9.6
Campsite 9 ----- 90.1 ~ Laurel Shelter ------------- Next Camp ~ 10.3
Campsite 8 ----- 79.7 ~ Lower Shoal Shelter ----- Next Camp ~ 10.4
Campsite 7 ----- 71.7 ~ Heflin Re-Supply ------ Next Camp ~ 8.0
Campsite 6 ----- 60.2 ~ Horseblock Tower -------- Next Camp ~ 11.5
Campsite 5 ----- 50.0 ~ CCC Road Crossing ------ Next Camp ~ 10.2
Campsite 4 ----- 39.5 ~ Little Caney Head -------- Next Camp ~ 10.5
Campsite 3 ----- 30.1 ~ Burgess Pt. Tower -------- Next Camp ~ 9.4
Campsite 2 ----- 20.3 ~ Rocky Top 1 ---------------- Next Camp ~ 9.8
Campsite 1 ----- 9.8 ~ Horn Mtn. Tower --------- Next Camp ~ 10.5
Start Hike ------ 0.0 ~ Bull Gap Trailhead ------ Next Camp ~ 9.8
Southern Terminus
Directions to the Trail
Yep, a week or two is a long time to leave a vehicle unattended at either end of this trail
because both trailheads are fairly isolated and you should probably avoid choosing this
option if possible. What I'll try to do here is give you an alternative that I feel is the
safest and most easily managed way to get to and from the trail.
From several section hikes on the Appalachian Trail in Georgia, Tennessee and Virginia,
I’ve learned that what works best for me is to drive my vehicle up to where I want to
finish my hike and leave it there. Then I’ll get a ride down to where I want to start
hiking.
For a thru hike on the Pinhoti, what I would probably do is call the Police Station in
Cave Spring, GA and arrange to leave my vehicle there for 2 weeks. Then I would get a
friend to follow me up to the Police Station and leave my vehicle, keys, contact info and
expected date of return with them. Then ride with said friend down to the southern end
of the Pinhoti at the Bull Gap Trailhead and be dropped off. After hiking up to the
northern end of the trail at Jackson Chapel Road, I would walk / hitchhike the 6 miles to
the Police Station and get my car.
It’s about 100 road miles from Cave Spring to Bull Gap and there’s a pretty good chance
that you could pay someone around the Police Station to give you a ride to Bull Gap if
you can’t find a friend to do it. The shuttle rate around the Appalachian Trail is about
$1.00 per mile from where you are picked up to where you‘re dropped off.
You’re probably already thinking that there are a lot different ways you could do this
and you’re right. The basic idea here is for you to find a secure place in Cave Spring to
stash your vehicle. From that point the options are pretty much wide open. Hope this
helps.
Here is how to drive to the Police Station in Cave Spring, GA:
Exit from I-20 at US 431, 0.0 miles east of Oxford, AL.
Go north on US 431 0.3 miles to US 78. Turn right.
Go 0.0 miles to AL 9. Turn left.
Go 0.0 miles to US 411 in Center, AL. Turn right.
Go 0.0 miles to the Police Station in Cave Spring, GA.
Here is how to drive from the Police Station to the beginning of the Pinhoti at the Bull
Gap Trailhead:
From the Police Station in Cave Spring, go west on US 411 0.0 miles to AL 9 in Center,
AL. Turn Left.
Go 0.0 miles to US 78. Turn right.
Go 0.0 miles to US 431. Turn left.
Go 0.3 miles to I-20. Turn right.
Go 0.0 miles to the AL 21 exit in Oxford AL. Turn left.
Go 0.0 miles to AL 148 in downtown Sylacauga, AL. Turn left.
Go 10.5 miles to the first dirt road on the left, Old Rocky Mountain Road / USFS 607, on
top of the ridge. Turn left.
Go 50 yards to the beginning of the Pinhoti, on the right.
Here’s how to walk / hitchhike from the end of the woods trail at Jackson Chapel Road
and begin the road walk to the Police Station:
Turn right on Jackson Chapel Rd.
Go 1.5 miles to the dead end / T intersection. Turn left on the dirt road.
Go 0.5 miles to GA 100. Turn left.
Go 4.0 miles to Cave Spring, GA, at the intersection of GA 100 and US 411.
Go 0.0 miles to the Police Station.
START HIKE
0.0 ~ BULL GAP TRAILHEAD / AL 148 ~ 0000' ~ TT, HS
CAMPSITE 1 ~ 9.8 miles.
NEXT RELIABLE WATER ~ The next reliable water source is at mile 14.5. You will need
to start out from here today with at least a gallon per person to last you until lunch
tomorrow.
FOOD SUPPLY ~ Here is how much food you will need until you reach the Heflin re-
supply at mile 71.7.
Breakfast: 6 days (eat breakfast before getting to the trail)
Lunch: 6 days
Supper: 6 days
Snacks: 4 days (buy 2 more snack days at mile 45.0)
CAMPSITE 1
9.8 ~ HORN MOUNTAIN FIRE TOWER ~ 1912’ ~ LC
CAMPSITE 2 ~ 10.5 miles.
NEXT RELIABLE WATER ~ The next reliable water source is at mile 14.5. You will need
to carry at least 3 quarts per person from there to last you until mile 21.4.
LC ~ You can turn right on the power line right of way and go UPHILL 0.1 miles to the
Tower.
CAMPSITE 2
20.3 ~ * ROCKY TOP 1 ~ 1450'
CAMPSITE 3 ~ 9.8 miles.
NEXT RELIABLE WATER ~ The next reliable water source is at mile 21.4. You will need
to carry at least a gallon per person from there to last you until mile 33.3.
CAMPSITE ~ There is no existing camp here so you’ll need to find a level spot in the
small gap just before the rock.
CAMPSITE 3
30.1 ~ BURGESS POINT FIRE TOWER (missing) ~ 1870' ~ LC
CAMPSITE 4 ~ 9.4 miles. (plus 1.6 miles off trail and back for water)
NEXT RELIABLE WATER ~ The next reliable water source is at mile 33.3. This will
require a 1.6 mile round trip on the Skyway Loop Trail. You will need to carry at least a
gallon per person from there to last you until mile 45.0.
LC ~ About 5' before you get to the 30.1 ~ USFS 600 Crossing there is an old grownup road
bed on your left that goes up to the Point.There is a fire ring and grassy spot inside the 4
concrete corner blocks.
CAMPSITE 4
39.5 ~ LITTLE CANEY HEAD (MOUNTAIN) ~ 2100' ~ LC, SW
CAMPSITE 5 ~ 10.5 miles. (plus 0.4 miles off trail and back for water)
NEXT RELIABLE WATER ~ The next reliable water source is at mile 45.0, Cheaha State
Park. Go left on AL 281 0.2 miles to the park entrance. You will need to carry at least 3
quarts per person from there to last you until mile 51.0.
LC ~ Little Caney Head is a busy place with 6 fire rings.
SW ~ The spring is 50' down the CST, on the left.
CAMPSITE 5
50.0 ~ CCC ROAD CROSSING ~ 1275' ~ LC, SW
CAMPSITE 6 ~ 10.2 miles.
NEXT RELIABLE WATER ~ You’ll find plenty of reliable sources ahead so you won’t need
to carry more than a quart per person.
CAMPSITE ~ There is a fire ring on the left just before this closed road.
CAMPSITE 6
60.2 ~ HORSEBLOCK MTN. FIRE TOWER (standing) ~ LC, RW
CAMPSITE 7 ~ 11.5 miles. (Heflin / Ho Jo Motel!)
NEXT RELIABLE WATER ~ Start from camp with 2 quarts to get you into Heflin at mile
71.7.
RE-SUPPLY MESSAGE ~ You’ll need to get an early start in the morning so that you can
make it to Heflin in time to get your town chores done in the afternoon.
CAMPSITE 7 / RE-SUPPLY
71.7 ~ US 78 CROSSING ~ HEFLIN ~ 980' ~ CS, TT
FOOD RE-SUPPLY
Here is what you will need to get you to the end of your hike:
Breakfast: 6 days
Lunch: 7 days
Supper: 6 days
Snacks: 7 days
GETTING AROUND HEFLIN
Once you have made it into Heflin and turned right on AL 9 (the large 5 lane road) your
first stop will be the grocery store. Go 0.4 miles to BecWaynes Food Land, on the right,
for a full re-supply. After buying all of your stuff, go sit out on the sidewalk in front of
the store and eat that pint of ice cream that you couldn’t help buying : ) Now you’ll need
to re-package all of your food and put it in your pack.
Your next stop is the Howard Johnson’s Motel for laundry, a shower or two and a big
meal or two. Walk back out to AL 9, with your huge pack, and go right 1.0 miles to a
string of restaurants on the left. Look for the Howard Johnson’s behind the string of
restaurants. There is a washing machine and dryer outside by the coke machines at the
motel. You can make reservations at the motel by calling XXXXXXXX. Heflin is a nice old
southern town. The downtown area is back up on US 78, just past where you turned off
on AL 9. It has banks, a library, laundry, hardware store, dollar store, grocery store and
more restaurants but the Howard Johnson’s is the only motel in Heflin,
GETTING BACK TO THE TRAIL
Go back up AL 9 to US 78 and turn left. Go 2.8 miles to just past the overhead bridge and
turn right. Go to the stop sign at AL 281. Go straight across onto the gravel road and
continue 0.1 miles to the 71.9 ~ USFS 500 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.
NEXT RELIABLE WATER ~ Leave the motel with 2 quarts per person.
CAMPSITE 8 ~ 8.0 miles.
CAMPSITE 8
79.7 ~ LOWER SHOAL SHELTER ~ LC, TS, RW
CAMPSITE 9 ~ 10.4 miles.
NEXT RELIABLE WATER ~ You’ll find plenty of reliable sources ahead so you won’t need
to carry more than a quart per person.
CAMPSITE ~ There are also some flat spots near the shelter.
CAMPSITE 9
90.1 ~ LAUREL SHELTER ~ 1100' ~ LC, TS, RW
CAMPSITE 10 ~ 10.3 miles.
NEXT RELIABLE WATER ~ You’ll find plenty of reliable sources ahead so you won’t need
to carry more than a quart per person.
CAMPSITE ~ There are also some flat spots near the shelter.
CAMPSITE 10
100.4 ~ * CHOCCOLOCCO SHELTER (2006) ~ TS, RW
CAMPSITE 11 ~ 10.5 miles.
NEXT RELIABLE WATER ~ The next reliable water source is at mile 110.6 and you will
need to carry at least 2 quarts per person from camp to reach there. From mile 110.6 you
will need to carry at least 3 quarts to last you until mile 113.0.
CAMPSITE ~ There are also some flat spots near the shelter.
CAMPSITE 11
110.9 ~ * NORTH DUGGER MTN SHELTER (2006)
CAMPSITE 12 ~ 9.5 miles.
NEXT RELIABLE WATER ~ The last reliable water source before your next campsite is at
mile 118.7 but I wouldn’t try to climb down to Terrapin Creek unless I was dying of
thirst! So your best bet may be to get water at the next reliable source at mile 113.0,
either from the lake or the creek below the dam. You will need to carry at least a gallon
per person to last you until mile 126.0.
CAMPSITE ~ There are also some flat spots near the shelter.
CAMPSITE 12
120.4 ~ WILSON RIDGE CROSSING ~ 1380'
CAMPSITE 13 ~ 10.1 miles.
NEXT RELIABLE WATER ~ The next reliable water source is at mile 126.0. From there
you will need to carry at least a gallon per person to last you until mile 132.4.
CAMPSITE ~ You’ll need to look off trail on the right for a flat spot.
CAMPSITE 13
130.5 ~ * HAWK'S REST
FINISH HIKE ~ 14.1 miles : )
NEXT RELIABLE WATER ~ There are several reliable water sources ahead so you will
only need to carry 2 quarts per person from mile 132.4 to mile 139.9 and then 1 quart to
Cave Spring.
CAMPSITE ~ You’ll need to look for a flat spot either before or after this rocky area.
FINISH HIKE
144.6 - CAVE SPRING, GA
When you reach the Jackson Chapel Trailhead, turn right on Jackson Chapel Rd.
Go 1.5 miles to the dead end / T intersection. Turn left on the dirt road.
Go 0.5 miles to GA 100. Turn left.
Go 4.0 miles to Cave Spring, GA, at the intersection of GA 100 and US 411.
Go 0.0 miles to the Police Station.
PTA Site Map
Pinhoti Trail Alliance
Connecting Alabama to the Appalachian Trail
The 14 Day Thru Hike
of the Alabama Section
To be used as a supplement to the Pinhoti Trail Guides
Sure, 14 days is a long time.
140 miles is a long way!
I have done 6 long hikes that add up to 2,120 miles (350, 60, 130, 450, 130, 1000), read a lot
of trail journals and hiker web sites. Everyone seems to agree that it will probably take
anywhere from 4 to 6 weeks to get your trail legs under you. During this time it is
suggested that you should try to keep your daily mileage around 10 miles per day or, if
you’re like me, you’ll just fall out after 10 miles and refuse to go any farther! The 10
miles between camps idea has been widely practiced for many years to get hikers
through this adjustment period.
Most folks are not and never will be in good enough shape to hike continuous 15 or 20
mile days starting on your very first day. This guide has been created specifically for
this large group of hikers who may never have a chance to hike the 240 to 360 miles
that’s needed to get into that kind of shape. The whole purpose of the 10 mile camps is to
give you the best shot possible at finishing this trail, or any trail, happy, healthy and
ready for more.
The Hike
First, let me say that this is my hike, which should not be confused with your hike. Your
daily mileage may / will vary, your campsite choices may / will be different from mine.
Great, always hike your own hike. That’s exactly what I’m doing here and what I do on
the trail. Consider these pages as just a little something to get your own planning started.
I guess that I could have played with the campsite mileages by adding a few miles here
and taking some away there just for convenience sake, but in the end I decided to stick
as close to the 10 mile distances as possible.
There are 13 campsites for the 14 Day Thru Hike and some of these don’t have existing
tent sites or fire rings, some do. Some of the sites don’t have close water sources either,
some do. There will also be a hitch hike to replenish your food supply, which also means
a hot shower and Ice Cream and BBQ and...
While on the trail, I just deal with the inherent challenges the trail dishes out as they
come up, as opposed to doing major pre-planning and preparation. Here again, you may /
will go about this differently. Hike your own hike!
Reliable Water Sources
At each of the 13 campsites listed in this guide there is a footnote called "Next Reliable
Water". There are, at the very least, dozens of seasonal springs along the Pinhoti Trail. A
lot of these springs are at elevations that would require some rain in the past week for
them to be flowing and some of them would require rain in the past day or so.
As a safety precaution, the "Next Reliable Water" footnotes should be what you defer to
in your planning and as a result there will be many days that you need to carry up to a
gallon of water (8 pounds!). This 1 gallon figure assumes that you’ll be drinking
moderately during the day and using 2 cups each for supper and breakfast. Fortunately,
water weight drops pretty fast during a days hike!
The Pinhoti Trail Guides list every seasonal spring on the trail too, so when the time
comes for you to drive out to the trail and start your hike, you can make the decision
then of weather the springs will be running or weather you need to plan on only finding
reliable water sources.
Mid Point Re-supply
The town of Heflin is at mile 71.7, almost at the mid point of your hike, is only 2.8 miles
from the trail. This will be the only full re-supply described here, but there are several
more good size towns within 6 or 8 miles of the trail.
In this town stop I’ve included an overnight in a motel. So, you’ll have a chance to re-
supply your food, get yourself cleaned up, do laundry and get a couple of big meals
inside you.
There are also 2 small Mom and Pop convenience stores that are within walking distance
of the trail. Two of these stores will add 2 to 3 miles and about 1 or 2 hours to your day,
Able Mall at mile 57.2 and Parks Store at mile 62.4.
At mile 45.0, the trail will come within 0.2 miles of Cheaha State Park. There is a small
convenience store there and a very nice restaurant. Taking advantage of both of these
would allow you to start your hike carrying only 4 days of snacks instead of 7 and 1 less
lunch.
Leave No Trace
Well, so far so good, huh? All of that hike your own hike stuff was very nice and
politically correct, right? So, I guess this is where I put on one of my local trail club
t-shirts and draw the line in the sand : )
This is about you and your campsite. When you shoulder your pack in the morning and
hit the trail, go about 10’ and turn around. If it looks any different than it did when you
first saw it the day before (other than carrying out trash left by some bald headed, bow
legged, big eared fool!), then you have done a dis-service to every hiker that comes along
after you.
Leave No Trace. www.lnt.org
The Campsites
Northern Terminus
Finish Hike --- 144.6 ~ Cave Spring, Georgia -- Home
Campsite 13 --- 130.5 ~ Hawks Rest Overlook -- Next Camp ~ 14.1
Campsite 12 --- 120.4 ~ Wilson Ridge Crossing - Next Camp ~ 10.1
Campsite 11 --- 110.0 ~ Dugger Mtn. Shelter ---- Next Camp ~ 10.4
Campsite 10 --- 100.4 ~ Choccolocco Shelter ------ Next Camp ~ 9.6
Campsite 9 ----- 90.1 ~ Laurel Shelter ------------- Next Camp ~ 10.3
Campsite 8 ----- 79.7 ~ Lower Shoal Shelter ----- Next Camp ~ 10.4
Campsite 7 ----- 71.7 ~ Heflin Re-Supply ------ Next Camp ~ 8.0
Campsite 6 ----- 60.2 ~ Horseblock Tower -------- Next Camp ~ 11.5
Campsite 5 ----- 50.0 ~ CCC Road Crossing ------ Next Camp ~ 10.2
Campsite 4 ----- 39.5 ~ Little Caney Head -------- Next Camp ~ 10.5
Campsite 3 ----- 30.1 ~ Burgess Pt. Tower -------- Next Camp ~ 9.4
Campsite 2 ----- 20.3 ~ Rocky Top 1 ---------------- Next Camp ~ 9.8
Campsite 1 ----- 9.8 ~ Horn Mtn. Tower --------- Next Camp ~ 10.5
Start Hike ------ 0.0 ~ Bull Gap Trailhead ------ Next Camp ~ 9.8
Southern Terminus
Directions to the Trail
Yep, a week or two is a long time to leave a vehicle unattended at either end of this trail
because both trailheads are fairly isolated and you should probably avoid choosing this
option if possible. What I'll try to do here is give you an alternative that I feel is the
safest and most easily managed way to get to and from the trail.
From several section hikes on the Appalachian Trail in Georgia, Tennessee and Virginia,
I’ve learned that what works best for me is to drive my vehicle up to where I want to
finish my hike and leave it there. Then I’ll get a ride down to where I want to start
hiking.
For a thru hike on the Pinhoti, what I would probably do is call the Police Station in
Cave Spring, GA and arrange to leave my vehicle there for 2 weeks. Then I would get a
friend to follow me up to the Police Station and leave my vehicle, keys, contact info and
expected date of return with them. Then ride with said friend down to the southern end
of the Pinhoti at the Bull Gap Trailhead and be dropped off. After hiking up to the
northern end of the trail at Jackson Chapel Road, I would walk / hitchhike the 6 miles to
the Police Station and get my car.
It’s about 100 road miles from Cave Spring to Bull Gap and there’s a pretty good chance
that you could pay someone around the Police Station to give you a ride to Bull Gap if
you can’t find a friend to do it. The shuttle rate around the Appalachian Trail is about
$1.00 per mile from where you are picked up to where you‘re dropped off.
You’re probably already thinking that there are a lot different ways you could do this
and you’re right. The basic idea here is for you to find a secure place in Cave Spring to
stash your vehicle. From that point the options are pretty much wide open. Hope this
helps.
Here is how to drive to the Police Station in Cave Spring, GA:
Exit from I-20 at US 431, 0.0 miles east of Oxford, AL.
Go north on US 431 0.3 miles to US 78. Turn right.
Go 0.0 miles to AL 9. Turn left.
Go 0.0 miles to US 411 in Center, AL. Turn right.
Go 0.0 miles to the Police Station in Cave Spring, GA.
Here is how to drive from the Police Station to the beginning of the Pinhoti at the Bull
Gap Trailhead:
From the Police Station in Cave Spring, go west on US 411 0.0 miles to AL 9 in Center,
AL. Turn Left.
Go 0.0 miles to US 78. Turn right.
Go 0.0 miles to US 431. Turn left.
Go 0.3 miles to I-20. Turn right.
Go 0.0 miles to the AL 21 exit in Oxford AL. Turn left.
Go 0.0 miles to AL 148 in downtown Sylacauga, AL. Turn left.
Go 10.5 miles to the first dirt road on the left, Old Rocky Mountain Road / USFS 607, on
top of the ridge. Turn left.
Go 50 yards to the beginning of the Pinhoti, on the right.
Here’s how to walk / hitchhike from the end of the woods trail at Jackson Chapel Road
and begin the road walk to the Police Station:
Turn right on Jackson Chapel Rd.
Go 1.5 miles to the dead end / T intersection. Turn left on the dirt road.
Go 0.5 miles to GA 100. Turn left.
Go 4.0 miles to Cave Spring, GA, at the intersection of GA 100 and US 411.
Go 0.0 miles to the Police Station.
START HIKE
0.0 ~ BULL GAP TRAILHEAD / AL 148 ~ 0000' ~ TT, HS
CAMPSITE 1 ~ 9.8 miles.
NEXT RELIABLE WATER ~ The next reliable water source is at mile 14.5. You will need
to start out from here today with at least a gallon per person to last you until lunch
tomorrow.
FOOD SUPPLY ~ Here is how much food you will need until you reach the Heflin re-
supply at mile 71.7.
Breakfast: 6 days (eat breakfast before getting to the trail)
Lunch: 6 days
Supper: 6 days
Snacks: 4 days (buy 2 more snack days at mile 45.0)
CAMPSITE 1
9.8 ~ HORN MOUNTAIN FIRE TOWER ~ 1912’ ~ LC
CAMPSITE 2 ~ 10.5 miles.
NEXT RELIABLE WATER ~ The next reliable water source is at mile 14.5. You will need
to carry at least 3 quarts per person from there to last you until mile 21.4.
LC ~ You can turn right on the power line right of way and go UPHILL 0.1 miles to the
Tower.
CAMPSITE 2
20.3 ~ * ROCKY TOP 1 ~ 1450'
CAMPSITE 3 ~ 9.8 miles.
NEXT RELIABLE WATER ~ The next reliable water source is at mile 21.4. You will need
to carry at least a gallon per person from there to last you until mile 33.3.
CAMPSITE ~ There is no existing camp here so you’ll need to find a level spot in the
small gap just before the rock.
CAMPSITE 3
30.1 ~ BURGESS POINT FIRE TOWER (missing) ~ 1870' ~ LC
CAMPSITE 4 ~ 9.4 miles. (plus 1.6 miles off trail and back for water)
NEXT RELIABLE WATER ~ The next reliable water source is at mile 33.3. This will
require a 1.6 mile round trip on the Skyway Loop Trail. You will need to carry at least a
gallon per person from there to last you until mile 45.0.
LC ~ About 5' before you get to the 30.1 ~ USFS 600 Crossing there is an old grownup road
bed on your left that goes up to the Point.There is a fire ring and grassy spot inside the 4
concrete corner blocks.
CAMPSITE 4
39.5 ~ LITTLE CANEY HEAD (MOUNTAIN) ~ 2100' ~ LC, SW
CAMPSITE 5 ~ 10.5 miles. (plus 0.4 miles off trail and back for water)
NEXT RELIABLE WATER ~ The next reliable water source is at mile 45.0, Cheaha State
Park. Go left on AL 281 0.2 miles to the park entrance. You will need to carry at least 3
quarts per person from there to last you until mile 51.0.
LC ~ Little Caney Head is a busy place with 6 fire rings.
SW ~ The spring is 50' down the CST, on the left.
CAMPSITE 5
50.0 ~ CCC ROAD CROSSING ~ 1275' ~ LC, SW
CAMPSITE 6 ~ 10.2 miles.
NEXT RELIABLE WATER ~ You’ll find plenty of reliable sources ahead so you won’t need
to carry more than a quart per person.
CAMPSITE ~ There is a fire ring on the left just before this closed road.
CAMPSITE 6
60.2 ~ HORSEBLOCK MTN. FIRE TOWER (standing) ~ LC, RW
CAMPSITE 7 ~ 11.5 miles. (Heflin / Ho Jo Motel!)
NEXT RELIABLE WATER ~ Start from camp with 2 quarts to get you into Heflin at mile
71.7.
RE-SUPPLY MESSAGE ~ You’ll need to get an early start in the morning so that you can
make it to Heflin in time to get your town chores done in the afternoon.
CAMPSITE 7 / RE-SUPPLY
71.7 ~ US 78 CROSSING ~ HEFLIN ~ 980' ~ CS, TT
FOOD RE-SUPPLY
Here is what you will need to get you to the end of your hike:
Breakfast: 6 days
Lunch: 7 days
Supper: 6 days
Snacks: 7 days
GETTING AROUND HEFLIN
Once you have made it into Heflin and turned right on AL 9 (the large 5 lane road) your
first stop will be the grocery store. Go 0.4 miles to BecWaynes Food Land, on the right,
for a full re-supply. After buying all of your stuff, go sit out on the sidewalk in front of
the store and eat that pint of ice cream that you couldn’t help buying : ) Now you’ll need
to re-package all of your food and put it in your pack.
Your next stop is the Howard Johnson’s Motel for laundry, a shower or two and a big
meal or two. Walk back out to AL 9, with your huge pack, and go right 1.0 miles to a
string of restaurants on the left. Look for the Howard Johnson’s behind the string of
restaurants. There is a washing machine and dryer outside by the coke machines at the
motel. You can make reservations at the motel by calling XXXXXXXX. Heflin is a nice old
southern town. The downtown area is back up on US 78, just past where you turned off
on AL 9. It has banks, a library, laundry, hardware store, dollar store, grocery store and
more restaurants but the Howard Johnson’s is the only motel in Heflin,
GETTING BACK TO THE TRAIL
Go back up AL 9 to US 78 and turn left. Go 2.8 miles to just past the overhead bridge and
turn right. Go to the stop sign at AL 281. Go straight across onto the gravel road and
continue 0.1 miles to the 71.9 ~ USFS 500 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.
NEXT RELIABLE WATER ~ Leave the motel with 2 quarts per person.
CAMPSITE 8 ~ 8.0 miles.
CAMPSITE 8
79.7 ~ LOWER SHOAL SHELTER ~ LC, TS, RW
CAMPSITE 9 ~ 10.4 miles.
NEXT RELIABLE WATER ~ You’ll find plenty of reliable sources ahead so you won’t need
to carry more than a quart per person.
CAMPSITE ~ There are also some flat spots near the shelter.
CAMPSITE 9
90.1 ~ LAUREL SHELTER ~ 1100' ~ LC, TS, RW
CAMPSITE 10 ~ 10.3 miles.
NEXT RELIABLE WATER ~ You’ll find plenty of reliable sources ahead so you won’t need
to carry more than a quart per person.
CAMPSITE ~ There are also some flat spots near the shelter.
CAMPSITE 10
100.4 ~ * CHOCCOLOCCO SHELTER (2006) ~ TS, RW
CAMPSITE 11 ~ 10.5 miles.
NEXT RELIABLE WATER ~ The next reliable water source is at mile 110.6 and you will
need to carry at least 2 quarts per person from camp to reach there. From mile 110.6 you
will need to carry at least 3 quarts to last you until mile 113.0.
CAMPSITE ~ There are also some flat spots near the shelter.
CAMPSITE 11
110.9 ~ * NORTH DUGGER MTN SHELTER (2006)
CAMPSITE 12 ~ 9.5 miles.
NEXT RELIABLE WATER ~ The last reliable water source before your next campsite is at
mile 118.7 but I wouldn’t try to climb down to Terrapin Creek unless I was dying of
thirst! So your best bet may be to get water at the next reliable source at mile 113.0,
either from the lake or the creek below the dam. You will need to carry at least a gallon
per person to last you until mile 126.0.
CAMPSITE ~ There are also some flat spots near the shelter.
CAMPSITE 12
120.4 ~ WILSON RIDGE CROSSING ~ 1380'
CAMPSITE 13 ~ 10.1 miles.
NEXT RELIABLE WATER ~ The next reliable water source is at mile 126.0. From there
you will need to carry at least a gallon per person to last you until mile 132.4.
CAMPSITE ~ You’ll need to look off trail on the right for a flat spot.
CAMPSITE 13
130.5 ~ * HAWK'S REST
FINISH HIKE ~ 14.1 miles : )
NEXT RELIABLE WATER ~ There are several reliable water sources ahead so you will
only need to carry 2 quarts per person from mile 132.4 to mile 139.9 and then 1 quart to
Cave Spring.
CAMPSITE ~ You’ll need to look for a flat spot either before or after this rocky area.
FINISH HIKE
144.6 - CAVE SPRING, GA
When you reach the Jackson Chapel Trailhead, turn right on Jackson Chapel Rd.
Go 1.5 miles to the dead end / T intersection. Turn left on the dirt road.
Go 0.5 miles to GA 100. Turn left.
Go 4.0 miles to Cave Spring, GA, at the intersection of GA 100 and US 411.
Go 0.0 miles to the Police Station.
PTA Site Map
| Millennium Legacy Trail |
