To learn more, please visit the About This Site page. Overall, we hiked around 6 miles to and from. Wandering Monk Hikes Day 5 on the Foothills Trail | Climbing Heartbreak RidgeHello everyone welcome! The Foothills Trail Conservancy has a detailed, informative website, including maps, elevations profiles, shuttle information and more. Hikers should plan ahead for shuttle transport. Whitewater Falls (miles 30-31.7): Six different falls that tumble a total of 800 feet, making it the highest waterfall east of the Mississippi River. Photo: Clay Bonnyman Evans photo. I was meeting a friend Wednesday evening at the Bad Creek access area so we had planned to take our time hiking those 33 miles so we would arrive there on Wednesday. The eastern end of the trail includes some strenuous climbing, including the infamous 500 steps up Heartbreak Ridge and the summit of Sassafras Mountain, but there are also long stretches of easy strolling. For the next 0.7 miles, we ascended and descended over 400 steps! Dont forget the insect repellent youll want it. . This route was very challenging, but worth it in the end, when you are back home with your feet up :), Laurel Fork Falls to Canebrake Point-to-point using boat shuttle. PO Box 3041 The next third of the Foothills Trail winds down into North Carolina, providing spectacular views of Lake Jocassee to the South before a long slow descent entwining through the Jocassee Gorges. Be sure to. Did the 5 day plan. Waterfalls abound at mile 16.3 via a side trail at King Creek Falls, and another at mile 23.2. Navigation: The trail is well-marked with white blazes and easily navigable, though as always, you can get off track if you arent paying attention. Jan 11, 2021; PART 5 - Solo on the Foothills Trail. Photo: Clay Bonnyman Evans. After a week on the trail I had made it to my last night. I was very impressed by the size and power of this waterfall! The trail crosses several roads leading to nearby small towns. Hey, Mike N. Im the author of this piece. Tougher than expected but had a great time. gain approximately 10,900 feet of elevation, while north/eastbounders (NEBOs?) I have participated for the last 4 years great event!! Waterfalls abound, their distinctive rush mixes with sounds of wind and wildlife. If you are approaching this parking area from the North, it is 8.5 miles south of the junction of US 64 and NC 281 in Sapphire, North Carolina. Steep Steps (Heart Break Ridge) Longest Suspension Bridge on the Foothills Trail Crosses the Toxaway River Hiking along Lake Jocassee Shoreline Trail Head: Cane Brake Trail to Frozen Creek Access All orders over $60 receive FREE shipping! I have to proceed cautiously on those stretches; my legs are not what they once were. Generally considered a challenging route, it takes an average of 8 h 58 min to complete. Immediately bear right onto the unpaved fork and continue to the Foothills Trail parking area about 0.3 mile on the left. Be careful, be safe, be hiking!!! Your IP: Click on any map and youll see what Im talking about. More. Continue on an old road to your left after entering a field to . Im much more inclined to fall going down one of these steep descents. Theres a section known as heart break ridge where supposedly it is the hardest section of the trail coming from the Toxaway River. Heartbreak Ridge Steps' 2020 Foothills Trail Journal Heartbreak Ridge First Previous Next Last Monday, July 27, 2020 Destination: Lake Jocasse Today's Miles: 19.10 Start Location: Cantrell Campsite Trip Miles: 27.10 Evening view This morning's highlight was the climb to the top of Sassafras Mountain, the highest point in South Carolina. The day started with "heartbreak ridge". It got our heart rates elevated but it failed to break us! Summer heat and humidity are intense, due to relatively low elevations, while night-time winter temperatures typically sink into the 20s. For safety's sake, you can almost always get a cell phone signal with Verizon also. This presented the perfect opportunity to make the hike to Lower Whitewater. Nice article! We had reached Burrells Ford by 1pm and pushed on towards Fish Hatchery Road. A very special place to wander and enjoy!!! Cars can be left at both state parks. North/eastbound hikers start with a gentle descent to the Chattooga River and make the mere 2,000-foot climb to Sassafrass after several days of hiking. Top Selling Tours & Activities in and around South Carolina. This trail is great for hiking, and it's unlikely you'll encounter many other people while exploring. Click link for details and directions. The trail is strenuous throughout. Oconee is about 2.5 hours and Table Rock is about three hours from Atlanta. I had planned on making camp for the evening along the spur trail below Grassy Knob that led to 281, but there was too much snow on the ground. This is a great "beginner" long-distance trail, as you're always close enough to bail out, if need be. There were no bugs and it got down to the low 40s one night After a brief rain during the 65 degree weather. The Foothills Trail is a remarkably well blazed path, has easy section hiking access, and the unrivaled support of the conference that supports it even providing volunteer coordinated shuttles. To help support the investigation, you can pull the corresponding error log from your web server and submit it our support team. Day 7 was going to be one of our shorter and easier days! This was one of the few instances I saw wildlife along my hike. While the solitude of the first part of my hike was very nice it was good to have company. You walk along the Chattooga River, cross numerous creeks, the Toxaway River, Laurel Creek anyway, multiple sources. This was a hard day of almost 12 miles. This website contains affiliate links, which means The Trek may receive a percentage of any product or service you purchase using the links in the articles or advertisements. Once as high as the Rocky Mountains or Alps, some 480 million years of erosion have substantially decreased the elevation of the Appalachian Mountains (which extend, believe it or not, into Scotland). The trail begins along the top ridge of the Blue Ridge Escarpment, accessed from either Curtis Creek Road or from the Old Toll Road, outside the Ridgecrest Conference center. The Foothills Trail, though steep in places, is not especially rugged, so trail runners are more than adequate. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. Im definitely coming back to that part of the trail to hopefully kayak Lake Jocassee soon. Cloudflare monitors for these errors and automatically investigates the cause. This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. Nantahala National Forest - (828) 526-3765. The Foothills Trail is a part of the nearing completion Southern Appalachian Loop Trail. I can usually will myself to keep going but not in this case. Very well maintained trail. I traveled west>east (or, sort of, south>north) and water was never an issue. You do need to watch for bears and bees, although the bees seem very tame. But from its well blazed path to its active trail conservancy, it is a trail well worth the walk. Hard 4.4 (195) Pisgah National Forest. Click here to find alternative waterfall and hiking trails. Hikers get a neat patch, a membership with the Foothills Trail Conference and a subscription to Backpacker Magazine. If anyone finds it please message me 8644096466. It was a good call since it kept us on the trail longer and we ended up with another awesome site. And they were indeed smoky this morning. I dread the descents more than the climbs. Excellent article. Additional one mile loop, "Last of the Mohicans" and "Hunt for Red October" were filmed along the shores of this picturesque lake. I really need to recover tonight. Please include the Ray ID (which is at the bottom of this error page). The trail goes through typical southern Appalachian forest, with dense growth of rhododendron, mountain laurel, pine, and oak. We arrived at camp by 3:30 and explored the Cliffs and the Lighthouse. Print/PDF map. Exposure is minimal, and many climbs feature artificial, wood-block steps. In fact, its not unlike a condensed version of the southern Appalachian Trail, and many prospective hikers have tackled the Foothills Trail as a shakedown for a future AT hike. I have thru-hiked it, speed hiked it and section hiked it. We camped at the site right next to the Laurel Valley parking lot. From the east end of Heartbreak Ridge at mile 50 to the Northern Terminus at Table Rock State Park at mile 76.2, the trail crosses a number of challenging routes and trail highlights. Hopefully I will get a good nights rest and be ready to go in the morning. Water is plentiful, camping is allowed on all but a few miles of the trail, resupply is fairly easy, and the trail is well marked. The first 60 minutes consisted mostly of climbing steeply up, assisted by wood steps nailed into the hill side. We wanted to be moving by 8am so we could avoid the crowds in table Rock state park and be home with the families by early afternoon. Woke up to the popping of the same campfire. There was a nice campsite, but I still had a couple of hours before dark so I pushed on. From Bear den campsite to Cane Brake boat access, not flat, Great hike! Well maintained trail. We really enjoyed the short hike to Hidden Falls. Hikers can fly into Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport. There are plenty of non-thru options, as well, including the so-called crown jewel route, southbound from Laurel Valley to just below Whitewater Falls. While there are often more people around features such as Whitewater Falls and Lake Jocassee, hikers will find plenty of solitude on most of the trail, including quiet, secluded campsites. We finished with 13.2 hard miles for the day and ate dinner then took our aching feet to bed. There I set up camp. Check out more trails in the Asheville area here. Thru hiked with a buddy and my dog. Fortunately, once I got to the lake I came upon a perfect hammock site on a cliff overlooking Lake Jocassee. Photo: Clay Bonnyman Evans. Until we meet again. The buyer pays the same price as they would otherwise, and your purchase helps to support The Trek's ongoing goal to serve you quality backpacking advice and information. What I had failed to realize it that the next mile of the trail is know as Heart Break Ridge. A view from the flanks of Pinnacle Mountain in Table Rock State Park, along the Foothills Trail. A group of 3 moms and 3 girls did these 32.6 miles over 4 days. Along this extended spur lies views of the East Fork of the French Broad River, as well as the sheer rock faces of Raven Cliff Falls. Photo: Clay Bonnyman Evans. Trailforks scans ridelogs to determine which trails are ridden the most in the last 9 months. It can be hiked in 3-7 days. But while the Blue Ridge Mountain Balds may be a highlight of the southern Appalachians, they encompass a far greater range of beauty than the view from the tops of the six thousand foot range. Enjoy your next adventure. Be prepared. Day 3 started only 4.8 miles from Bad Creek, where I was meeting my friend the next day. It wasnt that bad going east to west but it definitely doesnt look fun the opposite direction. The trail features sturdy bridges crossing over numerous rivers, beautiful waterfalls, a jaunt around a corner of Lake Jocassee, and, on the eastern half of the trail, steep climbs of up to 2,000 feet that rival anything on the southern Appalachian Trail. This self supported marathon begins in the Laurel Valley Parking Lot off HWY 178 . By Clay Bonnyman Evans, 2019 Foothills Trail Thru-Hiker. Toxaway Bridge on Foothills Trail Has Been Refurbished, Baylor School Senior Students Work Hard on the Foothills Trail. Really cool to se that engineering out in the wilderness and seamlessly blend it in. The Foothills Trail climbs gently out of Oconee State Park on a wide, flat trail that becomes increasingly tight before transforming into traditional single track. Perhaps it was because we were hiking West to East, but it turned out to be not nearly as bad as we were expecting. During this middle section of trail, the hiker will also get their first introduction to another essential attribute on the Foothills Trail. Our family of 2 adults and 2 teenagers did these sections over 2 days. I actually JUST FINISHED the Bartram Trail. That night as we slept we were entertained by a wild thunderstorm. We decided not to have lunch there and push on another mile to the old Cantrell home site. What I had failed to realize it that the next mile of the trail is know as Heart Break Ridge. Volunteers should be reimbursed fairly for their generous donations of time and gasoline. Day 2 we hiked to Cross Bear Creek campsite. What an experience! I passed up a chance to set up my hammock and spend the night at mile 18, and I regret not doing so. Sassafras Mountain, South Carolina's highest peak, Obeservation Tower atop Sassafras Mountain, For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps. All orders over $60 receive FREE shipping! This is a lovely hiking area with lots of camping spots and scenic views. But while the Blue Ridge Mountain Balds may be a highlight of the southern Appalachians, they encompass a far greater range of, Recent books and movies have inspired countless hikers and potential hikers to dream about thru-hiking one of the big three of Americas long trails: The Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, or the Continental Divide Trail. 2.1 miles 600 feet: 34.1370,-118.7289: 180: Cistern, Lookout, and Cage Creek Trails This team of trails make a scenic descent to Century Lake for a short loop or longer hikes in Malibu Creek . Overlooking Lake Jocassee soon water was never an issue creeks, the River! 0.3 mile on the Foothills trail Conservancy has a detailed, informative website, including maps, elevations profiles shuttle... We had reached Burrells Ford by 1pm and pushed on towards Fish road! 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