We parked the truck at a red gate and began hiking down the service road. It's Day 5 on the . We were on the trail by 8:05, not bad! Chattooga River Valley (miles 10.6-15.5): Many excellent places to swim and camp along the river, which was one of the locations for the movie Deliverance (but dont worry; there dont appear to be any crazed hillbillies in the area). There were plenty of views and beautiful streams and waterfalls this time of year. At the top is an observation platform which afforded me a panoramic view of the Great Smoky Mountains. We feel that this has prepared us for longer trips we're looking at The Mountains to Sea Trail in NC next (900 miles, we'll have to do it in sections since we work). Excellent article. 54.36.118.98 Western Terminus (Oconee State Park) hereEastern Terminus (Table Rock State Park) here. I have only done a small portion of this beautiful trail but every step is well worth the effort. Thankfully volunteers have put steps into the dirt and rock to enable hikers to negotiate the steep trail. 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. My friend arrived at 5:30 and I restocked my food and we decided to night hike to the site on the ridge above the Thompson River. 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. That said, its hard to think of a better trail to help newbies figure out if they are going to enjoy the AT. While the relatively mild winters of South Carolina make the trail hikeable year-round, early to mid-spring and fall are the preferred seasons. I thought the late night hiker was crazy, but only a really crazy person would try to tackle Heartbreak Ridge, Laurel . It is just under three miles long, beginning at the Old Fort picnic area. There plenty of beautiful campsites all along the trial. The Bartram Trail is a 102-mile trek through the Southern Appalachian Mountains. From Bear den campsite to Cane Brake boat access, not flat, Great hike! Wandering Monk Hikes Day 5 on the Foothills Trail | Climbing Heartbreak RidgeHello everyone welcome! Dont take it for granted.The shuttle service ( Taz) is the best.Went from Oconne to Table Rock. This is classified as a strenuous section of trail which includes Heartbreak Ridge. Far below the Blue Ridge, the foothills undulate with as much unforgiving elevation change as the high peaks themselves. The group will go by boat to Laurel Fork and hike the Foothills Trail to Canebrake, a distance of about 5.8 miles. Come take a hike with me at Blue Ridge Hiking Company! Did the 5 day plan. It is my favorite trail for many of the reasons you noted. Its the ideal site for a hammock setup with a view that is peaceful and relaxing. However from Sassafras Mountain there is a 14.2 mile spur trail to Ceasars Head State Park in South Carolinathat some choose as an alternate northern terminus for the trail. I dread the descents more than the climbs. The Bartram, Foothills, AT and Benton MacKaye form a Southern Serpentine Route! Head West on The Foothills Trail towards Lake Jocassee. The hiker is treated to their first of many waterfalls at mile 8.2 at Lick Log Creek. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 14.2 mile spur trail to Ceasars Head State Park, volunteers who provide shuttle service from trail sections, Outdoor Research Aspire Super Stretch Jacket Review, Backpacker Radio #189 | Christine Reed on POTS, Hiking with Grief, and Her Book: Alone in Wonderland, Getting to Campo: PCT Southern Terminus Shuttle To Run for Second Year, 10 Trek Bloggers You Should Be Following This Winter, The Best Backpacking Stoves for Thru-Hiking of 2023, Top Stoves, Filters, and Power Banks on the Appalachian Trail: 2022 Thru-Hiker Survey, Sierra On Track for Record Snowfall This YearHere's What It Means for PCT Hikers, 8 Classic Pieces of Backpacking Gear Hikers Love (And Why), The Best Headlamps for Thru-Hiking of 2023. If you enjoyed the Foothills Trail you should check out http://www.ultimatehike.org. Terrain: Easy to moderate on the western/southern part of the trail, with occasional short, steep climbs. Hikers can fly into Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport. And many a Foothills Trail hiker has found herself sprinting away from the occasional swarm of irritable hornets, especially in fall. 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. The Foothills Trail, though steep in places, is not especially rugged, so trail runners are more than adequate. Fork Mountain Trail (S5) - (S6) Eastatoe Gorge Spur (S3) - (S4) Sassafras Mountain (S1) to Caesar's Head State Park (S2) . Top Selling Tours & Activities in and around South Carolina. The Foothills Trail Conference Divides the trail into thirteenaccessible sections. I got my trail name, Pony, in 2015 when I hiked the Colorado Trail. What a great way to fall asleep, as the rain pattered against my tarp and the thunder boomed and lightning lit up the evening sky! A bear canister is probably overkill. My wife dropped me, and my dog Spencer, off at 10:45am and after our goodbyes and a few pictures, we set off on our journey. Expect a high speed experience with very fast straight sections. The trail is strenuous throughout. Fortunately, once I got to the lake I came upon a perfect hammock site on a cliff overlooking Lake Jocassee. Some shuttle drivers also will do food drops for a fee. Hikers should plan ahead for shuttle transport. You can hike for a few hours or spend days or a week or so hiking here and never do the same hike twice. This is a four-season trail, hikeable even in winter. 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. Cross Bear Creek campsite is nice but you have to hang your own bear line. It can be hiked in 3-7 days. The Foothills Trail Conservancy has a detailed, informative website, including maps, elevations profiles, shuttle information and more. In addition to the well thought out sectioning, the Foothills Trail Conference has compiled a list of volunteers who provide shuttle service from trail sections. Great camping areas. There I set up camp. Im investigating as we speak! We hiked back up to the Whitewater River and took another break killing time until the hike to the access area. Be careful, be safe, be hiking!!! I actually JUST FINISHED the Bartram Trail. We briefly paused at bald rock to take in the spectacular views and snap a few more pics. The Foothills Trail is a 76 mile long collection of trails that run through 3 state parks, through North and South Carolina, and within view of the Georgia border. Bald Knob (mile 72.5): Expansive view of upstate South Carolina from knees of Pinnacle Mountain. The afternoon left me completely exhausted. If you like water, the trail offers constant swimming opportunities, waterfalls, and flowing rivers to lull hikers to sleep. Day 5s goal was to get to Canebrake and finish the section. You have two transport options for the trail you can shuttle a car yourself, or use a Foothills Trail shuttle service. The Art Loeb Trail is a 30-mile point-to-point trail in North Carolina that offers jaw-dropping 360- degree views of the Southern Appalachians. Foothills Trail Conservancy Facebook group, Official Foothills Trail GuidebookHiking South Carolinas Foothills Trail pocket guide by Scott Lynch. Mike/Asheville. Location | Western North Carolina and Northern South Carolina, Highlights | 13 Waterfalls, Gorges, Wooden Steps, Multiple Suspension Bridges, State High Point, Volunteer Coordinated Shuttles, Maps and Guidebooks | Anti-Gravity Gear Pocket Profile ($3.95), Foothills Trail Conference Trail Map ($15.00), Foothills Trail Conference Guidebook ($16.00). Photo: Clay Bonnyman Evans. Tougher than expected but had a great time. Great one night trip. My wife and I hiked the Foothills Trail in April of 2007, and as we tried to gather information from other websites on their experiences, we found that there were not many pages to be found. It was breathtaking to be able to turn all the way around and see the smoky mist below me in every direction. Maybe even us. I was so overheated and exhausted at this point that I was having dry heaves. The Foothills Trail is a 76-mile point-to-point hike in the Appalachian Mountains of western South Carolina best hiked in fall, winter, or spring. Cold nights in 30s and pleasant days in 50s. Click link for details and directions. Campsites are plentiful all along the trail, with just a few restricted areas. Great review. Day 4 was a short 3 miles but much of it was uphill. The climate is mild due to lower elevations, which usually means oppressive heat and humidity in late spring, summer, and early fallgood training for the ATs mid-Atlantic in July. Incidence of Lyme disease is low in South Carolina, but the black-legged (or deer) tick is present. Had brief freezing rains. 4/8-10/22. Be careful! For the next 0.7 miles, we ascended and descended over 400 steps! I could not have asked or hoped for anything better. Explore this 11.0-mile out-and-back trail near Montreat, North Carolina. A footbridge across the Horsepasture River on the Foothills Trail. Until we meet again. Well maintained trail. This trail is awesome . It can be hiked in 3-7 days. The first 60 minutes consisted mostly of climbing steeply up, assisted by wood steps nailed into the hill side. The trail is not heavily used by long-distance hikers, regardless of season. Stairs. And they were indeed smoky this morning. It was breathtaking to be able to turn all the way around and see the smoky mist below me in every direction. On our first day we hiked 8.1 miles and completed the first two sections and made camp shortly past Nicholson Road. Lots of climbing and switchbacks. As on the AT, south/westbound Foothills Trail hikers walk straight into a buzzsaw, tackling the highest, most challenging terrain immediately and gaining some 3,000 feet in the first 9.8 miles to the summit of Sassafrass Mountain on day one. Think of this as a heatmap, more rides = more kinetic energy = warmer colors. Water: Water is plentiful all along the trail from streams, rivers, and lakes, except in drought conditions. Enjoy your next adventure. We ended up creating a website (www.thefoothillstrail.com) with the hopes of informing others of the difficulty of the trail, the terrain type, how to read the guidebook (published by The Foothills Trail Conference), and other insider tips. . Photo: Clay Bonnyman Evans. It got our heart rates elevated but it failed to break us! This was one of the few instances I saw wildlife along my hike. Length: 80.0 miles Type: One Way Surface: Various Difficulty: Difficult Trail Features: t Parking Trail Head Scenic Observation Waterfall Camping Point of Interest Water Launch Pets Fee Camping Summary: Whether you're looking for a day hike or planning a multi-day through-hike, the Foothills Trail offers adventures of every length and difficulty. For those planning to take their time, some local shuttle drivers offer food drops for a fee. Difficult at times but worth it. It was very strenuous and not for the out-of-shape. Additional troubleshooting resources. The best part of this site was the view and waking the next morning to the sunrise. It wasnt that bad going east to west but it definitely doesnt look fun the opposite direction. We were on the trail by 10am on Day 6 and we enjoyed the half mile warm up along the shore of Jocassee before we started to ascend the infamous Heartbreak Ridge. I continue to log miles and slay summits in Asheville North Carolina. Put in at Frozen Creek Access then hiked to Canebrake. Start and stop your timer on the first wooden step heading into Laurel Valley . This trail is awesome . Sassafrass Mountain (mile 66.4):At 3,553 feet, the highest point in South Carolina, with 360-degree views from the fire tower on top (note: the tower was closed for construction in late 2018). The FTC could improve their map by adding to it some trails that intersect or at least some labels/notes regarding the other trails. What were the generally areas where you made camp each night? First . The standard guidebooks for the Foothills Trail provide detailed information about plentiful camping spots, and there are numerous spots to camp along the way that arent listed in either book. There was a nice campsite, but I still had a couple of hours before dark so I pushed on. If not, then I will assess what my body tells me it will do. On top of Heartbreak Ridge, we heard 4 large birds . I began at the southern terminus, Oconee State Park in Mountains Rest, South Carolina. We decided to climb to the ridge and found the perfect site for the evening atop the ridge. During this middle section of trail, the hiker will also get their first introduction to another essential attribute on the Foothills Trail. Day 3 we hiked approximately 10 miles and camped at Whitewater campsite. Good views at spots along the trail as well. As a result, the web page can not be displayed. Photos (139) Directions. Laurel Fork Falls (mile 54.3): A scenic cascade with several streamside campsites just one-tenth of a mile to the east. The route, which features miles of blueberry bushes and campsites with perfect sunrise views, can be hiked in 2-4 days. We camped at Bear Creek (not bear camp creek) and actually did have a bear sighting. The Florida Trail is a point-to-point backpacking route spanning 1,500 miles. We had gotten to the more strenuous sections of trail and it was quite noticeable. A wonderful weekend hike. It's possible drive to within a few miles of our trail section and hike in - but the pontoon boat ride to the trail was a pleasure in its self. I have participated for the last 4 years great event!! With the exception of the winter months, chances are that weather will be warm and often extremely hot and humid. 'Heartbreak Ridge,' Foothills Trail, SC - YouTube AboutPressCopyrightContact usCreatorsAdvertiseDevelopersTermsPrivacyPolicy & SafetyHow YouTube worksTest new features 2022 Google LLC instead, 91 South Catawba Avenue, Old Fort, Login to Update Event. The consistent signage makes finding the trailheads easy, and the mileage makes section hiking attainable. Foothills Trail Conservancy We completed this section then broke for lunch at Laurel Fork Falls. Avid bikers will love Heartbreak Ridge, an exciting two-mile bike trail that begins along the top ridge of the Blue Ridge Escarpment and descends 2,000 feet! Although mostly well-built and -maintained, as of October 2018 there were quite a few blowdowns, including a couple that force hikers into significant bushwhacking and route-finding back to the trail. Below is more information about our experience. This is a popular trail for backpacking, birding, and camping, but you can still enjoy some solitude during quieter times of day. I suppose the guidebooks will have that and will purchase soon The Foothills Trail - A 76-mile journey into the wilderness. To learn more, please visit the About This Site page. virtually impossible to get lost. There is abundant wildlife and hikers have a good chance of seeing deer, snakes, toads, frogs, raccoons, waterfowl, raptors, and even black bears.While youll find people around popular features such as Whitewater Falls and Lake Jocassee, the full trail offers plenty of solitude, including your choice of quiet, secluded sites available for dispersed camping on all but a few miles. I had many great campsites along the trail but this one would prove to be the best. It was a great trip. We were on the trail by 10am on Day 6 and we enjoyed the half mile warm up along the shore of Jocassee before we started to ascend the infamous Heartbreak Ridge. It wasnt the perfect site but it was perfectly timed! 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