Water is plentiful. 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. Heartbreak Ridge Curtis Creek Road, Old Fort, NC, 28762 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! Terrain: Easy to moderate on the western/southern part of the trail, with occasional short, steep climbs. 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. I had both time to be alone and reflect and time with great company to share in my experience. Click to reveal Im much more inclined to fall going down one of these steep descents. The Blue Ridge Mountains are well known for their three hundred sixty degree views from their bare summits. With the exception of the winter months, chances are that weather will be warm and often extremely hot and humid. The last 2.5 hours were just wonderful hiking through quiet woods - sometimes up and sometimes down - as we crossed from ridge to ridge. Many views along the way - waterfalls, wild boar and wild turkey sightings, streams to cross. Generally considered a moderately challenging route, it takes an average of 15 h 5 min to complete. 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 trail is well-marked and well-graded. Photo: Clay Bonnyman Evans. Laurel Fork Falls (mile 54.3): A scenic cascade with several streamside campsites just one-tenth of a mile to the east. It is my favorite trail for many of the reasons you noted. Jurisdiction: The Foothills Trail crosses land managed by the U.S. Forest Service, state parks, and Duke Energy. The trail epitomizes the green tunnel phenomenon, but that just makes its periodic panoramic views even more rewarding. Explore this 11.0-mile out-and-back trail near Montreat, North Carolina. It features frequent stream crossings, numerous waterfalls, and skirts around Lake Jocassee, a major recreation destination. Thanks for your support! The Foothills Trail is a dream for section hikers. I got to meet several interesting and nice people that were making the short hike to Lick Falls. 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. 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. Hopefully I will get a good nights rest and be ready to go in the morning. The service rd has many creek crossings but eventually crosses the actual Foothills Trail. Lots of inclines and declines so pack light! Trailhead begins inside the Old Fort Picnic Area with incredible views of Kitsuma Peak at trail end. I can usually will myself to keep going but not in this case. These wooden stairs make appearances at many points on the Foothills Trail most notably on Heartbreak Ridge, where 302 stairs ascend the ridge and 294 stairs descend the ridge. In summer and early fall, the heat and humidity can be a killerhikers who can tolerate walking in gear literally soaked with sweat will avail themselves of frequent opportunities to swim and wash off chafe-inducing salt and grime. 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. Day 5s goal was to get to Canebrake and finish the section. Most of the year, hikers can leave cold-weather gear at home. We logged over 32 miles. That said, its hard to think of a better trail to help newbies figure out if they are going to enjoy the AT. http://www.mtbproject.com/trail/1368860/heartbreak-ridge, 2940 Ft. /8 Miles. . The trail goes between Table Rock State Park and Oconee State Park. The trail is blazed and is normally hiked in 10 days. Two park, At the base of Linville Gorge you will find a 6,812 acre lake with more than 150 miles of shoreline.. In a normal season, there is plentiful water all along the trail. copy PO Box 3041 The largest climb of the hike begins at mile 62 and gains 1,839 feetin 4.4 miles before topping out at Sassafrass Mountain, the highest point in South Carolina. Both State and Federal agencies have taken over management responsibilities in recent years, and this section of South Carolina has some of the best backcountry wilderness in the Southeast with numerous waterfalls, suspension bridges, and streams. Continue on an old road to your left after entering a field to . If not, then I will assess what my body tells me it will do. 70, Old Fort, NC, 28762 Primitive trail connects Woods Mountain & Armstrong Creek Trails. Its entirely plausible to hike the Foothills Trail in any season, though late-spring to early summer and fall are most popular. Be prepared. I dread the descents more than the climbs. Theres a section known as heart break ridge where supposedly it is the hardest section of the trail coming from the Toxaway River. Thanks again. 6.6 - 13.6 miles 2,350 feet: 34.266172,-117.62684: 740 Insects can be troublesome, especially mosquitoes and biting flies in warmer months. Photo: Clay Bonnyman Evans. Around 4:15 we started the hike to the Bad Creek parking lot. Hikers can expect to find blue line trout waters, suspension bridges, wildflowers, and star-filled nights from peaceful campsites which are numerous enough to . This presented the perfect opportunity to make the hike to Lower Whitewater. Mountain Bike Trails Play Young's Ridge Mill Creek Road and Old US Hwy. I really need to recover tonight. While the relatively mild winters of South Carolina make the trail hikeable year-round, early to mid-spring and fall are the preferred seasons. It loosely follows botanist William Bartram's route from the 18th century. We camped at the site right next to the Laurel Valley parking lot. I began at the southern terminus, Oconee State Park in Mountains Rest, South Carolina. Lots of climbing and switchbacks. Lots of Stairs. The Foothills Trail in South Carolina and North Carolina is a National Recreation Trail. 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. Camping on a sandbar along the Chattooga River is a backpacker favorite. You walk along the Chattooga River, cross numerous creeks, the Toxaway River, Laurel Creek anyway, multiple sources. Tougher than expected but had a great time. The Foothills Trail is well-marked with white blazes. Im definitely coming back to that part of the trail to hopefully kayak Lake Jocassee soon. Length: 76.2 miles (the Foothills Trail Conservancy rounds this off to 77 miles). 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. The incidence of Lyme disease is very low in South and North Carolina (less than .5 confirmed cases per 100,000 residents), but the black-legged (or deer tick) is present, so be diligent about tick checks. We briefly paused at bald rock to take in the spectacular views and snap a few more pics. FIND YOUR WAY OUTSIDE is a trademark of AllTrails, LLC. Go to Join Now to join for the first time or to renew your membership. Fee camping is allowed only in designated areas in Oconee and Table Rock state parks. We finished with 13.2 hard miles for the day and ate dinner then took our aching feet to bed. 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. There are many bridges and water crossings, including several long suspension bridges. Nearly eighty miles of this scenic landscape straddle the border of South and North Carolina under the famed peaks of the Blue Ridge Mountains. We took a quick break at the falls to enjoy the view and snap some pics and then pushed on towards bad creek. We hiked back up to the Whitewater River and took another break killing time until the hike to the access area. If anyone finds it please message me 8644096466. . New benefit of membership: Free subscription to Backpacker magazine. The trail goes between Table Rock State Park and Oconee State Park. As always, take care of our trail angels! We took our time there taking a lot of pics and talking to a nice couple. Top Selling Tours & Activities in and around South Carolina. It got our heart rates elevated but it failed to break us! Not unlike the AT, the Foothills Trail is more challenging at one end. Bears frequent these mountain areas, so its important to bring and adequately hang a bear bag, or use an Ursack setup. 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. Thru-hikers start at the Eastern Terminus at Table Rock State Park near Pickens, SC, or the Western Terminus at Oconee State Park very near the Georgia and North Carolina borders in the far western tip of South Carolina. Did the 5 day plan. From Bear den campsite to Cane Brake boat access, not flat, Great hike! The western half of the trail covers significantly less grueling terrain overall. Loved the wild rivers! To learn more, please visit the About This Site page. Photo: Clay Bonnyman Evans. We had reached Sassafras by 10 till noon. You can hike for a few hours or spend days or a week or so hiking here and never do the same hike twice. So it requires some advance planning. Photos (139) Directions. The Foothills Trail - A 76-mile journey into the wilderness 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. Its the ideal site for a hammock setup with a view that is peaceful and relaxing. It looks like a small pool of water but it is the top of the falls. Far below the Blue Ridge, the foothills undulate with as much unforgiving elevation change as the high peaks themselves. 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). Bugs were bad at this location. The Foothills Trail Conference Divides the trail into thirteenaccessible sections. Heartbreak Ridge Half Marathon. We had reached my car by 10:30 am and my journey was complete! Cross the NC/SC state line into North Carolina and continue for about a mile to the Whitewater Falls parking area which is marked with a large U.S. Forest Service sign. Overall, south/westbound hikers (SWOBOs?) There is an issue between Cloudflare's cache and your origin web server. This self supported marathon begins in the Laurel Valley Parking Lot off HWY 178 . Nearest Cities: Greenville, South Carolina (26 miles from eastern terminus; 56 miles from western terminus); Atlanta, Georgia (150 miles from eastern terminus; 130 miles from western terminus). 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