CAMPNPOST

Nearest Town: Clayton, GA

Trailhead Location: Rabun Beach Campground

Trail Length:

Angel Falls - 1 Mile

Panther Falls - 1/2 Mile

Difficulty: Moderate

Directions:From Clayton go South on US 441, take right onto Old 441, take left onto Old 411S.  Take right on Lake Rabun Rd, take left into Campground and follow signs to the trailhead.

---

Clearly this is not a fitness hike due to the length of the trail, but don’t go in with the idea that it will be a quick 30 minute walk. The waterfalls on the trail are worth spending some time at and if you have little ones, you may want to take their bathing suits.

We went down to Rabun Beach to swim and kayak while we were camping at Wildcat Campground near Lake Burton and we found this trail by accident. What great fortune! The first part of the hike only takes about ten minutes. You come to Panther Falls about a half mile in after a short and mild incline. There is a nice sized pool for wading at the bottom and we were also able to climb parts of the waterfall. Needless to say, the kids liked that part a lot, so we spent a while there.

When we finished playing, we headed up a steeper incline and some switchbacks to a platform at Angel Falls. You can’t get in the falls here, but there is a bench on the platform for taking in the views. We were there after we had a lot of rain so the falls were full. We exited the platform on the opposite side of where we entered and it took us on a small loop back to the trail we came up on. If you’re in the area, it’s worth checking out.

Tags: Angel Falls, Angel Falls Trail, Georgia Waterfalls, Panther Falls, waterfalls in georgia, waterfalls near lake rabun

Nearest Town: Port St. Joe, FL

Directions: From Port St. Joe, take FL 30 E to FL 30 C, take right onto Cape San Blas Rd (FL98) and follow to the entrance at the end.

No of sites: 119

Camping Fee: $20 per night

Site Amenities: Fire ring, lantern post, picnic table

Campground Amenities: beach, showers, playground, boat launch,picnic area, nature trails, biking area

---

We had a blast on vacation in Cape San Blas, FL last week. The house we stayed at was just down the road from St. Joseph Peninsula State Park. Even though we didn’t have the opportunity to camp there, we decided to check out the campground when we went to hike the nature trails in the park.

The campground is broken up into 2 sections, Gulf Breeze, which is closer to the beach, and Shady Pines, which is indeed a little more shaded, but a farther walk to the beach. They are connected by a boardwalk that offers access to the 9 miles of pristine white sand. Plenty of beachfront to enjoy your own personal space!

The sites in both sections are close together, but most of them have a thick screen of trees and palmettos in between to offer a little privacy from the neighbors, and are suitable for tents or RVs.

The two nature trails are short, but offer some nice views of the bay and the local vegetation and wildlife. Speaking of wildlife, bird watching is a big draw here, but if you can’t deal with mice, this may not be the ideal place for you. The St. Andrew Beach Mouse makes its home in the dunes on Cape San Blas. It is considered an endangered species, though it seems to be abundant in the area, and therefore is protected. They aren’t shy, but they are more active at night so don’t leave out food or your shoes!

At the end of the park is a 7 mile area for hiking or biking out to the point of the cape. I would recommend this for any season other than Summer as the heat can be very oppressive. If you do decide to take it on in the warmer months, wear a good sunscreen and take plenty of water.

The park also offers 8 cabins right on the bay for $90 per night. We only saw these from the outside, but they seem very nice and each has a great view of the water.

Other Florida Hiking

Tags: camping Florida panhandle, cape san blas camping, Florida Campgrounds, hikes on cape san blas

Nearest City: Canton, GA

Directions: Hwy 20 in Canton to Sweetwater Campground Rd.

No of sites: 151

Fee: $20-$22 per night

Amenities: Hookups, laundry, showers, beach, playround, boat ramp

On Memorial Day weekend we had a family gathering organized by my uncle at Sweetwater Creek Campground on Lake Allatoona. We already had an idea of the kind of place it would be before we got there, and that’s why we haven’t ever camped there. We never will.

My uncle had 2 campsites reserved and paid for, one of which he and his son were camping on, but when we got there, we were greeted by some unpleasant women at the gate who charged us and the rest of my family members each a $4 parking fee because we were only staying for the afternoon. If the sites had not been paid for, I would understand the day use fee, but they were paid for, and far more than they’re worth I might add.

Once we got our pass, we drove into the trailer park, I mean campground which was full, and found our sites. It, like all the other sites, was flat and had very few trees. It was way too open, and I think in all of the 151 sites, there were only 2 tents. If you enjoy RV camping , there are better places that have hookups.

With dread and fear we headed down to the beach to find it wasn’t as crowded as we thought it would be. The beach itself was OK, but the lawn you have to walk across to get to the sand and the playground is covered in dog poop. Apparently, dog owners are not required to clean up after themselves.

After the kids swam a while, we had a picnic at our site. We were able to see and hear the big screen TV our neighbors were watching while enjoying the great outdoors. Need I say more?  Well, maybe just one more thing. My aunt and uncle were under the impression that we shouldn’t have been double charged since the sites were paid for so they went to the gate to straighten it out. The gatekeepers were very rude to them, and unwilling to help them in any way.

Great surroundings, great service. Just kidding. If you enjoy RV camping Fort Mountain State Park has hookups and is way better.

Tags: Campgrounds near Altanta, campgrounds to avoid, camping near canton, Georgia Campgrounds

Nearest Town: Clarkesville, Georgia

Trailhead Location: End of dirt road beginning across from the Lake Burton Fish Hatchery and Moccasin Creek State Park along 197 (approx. 2 miles)
Trail Lenght: 1.5 miles In and out
Difficulty: Easy

Directions: From Clarkesville-Take Hwy 197 North approx. 23 miles, take left on dirt road across from the Lake Burton Fish Hatchery, (look for signs for Hemlock Falls Trail) travel on rough dirt road for about 2 miles.  From Hiawassee-Take Hwy 76 to Hwy 197 (on right), take right on dirt road across from the Lake Burton Fish Hatchery, (look for signs for Hemlock Falls Trail) travel on rough dirt road for about 2 miles (parking at trailhead)

---

One of the trails we checked out while camping mid-week last week at Wildcat was the Hemlock Falls Trail. Before the hike we spent a little time kayaking on Lake Burton accessing the water from the free/public boat launch at the Hatchery which we loved.

On our way along the dirt road leading to the trailhead we passed a neat little camp called Camp Winfield and we all thought it looked like fun and we will have to check it out in more detail at some point. Might be a nice place for the kids to hang out for a week this summer?

It was around 3pm when we reached the trailhead and started off. One of the things we noticed about this trail is that although you can’t always see it, it parallels a nice stream and you can always hear it through the brush as you hike. The batteries ran out again so we weren’t able to get many pictures but that will just give me a good excuse to come back to the area, right? It didn’t seem to get as much traffic as I would have thought being near the Lake. It is also said that this trail gives you access up to Addis Gap which is along the section of the Appalachian Trail that I did recently.

It was a decent, although fairly short trail and has its share of stream crossing (typical of many trails in the Chattahoochee National Forest area) with chances to stop and take it all in. If you haven’t, check it out sometime.

Tags: camping near clarkseville, Georgia Trails, gerogia waterfalls, Hemlock Falls Trail, hiking near lake burton, hiking north georgia, rabun county hikes

Nearest Town: Clarkesville, GA

Directions: From Clarkesville-Take Hwy 197 North approx. 22 miles, take left onto FS 26, Campground is about 3 miles on right. From Hiawassee-Take Hwy 76 to Hwy 197 (on right), take right onto FS 26, see above.

Camping Fee: $10/night

No. of sites: Area 1: (16), Area 2: (16)

Campsite Amenities: table, fire ring, lantern post

Campground Amenities: Outhouse with low flow flush toilets

Open Year Round

We wanted to camp last week and still avoid the Memorial Day crowds so we camped during the week. On Tuesday we headed up to Wildcat Campground near Lake Burton. We have camped and hiked in this area but usually head further into North Carolina or the other direction to the Cherokee National Forest in Tennessee so we thought it was time to check out the area again.

We liked the 3 mile drive on FS 26 which winds along Wildcat Creek, but when we pulled in to the campground, we didn’t think we’d like it too much.  It’s relatively flat and the sites are spacious, but not very private. It was getting dark, so we settled in anyway. It is broken up into 2  areas, each with 16 sites.

We stayed at area 1. We checked out area 2. the next day, but it was almost full and with the exception of a few, the sites were closer together.

It wasn’t very crowded in area 1, but there was only one other tent camper. The other sites that were taken had rv’s. We thought maybe it would be noisy because of this, but not so. With the exception of the camp host running her generator for a short period in the late morning, we were probably the noisiest ones there. Since the campground wasn’t full, our kids were able to spread out and do their school work with no problem.

The facilities were surprisingly clean, but there is no running water so do bring enough for cooking, cleaning, and washing hands.

We had a good trip here, but we’re glad we came midweek. If you’re looking for serenity and solitude avoid the weekend.

Tags: camping near lake burton, Georgia Campgrounds, north georgia camping, Wildcat Campground

Nearest Town: Tallulah Falls, GA
Trailhead Location: Tallulah Gorge State Park

Jane Hurt Yarn Rd

Tallulah Falls, GA

Difficulty: Easy to Very Strenuous

Trail Lengths:

• North Rim .75 mi.  (Easy to Moderate)
• South Rim .75 mi. (Easy to Moderate)
• Shortline 2.5 mi (Easy/Paved)
• Terrora Loop .75 mi. (Moderate)
• Terrora Trail .5mi. (Moderate)
• Hurricane Falls Loop 1.5 mi.(Very Strenuous)
• High Bluff Loop 1.5 mi. (Moderate)
• Gorge Floor 3 mi. (Very Strenuous)
• Stoneplace 5+ mi. (Moderate to Difficult)

Parking Fee: $ 5

We were camping at Wildcat Creek in the Lake Burton area and decided to check out Tallulah Gorge. When we entered the park we passed by the campground that looks very much like any other State Park type campground with all the  amenities and a variety of sites for tents and rv’s. We skipped that part since it was the last day of our trip and continued on to the Jane Hurt Yarn Interpretive Center.

The center itself was pretty cool and made for a field trip for the kids. It houses a gift shop, an exhibit showing the history of the town including a suit worn by Karl Wallenda who crossed the gorge on a tightrope , an animal display with live snakes, a wild animal exhibit with taxidermied animals, and some interactive displays as well.

After we checked that stuff out, we decided to do the North and South Rim Trails which are connected by the Hurricane Falls Loop. We started out on the North Rim, which is easy and relatively flat with a few stairs and small inclines, and headed to the overlook at the North Wallenda Tower.  There you get a bird’s eye view of Oceana Falls.  We then doubled back to pick up the Hurricane Falls Loop which is made up of 1099 metal stairs including the stairs to the gorge floor platform. This trail is considered very strenuous because of the stairs, but is easily navigated for the same reason. We had the kids with us and we were behind an elderly couple on the way down that had no trouble at all. The trail descends to the suspension bridge which crosses and provides a great view of the gorge. On the other side of the bridge, you can either head up the staircase to pick up the South Rim or descend to the gorge floor platform.

Since we were so close, we opted for the gorge floor and got a close up view of  Hurricane Falls. After spending some time taking pictures, we headed back up the stairs. After the first 200 or so, we decided running was the way to go. It was still a little taxing, but definitely much easier than walking. At the top we took a left on the South Rim Trail to check out the overlooks on that side. The overlooks on that side offered some impressive views of  Oceana and Hurricane Falls. At the end we doubled back to complete the rest of the South Rim Trail which is also easy and mostly flat. Part of the trail crosses the bridge on Hwy 441 and picks up on the other side. FOLLOW the MARKINGS on the GROUND, not the map at this section. The map can be misleading, especially if the attendant at the interpretive center draws lines on your map that instruct you to cross the highway before you cross the bridge. This is not necessary. The last part of the trail passes by the campground and a couple more overlooks, then takes you back to the Interpretive center.

We liked this hike because it was a pretty decent workout for being so short (about 2.5 mi.) and offered some really nice views.

Tags: Hikes near Lake Burton, Hiking North GA, hiking Tallulah Gorge, Tallulah Gorge

We recently ordered a new fairing for our our Yakima rack from Backcountry.com.

We have used the windjammer previously which does reduce some wind noise provided your load doesn’t interfere with the way it’s adjusted, but the fairing is awesome.  It totally cuts down on wind noise and improves gas mileage as well.

I noticed today that Backcountry.com is offering 20% off Yakima fairings. Don’t know how long the sale lasts, but it is definitely worth checking out.

Tags: Gear Reviews, Outdoor Gear, outdoor gear racks, rack systems, Sale Yakima Fairing, Yakima Fairing, Yakima rack

Its been busy lately but I finally got to go on a quick hike. I took a couple hours yesterday to check out the progress on the Etowah Trail in Canton. We had another little break in all the rain we’ve been getting so it ended up being a nice one. I expected to see more people since spring is officially here but only ended up crossing paths w/ a few trail runners.

The volunteers and troop 241 are doing a great job on the trail and it looks like they have even broken out some more white blaze paint and continued blazes out a good bit past where I left off my last hike out there.

The Jug Creek area is still filled with water as Jon mentioned in one of his comments on my last post where it drains into the Etowah and is now a lake higher than I’ve seen it to this point.

My favorite part of this new local trail is about 1/2 mile past Jug Creek up on the ridge that passed through a Mountain Laurel thicket which are currently blooming. Just down the hill you can hear a loud stream babbling before the trail descends to the valley floor.

I got to the second big stream crossing after that and it appears the ribbons and blazes end but a small road continues on.

Anyone from Troop 241 or who knows whats next ( hint: Jon) feel free to jump in on the comments section on this post. I turned around there but would like to know whats next!

Tags: canton, Canton Georgia, Georgia Trails, hikes near canton, north georgia, outdoors

Appalachian Trail - Georgia - Unicoi Gap to Dick’s Creek Gap

Nearest Town: Hiawassee, Georgia

Trailhead Location: Unicoi Gap -75/17 Unicoi Turnpike

Trail Length: 16.1 miles one-way

Difficulty: Moderate to Difficult

Trail Marker: White Blaze

Directions: From Hiawassee, head south on (75/17 Unicoi Turnpike) to Unicoi Gap parking lot on the left. Watch for signs for Appalachian Trail Crossing.

---

This last weekend a friend and I completed the next section of the A.T. from Unicoi Gap to Dick’s Creek Gap. We started out at the trailhead along the Unicoi Turnpike Friday afternoon at around 5:30 PM. Our original plan was to stretch this section out and camp for two nights  but we ended up completing it quicker than expected so we only camped one night.

This time I had plenty of water and even a stove for coffee which I typically deprive myself of to lighten my pack weight on shorter trips. It ended up being one of the better trips between the coffee, company, great weather and the intentional slower pace we maintained for most of the trek.

The trail from Unicoi Gap leads up the Northwest side of Rocky Mtn. and is pretty mild so we were to the summit before we knew it.

After Rocky Mtn. the trail descends down to Indian Grave Gap and there are plenty of views off to the East/Southeast off the ridge overlooking Mt. Yona and the surrounding hills. Just before Tray Gap we stopped at a campsite (pictured below) that had a nice rock outcropping overlook and enough room for about three small tents.

The sun was getting close to setting so we debated whether to set up here or continue on up to the top of Tray Mountain. It looked like we had enough time so we kept hiking.

As we were getting close to the top of Tray Mountain we passed a couple headed Northbound as well that didn’t look like they were ready to go much further but the next day we learned that they ended up camping at a grassy clearing in the rocks right at the top. We were happy to hear they were okay.

After reaching the summit we took a second to take it in and quickly headed on to find a spot to camp before it got completely dark.

On our way back down the other side of Tray Mountain, the sun had already set and about 60 feet down the trail we saw a dark figure just before it stepped off to the side of the trail and out of site. My first thought was that it was a small bear or something. I tend to think of that first for some reason. Anyway, we both continued slowly on. As we got further down the trail we discovered it was actually just a weary hiker wearing dark pants and a black pullover sweatshirt with the hood up. As we got closer we realized the hiker was walking backwards down the trail staring down the entire way. The whole thing seemed a little strange to us initially. As we passed we noticed the lone hiker did not have a pack. It was nightfall and they were at the top of a mountain walking backwards by themselves. As it turns out not far away was the Tray Mountain Shelter so they must have just been wandering around winding down for the night.

We found a clearing near the trail leading towards the shelter and decided that was the spot since it was dark. We quickly set up and put all our food into one bear bag and set out to hang it. After sipping some nighttime nectar and getting the bear bag up we called it an early night and got in our tents to get rested for our hike the next day.

It was a little windy and we were pretty exposed on the top of the ridge so we set our tents up near a couple of big trees for a little shelter from the wind.

The next morning we took our time getting around. We made some coffee, ate some breakfast and then finally packed up to get back on the trail. I was thinking how was nice it was to have some company and slow the pace a bit. I am normally by myself so there isn’t much to do other than just get back on the trail. I typically start before the sun even comes up like my last leg from Neels Gap to Unicoi Gap when I packed up at around 4:30am.

It was 9:30 or so when we started down the trail from the Tray Mountain Shelter area. We made pretty good time even though we were purposely going slow passing by Steeltrap Gap, Blue Ridge Swag, up to Round Top where someone has carved the title of the crest into a rock along the trail, and the down to Addis Gap where we stopped for lunch.

I will point out that this is actually a good place to take a break because if you are headed North on the trail this climb to Kelly Knob is long and straight without any real switchbacks to speak of to break it up. This is in my opinion one of the more difficult ascents in this section between Unicoi and Dick’s because of how low you start out from Addis Gap. One more point I should make is that the mileage sign at Addis Gap for Northbound hikers reads 5.4 miles to Dick’s Creek Gap if I’m not mistaken but the one at the Dick’s Creek is crossed out and says 6.8. Based on experience the latter is correct. It is certainly more the 5.4 just so you are aware.

The downhill from Powell Mtn. definitely works a whole different muscle set and is most likely one of the longer steady downhills in this part of Georgia.

We ended up getting to Dick’s Creek Gap at around 3:00pm and that was the end of our journey for now. I only have one more small section in Georgia and then its on to North Carolina so stay tuned.

For the previous sections of the Appalachian Trail here in Georgia visit my earlier posts:

Approach Trail

Springer to Three Forks

Three Forks to Jacob’s Knob

Bird Gap to Neels Gap

Neels Gap to Unicoi Gap

Tags: A.T., Appalachian Trail, Dick's Creek Gap, Georgia Trails, long trails, national trails, Unicoi Gap

I set out recently for a quick backpacking trip on the Appalachian Trail. I wanted to cover the next leg along the A.T. that I haven’t blogged about which is the section from Neels Gap to Unicoi Gap.

Starting at the trailhead at Neels Gap there is a covered opening, a good symbolic start to the adventure. ( Pictured: left) I didn’t expect to make it the entire way to Unicoi Gap in the first day but since I have been hiking so much lately I thought I would try to get as far as I could in one day. After a long day of hiking I ended up camping at an indiscriminate location along the trail somewhere about a mile and a half short of Blue Mtn. in the Spaniards Knob area.

Since I got a late start and didn’t get hiking until around 11:30am I was happy to make it that far. In retrospect I should have stopped way before I did. I was worked over the next day. I ran into another hiker heading southbound around 4pm who told me there was a nice spot to stop about 20 minutes down the trail, and I probably should have listened to him and stopped at that point, but instead pushed on until I couldn’t go any further.

I ate really quick,  bear bagged my stuff up in a tree well away from my tent, set my tent up in the dark and fell asleep. I woke up about every hour on the hour (for some reason) to a new noise outside the tent. One of the times I woke up am sure what I heard was a bear!

It was about 30 feet from my tent and the depth of the noises it made in the woods sounded too loud to be much else. I clapped a few times made some deep sounding noises and squeezed an empty spring water  bottle I happened to have in the tent to try and deter it from getting any closer. I didn’t have any more trouble after that and quickly fell back asleep until the next hour. After two or three more times I finally woke up for good. I packed up at about 4:30am with my Petzl headlamp to finish the stretch to Unicoi Gap only to turn right around and head all the way back to Neels Gap. If you know the trail you know my feet were pretty much spent when I got back to the car at Neels Gap. For some dumb reason I didn’t stop at the Low Gap shelter when I started to run low on water on the way back and regret it completely. I passed by the Whitley Shelter as well on some weird self deprivation kick and during the last 5.5 mile stretch I ran out of water and was so thirsty but was too stubborn and stupid to stop for anything.

At that point I just wanted to get back as soon as possible and start hydrating. I lost some serious momentum after the switchbacks at the Raven Cliffs Area which was at least more forgiving going Southbound down Wildcat Mtn. (Note: The switchbacks leading up to Raven Cliffs from Tesnatee Gap heading Northbound are some of the more difficult switchbacks on this section of the A.T. in my opinion) while heading back up the other side after Tesnatee Gap on Cowrock Mtn. My only stop all day was at the crest of Cowrock Mtn. staring backwards at where I had just come from over at the Raven Cliffs area. I ended up making it back to the car and luckily had an extra bottle to get by until I bought like 5 large bottles of both water and Gatorade at a nearby gas station.

I have plans to do the next section on an upcoming weekend trip with a friend and on this trip I will not be pushing it near as much. Oh , and I will be stopping for water or whatever I else I freakin’ feel like!

If I was thru-hiking I wouldn’t go more than 12-15 miles in a day. My pack only ways about 20-21 pounds for these short trips. I don’t bring stoves, pots or any extras. Just the basics. Shelter, bag, pad, bear bag with high carb food, water, a camera, small pocket knife, headlamp, lighter, and some lightweight string to toss the bear bag.

Nearest Town: Blairsville, Georgia

Trailhead Location: 129 at Neels Gap

Trail Length: Approximately 20 miles one-way.

Difficulty: Difficult

Trail Marker: White Blaze

Parking Fee: No Fee

Directions: From Blairsville, head south on 19/129 to Neels Gap. Parking Lot on the left.

For more pictures check us out on Facebook.

Tags: Appalachian Trail, Backpacking, backpacking in georgia, hiking in Georgia, national trails, Neels Gap, Unicoi Gap