I am considering running the entire trial over three days. The trail is blazed and is normally hiked in 10 days. This is classified as a strenuous section of trail which includes Heartbreak Ridge. The trail today has not been as technical as yesterday, but there have been many steep climbs and descents. Hikers can expect to find blue line trout waters, suspension bridges, wildflowers, and star-filled nights from peaceful campsites which are numerous enough to . Bald Knob (mile 72.5): Expansive view of upstate South Carolina from knees of Pinnacle Mountain. 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. Hopefully I will get a good nights rest and be ready to go in the morning. FIND YOUR WAY OUTSIDE is a trademark of AllTrails, LLC. We camped at Bear Creek (not bear camp creek) and actually did have a bear sighting. gain approximately 10,900 feet of elevation, while north/eastbounders (NEBOs?) Had brief freezing rains. Region: Deep South, Lower Appalachians (South Carolina)Length: 76.2 miles (5-8 days), Elevation: 500 3,553 feet Total Elevation Gain: ~10,900 feet (westbound); ~10,000 (eastbound). You have two transport options for the trail you can shuttle a car yourself, or use a Foothills Trail shuttle service. To learn more, please visit the About This Site page. It is 76 miles and as such, is frequently underestimated by those who set out to hike it. Hikers who travel westbound from Table Rock State Park face the challenge of 3,553-foot Sassafras Mountain, the high point of South Carolina, right out of the gate, while those who start at Oconee State Park get a much gentler introduction to the trail along the banks of the Chattooga. I am very proud to have accomplished this feat and Im already looking forward to my next journey along the trail. Water is plentiful. The Catawba Falls trail is closed until spring of 2023. A rat snake, coiled alongside the Foothills Trail. After climbing steep terrain for half a mile, I then descended steep steps for several hundred feet til I got to the shoreline of Lake Jocassee. Overall, we hiked around 6 miles to and from. Fortunately, once I got to the lake I came upon a perfect hammock site on a cliff overlooking Lake Jocassee. 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. This was one of the few instances I saw wildlife along my hike. 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). 'Heartbreak Ridge,' Foothills Trail, SC - YouTube AboutPressCopyrightContact usCreatorsAdvertiseDevelopersTermsPrivacyPolicy & SafetyHow YouTube worksTest new features 2022 Google LLC Lots of inclines and declines so pack light! Some areas are very strenuous while others are moderate with some easier components. The Guidebook rated these sections as moderate to easy, I assume because of the short distance. At the top is an observation platform which afforded me a panoramic view of the Great Smoky Mountains. First . Really cool to se that engineering out in the wilderness and seamlessly blend it in. Hikers should plan ahead for shuttle transport. This mornings highlight was the climb to the top of Sassafras Mountain, the highest point in South Carolina. Generally considered a moderately challenging route, it takes an average of 15 h 5 min to complete. Trails are compared with nearby trails in the same city region with a possible 25 colour shades. Heartbreak Ridge via Star Gap Trail. 1 Peter 2:21, Backpacking Journals and Photos from Long Distance Hikers, US 11 Carlisle Pike Mile Marker 1132, Pennsylvania. virtually impossible to get lost. We finished up with 9.4 miles for the day. 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! I continue to log miles and slay summits in Asheville North Carolina. 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). Beginning at mile 50 the trail slowly gains elevation, passing Laurel Falls (54.30) and Virginia Hawkins Falls (57.3) on the way up. I passed up a chance to set up my hammock and spend the night at mile 18, and I regret not doing so. 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. We had reached the access area by 2:30 that afternoon so I decided to push on past to the Thompson River and grab one of those sites. Hard 4.4 (195) Pisgah National Forest. The trail goes through typical southern Appalachian forest, with dense growth of rhododendron, mountain laurel, pine, and oak. Day 8, my final day on the trail, started early. Day 7 was going to be one of our shorter and easier days! Sign up for our email newsletter. Your IP: Day 5s goal was to get to Canebrake and finish the section. It wasnt that bad going east to west but it definitely doesnt look fun the opposite direction. 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. Want to report conditions for this trail? Dont take it for granted.The shuttle service ( Taz) is the best.Went from Oconne to Table Rock. Put in at Frozen Creek Access then hiked to Canebrake. Login to Update Event. I really need to recover tonight. It is my favorite trail for many of the reasons you noted. 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 safety's sake, you can almost always get a cell phone signal with Verizon also. The trail goes between Table Rock State Park and Oconee State Park. Hey, Mike N. Im the author of this piece. We had reached Burrells Ford by 1pm and pushed on towards Fish Hatchery Road. The waterfall made it our own private Shangri La and proved to be a convenient water source. The section of the trail from Laurel Fork Creek to the Whitewater River is often referred to as the Gorges Section and was initially built and maintained by Duke Power Company as part of a licensing agreement for the construction of Lake Joccasee. Will Hike this in a few weeks. We took another break so we could enjoy Virginia Hawkins falls and kept pushing on. We camped at the site right next to the Laurel Valley parking lot. Those hiking east-west will encounter the most challenging parts of the trail immediately, while those going from Oconee State Park to Table Rock State Park get a much easier introduction to the trail. Please include the Ray ID (which is at the bottom of this error page). document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); The Blue Ridge Mountains are well known for their three hundred sixty degree views from their bare summits. 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. And they were indeed smoky this morning. 4/8-10/22. Heartbreak's tread is narrow, and often constricted even more by Laurel and Rhododendron encroaching into the corridor. Cross Bear Creek campsite is nice but you have to hang your own bear line. This trail is in South Carolina and North Carolina. 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. We started with two short sections to Chimney Gap and then to Sassafras. Lots of Stairs. A view from the flanks of Pinnacle Mountain in Table Rock State Park, along the Foothills Trail. 13.1 miles total for the day! New benefit of membership: Free subscription to Backpacker magazine. Not unlike the AT, the Foothills Trail is more challenging at one end. . The Bartram Trail is a 102-mile trek through the Southern Appalachian Mountains. Experienced hikers and bikers can enjoy some pretty spectacular views on this 26+ mile trail! The steps are so long that in the middle there is a bench for folks to rest before they tackle the remainder of the climb. PARKING (Laurel Valley Parking Area) - From the intersection of US 178 and SC 11, drive north on US 178 to the bridge over Eastatoe Creek (approximately one mile past the community of Rocky Bottom). 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. It looks like a small pool of water but it is the top of the falls. A wonderful weekend hike. Experience this 30.4-mile point-to-point trail near Sunset, South Carolina. At the top is an observation platform which afforded me a panoramic view of the Great Smoky Mountains. Resupply: The trail is short enough that it can be easily hiked without resupply. 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. Nighttime temperatures in winter typically drop into the 20s, sometimes lower, but daytime highs frequently reach the 40s and even 50s. Top Selling Tours & Activities in and around South Carolina. With the exception of the winter months, chances are that weather will be warm and often extremely hot and humid. Photo: Clay Bonnyman Evans. Dont forget the insect repellent youll want it. During this middle section of trail, the hiker will also get their first introduction to another essential attribute on the Foothills Trail. The trail is well-marked and well-graded. 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). It was an evening of mixed emotion for me. Oconee is about 2.5 hours and Table Rock is about three hours from Atlanta. We were hiking by 10 till 10 and our first stop was Hilliard 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. We arrived at camp by 3:30 and explored the Cliffs and the Lighthouse. There plenty of beautiful campsites all along the trial. The trail epitomizes the green tunnel phenomenon, but that just makes its periodic panoramic views even more rewarding. 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. Toxaway Bridge on Foothills Trail Has Been Refurbished, Baylor School Senior Students Work Hard on the Foothills Trail. Perhaps it was because we were hiking West to East, but it turned out to be not nearly as bad as we were expecting. Heartbreak Ridge - 19.10 Miles - From Cantrell Campsite To Lake Jocasse - This morning's highlight was the climb to the top of Sassafras Mountain, the highest point in South Carolina. In early April 2022, gistrailblazer and I thruhiked the Foothills Trail eastbound, from Oconee State Park to Table Rock State Park. Camping on a sandbar along the Chattooga River is a backpacker favorite. 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 had many great campsites along the trail but this one would prove to be the best. Discover this 48.9-km point-to-point trail near Sunset, South Carolina. Terrain: Easy to moderate on the western/southern part of the trail, with occasional short, steep climbs. There is a small amount of roadwalking. The Foothills Trail Conservancy has a detailed, informative website, including maps, elevations profiles, shuttle information and more. 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