The 17th Annual Georgia Adventurers Trail Festival & Camping Trip

The 17th Annual Georgia Adventurers Trail Festival & Car Camping Trip

This will be perhaps the biggest starting weekend for Appalachian Trail thru-hikers beginning their long trip to Maine from Springer Mountain, Georgia.

Although this says "March 25th - April 1st," feel free to come whatever days you wish, just to stay a few hours or camp one night, whatever suits you. Most will be there over the weekend, but some old folks will be there all week.

We will camp off FS251, close to Three Forks, about 5-6 miles north, from the shelters on Springer Mountain. There will be no backpacking, as we will be camping off the road. This is right beside the Appalachian Trail, and we'll be offering " Trail Magic " to the hikers that walk by our camp site.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJduf7v4Wwo

Would like everyone to unload vehicles….and park vehicles as far away from picnic area as possible. Place tents around the picnic area. There is a fire pit, so don’t put your tent close to where fire will be. Check wind direction, before tenting close to bathrooms…

We'll have plenty of space. A covered picnic privilion, several picnic tables... a building with bathrooms, but use at your own risk ! LOL... No Water, no showers. Our camp site is perhaps 1000 ft off the AT.... and still within a mile of Long Creek Falls.

Do NOT allow your dogs in the pavilion or around the campfire. Disruptive dogs will not be allow to bother people, you will be asked to remove your dog.

What's " Trail Magic " ??? Think about camping.... all that you leave behind.... all the really good food at home.... candy....coffee... hot chocolate... fruit...soft drinks. Perhaps some will cook hot dogs, hamburgers, etc... Trail Magic is freely giving these hikers some goodies, that they can't take on their long trip.

Trail Magic items :

Cokes, Sprites, Dr. Pepper, etc….

Coffee, hot chocolate, tea, etc...

Apples, oranges, bananas, etc….

Strawberries, grapes, raisins, etc..

Cheese, slices, sticks, etc………

Water…

Brownies, fudge, chocolate…

Cookies…

Candy bars, candy…

We can hike up south a mile and check out Long Creek Falls. We can hike north and check out one of the AT shelters. Or I can sneak you off to a water falls or two....

This is a Dog Friendly event. Just be sure you clean up after your pet !

PRINT directions or download, take a photo.... you will NOT have cell service on almost this entire route

Option A Directions:
If coming from northwest Atlanta area. Take 515 to Ellijay, then 52 EAST for 5 miles to Big Creek Road, Turn LEFT just before Dollar General Store.
Keep straight on this road for 18 miles until you see Fellowship Primitive Church on the left , then turn RIGHT on dirt road FS 58 Road. This road is rough, so watch for potholes & rocks... there's not any mudholes, etc that you could get stuck in.
Go 7 miles to sign Hickory Flats Cemetery and gate on LEFT, turn and go thru gate, about 2 miles to cemetery!!
This route is like 9 miles of dirt roads.

Option B Directions
If coming from northwest Atlanta area. Take 515 to Ellijay, then 52 EAST for 5 miles to Big Creek Road, Turn LEFT just before Dollar General Store. Keep straight on this road for 12.6 miles until you see Mt Pleasant Church on the left.
Turn RIGHT onto FS-42 road to Springer Mountain. Go 6.6 miles, that’s Springer parking, continue for another 2.7 miles to Winding Stair Gap. ( Total 9.3 miles)
Turn LEFT onto FS-58, this is before big Sign Board. You will see road signs within 100ft. This road is rough in places, so watch for potholes and rocks. Go 1.9 miles, turn RIGHT, onto FS 251, you will drive thru a big Black & Yellow Gate.
Drive 2.1 miles on this road, just past a big field on your left and where the AT crosses the road, take a LEFT into Hickery Flatt Cemetery.
This route in like 13.5 miles on dirt roads

Other options.... From Camp Merrill, FS 42 that road is rough with mudholes in places after the storms.
FS 77, is rough after storms too and this is the way your GPS will route you to the camp site. This road was bad bad on Nov 3rd last time I drove down it.

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