Suwanee Take-a-Hikers

Let's Take a Hike to Blood Mountain and complete another AT Section!

If you hiked Cowrock last October, this will hike will end at the top of Levelland Mountain completing this section.

So, this hike is a toughie. Not only does it have an elevation gain of over 2000 ft, but it is also rocky and rooty for much of the trail. Is rooty even a real word??? Translation: this is NOT a hike for beginners. It is both strenuous and technically challenging. Consider yourself warned. 😊 There is the option of only doing the Blood Mountain section from Byron Reece which is 4 miles and 1500 ft of elevation.

We will meet in the parking lot at the Byron Reece trailhead. The easiest way to find us would be to just link to the pin map in the invite using google maps and it should bring you to the meeting place. Please note that cell reception can be spotty in this area. So be prepared and familiarize yourself with the location beforehand. The trailhead is off of Gainsville Highway on the left shortly after passing the Mountain Crossings trading post.

The hike will start at 9:00 am from the trailhead. I do like to start events on time so please do not be late in consideration of all the attendees. While this group's pace is generally quite quick, I would expect us to be completed with both hikes before 3:00 pm depending on our speed and the number of rest breaks that we take. Given the length and timings, I would suggest bringing a packed lunch that you can eat at the top of the mountain near the AT shelter during an extended break.

Please note that if there is a strong chance for rain that I will need to cancel this hike due to the nature of the trail and the time commitment involved. So, please watch closely for updates as the date draws nearer.

Below are some helpful links that can help you familiarize with the hikes beforehand. Please read through them carefully if you are unfamiliar with this hike and route as it will give you some insight to the trails. As always, if you have any questions in advance, please let me know and I will do my best to answer them.

General info about the trail itself:

https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/georgia/neels-gap-to-blood-mountain

Hope to see you there, and of course please remember that you will be participating entirely at your own risk as Suwanee Take-a-Hikers assumes absolutely no liability (nada, zero, zilch, zip, jack squat) for adverse events which may occur during meetups.

Let's Take a Hike on the AT!

Springer Mountain is the start of the AT so this is the first section to complete the AT in GA. Our hike will begin at the Three Forks Trailhead. We will hike south to Springer Mountain and then back the same way to Three Forks. This section is 8.5 miles with about 1500 elevation gain. We will then cross the road and hike to Long Creek Falls. This section is about 2 miles and ends a beautiful waterfall! Our total hike will be about 10.5 miles with about 1800 elevation gain.

This is not a beginners hike. We will maintain a pace of 2.0-2.5 miles per hour. I have this hike rated as strenuous but if you are a regular Suwanee Hiker, this is my typical hike and it will be more moderate. We will take periodic breaks and will spend more time at the top of Springer and at Long Creek Falls. Please bring plenty of water and snacks/lunch.

Here are the links from AllTrails:
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/georgia/three-forks-and-springer-mountain
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/georgia/long-creek-falls-trail

We will meet at the Long Creek Falls Trailhead and start hiking at 9am. I have the location pinned below. NOTE: if you are coming from the Atlanta area, you will want to enter the Forest Service Road off of Doublehead Gap Road near Blue Ridge and not from Dawsonville. Ask me how I know! The Forest Service Road from Doublehead Gap Road is gravel with some holes but relatively flat. There is limited parking at the trailhead so carpooling is recommended.

Now for the disclaimers: please remember that you will be participating entirely at your own risk as Suwanee Take-a-Hikers assumes absolutely no lliabilty (nada, zilch, zip, jack squat) for adverse events which may occur during meetups.

Hope to see you there!

Let's Take-a-Hike and explore some waterfalls!

We will start our day at Edge of the World trail in Dawsonville. This is an easy 2.5 trail loop that follows the Amicalola River. Okay, it is technically whitewater but we will count this as a waterfall! Then we will take about a 30 minute drive to Bearden Falls. Beaden Falls is a 3 mile out and back moderate hike to a beautiful waterfall. There are some creek crossings on this hike so prepare to get your feet wet.

Here are the links to the trails:
Edge of the World Trail:
https://www.destinationdawsonville.com/directory/edge-of-the-world-trail/
Bearden Falls Trail:
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/georgia/bearden-falls--3

We will meet at Edge of the World Trail and begin our hike at 9am. I'm estimating about 5 hours for these two hikes due to the driving between them. The Edge of the World Trail requires a hunting, fishing, or GA Lands pass which is $5 and can be purchased at gooutdoorsgeorgia.com. Please bring plenty of water and snacks.

Now for the disclaimers: please remember that you will be participating entirely at your own risk as Suwanee Take-a-Hikers assumes absolutely no liability (nada, zilch, zip, jack squat) for adverse events which may occur during meetups.

Hope to see you there!