For those who don't know, it is a 77 miles trail that runs through NC and SC. This subreddit is for hikers to learn about and discuss trails in NC. Bottom line: even after 2 years and now 2 thru-hikes with this book, in my mind, THIS is the new OFFICIAL guide to the Foothills Trail. Foodie Pro & The Genesis Framework. Finish Your First Thru-Hike On These 50-Mile Trails. A footbridge across the Horsepasture River on the Foothills Trail. Finish Your First Thru-Hike On These 50-Mile Trails. This trip will also be … The Foothill’s Trail southern terminus is in South Carolina in Oconee State Park. Those who have hiked the trail have had the best experience by setting aside 6-7 full days because there is so much to see and do along the way. This subreddit is for hikers to learn about and discuss trails in NC. Go to “Join Now” to join for the first time or to renew your membership. Once as high as the Rocky Mountains or Alps, some 480 million years of erosion have substantially decreased the elevation of the Appalachian Mountains (which extend, believe it or not, into Scotland). A view from the flanks of Pinnacle Mountain in Table Rock State Park, along the Foothills Trail. The northern terminus is in Table Rock State Park in North Carolina. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Oconee State Park is about two hours from both cities. Stories. Er führt entlang eines Sees, durch schönen Wald und es gibt einen Wasserfall. Hikers should fill up before ascending Sassafrass Mountain, particularly northbound; the climb is long and steep, and there are no water sources for 4.5 miles. Bears frequent these mountain areas, so it’s important to bring and adequately hang a bear bag, or use an Ursack setup. Photo: Clay Bonnyman Evans photo. Lake Jocassee (mile 48.5): The rocks beneath the bridge over the Toxaway River make an excellent spot for lunch, rest, or drying out your gear. As always, I welcome this transition, but each time I do so with a small dose of seemingly incurable apprehension. the Foothills Trail Through Hike is one that will transport you to another world! I hope to see glimpse of what they did 200 years ago. Foothills Trail Thru-Hike Started: December 26, 2020. To learn more, please visit the About This Site page. A rat snake, coiled alongside the Foothills Trail. We will be hiking from Oconee to Table Rock, this is our second thru hike (see 2014 Foothills TJ) Steep climbs over rugged terrain will involve frequent climbs and ascents. There is abundant wildlife and hikers have a good chance of seeing deer, snakes, toads, frogs, raccoons, waterfowl, raptors, and more. While I’ve section hiked the Foothills Trail repeatedly, this was the first time I’ve completed the entire trail in one continuous trip. Oh, and there’s the little matter of more than 500 steep steps up Heartbreak Ridge as you leave Lake Jocassee. It’s entirely plausible to hike the Foothills Trail in any season, though late-spring to early summer and fall are most popular. The Foothills Trail is a fun, challenging traipse through classic southern Appalachian terrain. The tread on most of the trail is largely free of rocks and roots, except for a few limited areas, making for pleasant hiking. Thanks, everyone. Often one can hike for an entire day and not encounter another person. Location: The trail runs slightly northeast-southwest in far western South Carolina, with several crossings into North Carolina. (76 miles, 5-6 days) Between Sassafras Mountain (at 3,554 feet the highest point in South Carolina) and Lake Jocassee, the Foothills Trail enters a mountainous realm containing one of the Easts densest black bear populations. By Joan West. Thanks again. I have heard great things about the Foothills Trail! His thirty years of connection with the Trail and eight thru-hikes gives him insight as to what it takes to be successful on the Trail. Park at the Birdsong Nature Preserve on Jewett Holmwood Road. These would be a series of fun, casual hikes with family that would allow us all to spend more time together before my departure in February of next year—Caesar’s Head aside. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. (Click For Run Info) 2. The idea for the Foothills Trail, a National Recreation Trail located in far western South Carolina, began in the 1960s as an effort to preserve and protect the beauty of the Appalachian Foothills. 5.5k members in the NCTrails community. is a wealth of information regarding the trail. I hope to see glimpse of what they did 200 years ago. 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. Foothills Trail Hike Info. As always, I welcome this transition, but each time I do so with a small dose of seemingly incurable apprehension. I hope to offer some … Photo: Clay Bonnyman Evans. A bear canister is probably overkill. Length 77 miElevation gain 18274 ftRoute type Point to point. The western half of the trail covers significantly less grueling terrain overall. There are numerous road crossings, and hitching into small towns such as Salem, SC, or Sapphire, NC, isn’t too difficult. We shall hike through the edge of Birdsong to side trail on Jewett Holmwood, walk about 1,000 ft. on road, then hike the new trail from Freeman and Jewett Holmwood to Route 240 at the Orchard Park town border. The trail epitomizes the green tunnel phenomenon, but that just makes its periodic panoramic views even more rewarding. No permits are required, but if you camp in either Oconee or Table Rock state parks, there is a fee. Join Foothills Trail Conservancy. The Foothills Trail Want to get more involved? Foothills Trail (thru hike) --> Bartram Trail (thru hike) --> Appalachian Trail --> Great Smoky Mountains National Park This will close out 2020. We'll be kicking off early Thursday to get a jump on local traffic and to get the cars shuttled to the end points (unless we arrange a shuttle). This trail is comparable to the Appalachian Trail and a great warm up trail for anyone looking to practice for an AT thru hike. Stories. March 14, 2010. Class of 2014, Northbound, Thru-hiker. By Rachel Albritton. Started: December 26, 2020. See bears, gorges, and waterfalls on this 77-mile South Carolina hike. The terrain, tread, and grades—from riverside meandering to lung-busting steep—all reflect the AT in its Georgia, Tennessee, and North Carolina incarnations. And in those three months, I have a good number of things left to … The Foothills Trail is well-marked with white blazes. IMO, the FT would make a great shakedown hike in preparation for say a AT thru-hike bid. However, for many people the…, A Thru-Hike for Everyone: 5 Trails Under 200 Miles, Yellow Finch Tree Sitters Continue to Defy Mountain Valley Pipeline, 6 New Year's Resolutions for Backpackers and Thru-Hikers, Backpacker Radio 91 | New Year's Eve Sh*t Show Spectacular. This website contains affiliate links, which means The Trek may receive a percentage of any product or service you purchase using the links in the articles or advertisements. Foothills Trail Thru Hike. Insects can be troublesome, especially mosquitoes and biting flies in warmer months. Marcy Beard - 69:43 - FKT!!! The Foothills Trail Conference Divides the trail into thirteen accessible sections. Trip Day Hike - Foothills Trail: Wilkeson to Carbonado. The Foothills Trail is 77-miles in length. Trail Correspondents 2021: Apply to Join the Team! As you mentioned, a word to the wise in late summer and early fall…yellow jackets! Overall, south/westbound hikers (SWOBOs?) But the eastern/northern third of the trail, in particular, is as steep and rugged as the southern Appalachian Trail. Foothills Trail Thru-Hike - Chattooga River Foothills Trail Thru-Hike – Day 1 - 3/23/15 – Oconee State Park to Chattooga River Campsite – 14.4 Miles The AT, the PCT, the CDT, the triple crown of long distance hiking trails in the U.S. on which many weekend-warrior hikers dream about quitting their day jobs and finding themselves. The trail is primarily used for hiking, camping, and backpacking and is best used from March until November. Well-built bridges cross major waterways and the FTC has laid hundreds of wood-block steps into the steepest sections of trail. The Foothills Trail is a great hike for a number of reasons. After a week on the trail I had made it to my last night. Finished: January 01, 2021. Easy to find established sites? While there are often more people around features such as Whitewater Falls and Lake Jocassee, hikers will find plenty of solitude on most of the trail, including quiet, secluded campsites. The climate is mild due to lower elevations, which usually means oppressive heat and humidity in late spring, summer, and early fall—good training for the AT’s mid-Atlantic in July. The trail is rocky and physically challenging. Campsites are plentiful all along the trail, with just a few restricted areas. For those who don't know, it is a 77 miles trail that runs through NC and SC. Laurel Fork Falls (mile 54.3): A scenic cascade with several streamside campsites just one-tenth of a mile to the east. They were envious of this book over the bulk, tons of unnecessary information, and general 1980s look of the "official" guide. I suppose the guidebooks will have that and will purchase soon Total Ascent: 17003 feet: Total Descent: 17592 feet: Max Elevation: 3520 feet: Min Elevation: Enjoy your next adventure. We will be hiking from Oconee to Table Rock, this is our second thru hike (see 2014 Foothills TJ) Manufacturers supply him with shoes to test for 100 miles at a … Heyward Douglass, Executive Director of the Foothills Trail Conservancy, will discuss the how, what, and where of planning and accomplishing a thru-hike of the Foothills Trail. In summer and early fall, the heat and humidity can be a killer—hikers 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. Between Sassafras Mountain (at 3,554 feet the highest point in South Carolina) and Lake Jocassee, the Foothills Trail enters a mountainous realm containing one of the East’s densest black bear populations. Thru-hikers travel both north/eastbound and south/westbound, but there’s no question that those who travel south/westbound have it a bit tougher. The hike was challenging without being technically difficult, but I think you would be foolish to attempt this thru-hike without trekking poles. The trail is primarily used for hiking, camping, and backpacking. Stories. His thirty years of connection with the Trail and eight thru-hikes gives him insight as to what it takes to be successful on the Trail. I was thrilled to do this hike with my friend Susan (“Rewind”) who you might remember I started the PCT with (check out her blog here ). Thru-Hiking the Foothills Trail. A trail corridor linking Table Rock State Park in the north/east to Oconee State Park to the south/west, was completed in 1981. The Foothills Trail, A National Recreation Trail. This is Indiana’s longest backpacking trail and is used by thru-hikers to train for the Appalachian Trail. 50-Mile Thru-Hikes: Resurrection Pass Trail, AK. By Joan West. Camping is allowed on most of the trail’s 77 miles, with the following exceptions: 1.7 miles along the Whitewater River on Duke Energy property, starting at around mile 30 (northbound); Table Rock State Park, except in designated campsites at park headquarters. What’s good terrain for Ursus americanus—remote, thickly forested, and cut through with creeks—is prime habitat for backpackers, too. Home ... Hilliard Falls, named after one of the early promoters of the Foothills Trail: I arrived at Lake Jocassee to discover it had drained out of a large area at the entrance of the Toxaway River! If you're looking for the typical route please search AllTrails for "Foothills Trail Through Hike". Foothills Trail Journal About. Hikers spend a good deal of time in the green tunnel—just like the AT—but ample opportunities to swim, gorgeous waterfalls, and occasional vistas to the south make this a truly enjoyable trail. Check out this page at the Foothills Trail Conservancy. Finished: January 01, 2021. Terrain wise, how similar is this trail to the AT? alltrails.com. Over 100 bridges and thousands of steps, the Foothills Trail crosses dozens of rivers and creeks, with incredible views of the lower Appalachian mountains and Lake Jocassee. The Foothills Trail has it all—steep climbs, contours, ridges, ladders, staircases, bridges, flatlands, and vistas. If you like water, the trail offers constant swimming opportunities, waterfalls, and flowing rivers to lull hikers to sleep. Foothills Trail thru-hike Gear list In the first week of July, I will attempt my first thru-hike experience by hiking the Foothills Trail. Celebrating 46 Years of the Foothills Trail Over 2,481 volunteer hours in 2020 Planning a hike? This is a worthy trail in its own right, but many hikers use the Foothills Trail as a kind of shakedown, warm-up, or training-wheel expedition for an AT thru-hike. Table Rock State Park is about an hour’s drive from both Asheville, North Carolina and Spartanburg, SC. In many regards, much of the hiking is indeed reminiscent of the southern AT. https://foothillstrail.org/maps-coordinates-2/, The Blue Ridge Mountains are well known for their three hundred sixty degree views from their bare summits. I was sad to see the simple existence I had while in the woods coming to an end but at the same time I was excited to be accomplishing this thru-hike and going home to see my wife. Aufgrund der Steigung und Distanz ist die Strecke als schwierig einzustufen. Take a day or two off and come join me for a self-supported, winter backpacking thru-hike of the glorious FOOTHILLS TRAIL (https://foothillstrail.org/). Waterfalls, such as Upper and Lower Whitewater Falls which are two of the highest waterfalls in the eastern US, Beautiful overlooks of Lake Jocasssee as well as hiking along the lake itself. ***** Oldest Thru-Hike Finisher. Further away from the trailhead, along Los Trancos Trail, there were fewer … Photo: Clay Bonnyman Evans. That said, it’s hard to think of a better trail to help newbies figure out if they are going to enjoy the AT. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. Navigation: The trail is well-marked with white blazes and easily navigable, though as always, you can get off track if you aren’t paying attention. New benefit of membership: Free subscription to Backpacker magazine. 1. 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 aren’t listed in either book. Along the sandy banks of the Chattooga River and just above Laurel Fork Falls are two of many excellent camping spots on the trail. Photo: Clay Bonnyman Evans. By noon that day, dozens of hikers, a few runners and several families walked near some of the park's most visible areas, including Boronda Lake, which is near various trailheads. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Length 72.3 miElevation gain 13979 ftRoute type Point to point 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). Explore the history of Wilkeson and Carbonado, hiking on the former railroad line connecting the two, now part of the Foothills Trail, passing spectacular scenery enroute and having lunch at the historic and popular Carbonado Saloon, with the option of a free breakfast at Auburn's Sunbreak Cafe for early arrivers. Foothills Trail Journal About. Good job author! On a clear day you can see Louisville as you tackle the 20,000 total feet of elevation change on this trail. Just know that as a general proposition, the Foothills Trail is rich with water sources — in fact, all those creeks, rivers and lakes is one of its great appeals. Thursday, December 24, 2020 We are 48 hours away from our thru hike of the Foothills. I was very fortunate as this will be my 12th trip in this challenging & strange year. 50-Mile Thru-Hikes: Loyalsock Trail, Pennsylvania. Located in Upstate South Carolina and Western North Carolina, the trail is 77 miles long. And what's the camp site situation like? Highlights include the Chattooga Wild and Scenic River in the Ellicott Rock Wilderness, Gorges State Park, Lake Jocassee, Sassafras Mountain (the highest point in South Carolina at 3554 feet), and Whitewater Falls (second … Become a member! These ten point-to-point treks pack the payoffs of a thru-hike, but they're hikeable in a week. Thanks for your support! My wife Curly and I will be hiking the Foothills Trail along with future 2021 SOBO Marisa from December 26th through the 1st of January. Overview of the Foothills Trail The Foothills National Recreation Trail extends 77 miles from Oconee State Park to Table Rock State Park along the South Carolina/ North Carolina border. Outdoor Research MicroGravity AscentShell Jacket Review, Best Hiking and Camping Gear Deals from the REI End of Season Clearance Sale, Year in Review: 19 of The Trek's Top Posts from 2020, Enlightened Equipment Uprising Hammock Underquilt Review, https://foothillstrail.org/maps-coordinates-2/. I traveled west>east (or, sort of, south>north) and water was never an issue. In a normal season, there is plentiful water all along the trail. Thru-Hike To-Dos This week doesn’t just mean Christmas for me (but I absolutely LOVE Christmas and everything about it), it also means only 3 months until I head out on the Appalachian Trail. This is a worthy trail in its own right, but many hikers use the Foothills Trail as a kind of shakedown, warm-up, or training-wheel expedition for an AT thru-hike. Excellent article. The rail trail is flat with crushed stone surface. Will Hike this in a few weeks. The hike is hard, but not too hard, with just under 1,000 feet of elevation — I could hike that every day of my life and be 100% satisfied. Starting at Oconee State Park (the southern terminus) provides a more … 40 votes, 20 comments. There are multiple easy access points to the Foothills Trail. First Previous Next Last. 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. It, speed hiked it a spur Trail that extends to the wise in late summer and early fall…yellow!! Well-Designed, well-maintained, well-marked Trail through some gorgeous, yet challenging terrain little of. Cookies on your website on your website these cookies on your website total feet of descent you! Only includes cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website cookies... Some of these cookies on your website Toxaway River, cross numerous creeks, the River... 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