This last December and January I did a 5 week and 530 mile winter hiking trip in the Southern Appalachians. I combined a 130 mile section of the AT from Neel’s Gap to Fontana Dam, an equally long section of the Benton MacKaye Trail from Fontana Dam to the Northern Pinhoti Trail terminus and the whole Georgia and Alabama Pinhoti Trail.
You can find the whole trip report including photos and lots of tips for future hikers here on my blog .
Although for me this hike has mostly been about testing my abilities and comfort zone on a winter hike I have discovered two gems: The Benton MacKaye Trail (BMT) and the Alabama Pinhoti Trail.
I have thruhiked the AT and re-hiked 130 miles of it this year, but I must say that I much preferred the Benton MacKaye Trail that parallels the AT in this area. The AT is pretty much a long forested tunnel with very little views whereas the BMT is much more varied. On the BMT you have the ridgeline walking like on the AT, but also some fantastic and spectacular river walks. There are only 2 shelters and hardly any bridges on the BMT making it a more “adventureous” trail than the AT. You’ll encounter plenty of (mostly easy) stream crossings and you’ll need a tent. But you will hardly see anyone else on the BMT which is surprising – the BMT is still an insiders’ tip.
The Alabama Pinhoti Trail was another postive surprise. It offers some very nice shelters, single file trail almost the entire way and an almost remote wilderness feeling – but there is hardly anyone out there. The Georgia Pinhoti is nice as well, but includes two twenty-mile road walks.
Bottom line: If you like the Southern Appalachians, there is more than the AT. The BMT and Pinhoti Trail offer great hiking opportunities. As the BMT parallels and crosses the AT there are plenty of loop hike possibilities .
