AT Section Hike Advice

You’ll likely see lots of other folks out. That’s pretty prime starting season for the NOBOs

Yeah, LOTS of people, even with the ATC’s call to postpone thru hikes again.  Did that same stretch the 2nd and 3rd weeks of April a number of years ago and it was packed.

After mid April, the traffic starts tapering off.

Why are we talking about trail traffic only being thru hikers? At least here in Georgia plenty of section hikers, weekend backpackers, and dayhikers around popular trailheads throughout the Spring.

Sorry to give that impression, since you live close when would you say is the lowest traffic time at the AT trailhead? Thanks

Traffic should be steady throughout the warmer months. In March/April you may run into more thru hikers but fewer people overall because it still can be cool during the day and freezing at night. So, the earlier in the season the lighter overall traffic will be.

Generally, Amicalola Falls will be packed, but once you get on the approach trail and the AT proper traffic thins out significantly. The most crowded spots will be the southern rather than northern portions of Georgia’s section of the AT (closer to Atlanta’s 6 million) and near trailheads that are near paved roads such as Woody Gap and Blood Mountain/Neels Gap, maybe near Unicoi Gap (but the trail is steep both directions out of that gap so tends to deter the casual dayhikers), and also near Springer even though the parking near there is accessed via an unpaved road.

Everyone’s idea of “a crowded trail” is different, but even in peak months you shouldn’t run into too many people on the majority of Georgia’s ~88 miles of the AT (including the approach trail).

JR, that very helpful. Thanks for taking the time👍🏼