The Appalachian Trail begins its northbound trek to Maine’s Mount Katahdin in the rolling southern Appalachians of North Georgia, beginning a 2000+ mile northbound journey through fourteen states. The epic-length trail travels 78.6 miles in Georgia, beginning at the southernmost blaze at Springer Mountain. On the Springer summit, a bronze plaque commemorates the trail’s southern beginning, and a vault holds a trail log, inscribed by hikers beginning their journey to Maine, or enjoying a summit celebration at the finish of their incredible adventure.
Departing Springer Mountain, the AT follows its iconic, white trail blazes through the southern Appalachian Mountains, meandering through North Georgia’s rolling Blue Ridge Mountains and exploring some of this state’s most beautiful terrain. Wildlife frequent the trail, including wild turkey, black bear, deer, wild hog, and songbirds. Throughout the state, wildflowers, rhododendron, laurel, leafy hardwoods and towering pine line the trail in an ever-changing mix of plant and tree life. And in springtime, the trail explodes in an array of abundant blooming wildflowers, including the beautiful native trillium.
Headed northbound (NOBO) to Maine? Visit Trailful, our full-service hiking outfitter shop in Hiawassee, Georgia, an official trail community along the Appalachian Trail. We’re located ten miles from the Appalachian Trail at Dicks Creek Gap (A.T. mile 69.2 from Springer Mountain) and Unicoi Gap (A.T. mile 52.5 from Springer Mountain). Check out our North Georgia A.T. thru-hiker resupply and outfitter info for details on our A.T. thru-hiker services, including mail drops, backpacking gear, technical apparel, footwear, and our hiker-friendly trail town in the Georgia mountains.
New to the trail, or looking for a shorter, beginner-friendly hike? Check out our favorite Georgia AT day hikes under six miles.
Appalachian Trail in Georgia: our favorite day hikes and backpacking adventures
Plan a day hike or a backpacking adventure with our guide to the best hikes on this iconic white-blazed trail. Explore some incredible North Georgia beauty on our favorite AT day hikes and backpacking trips, divided into the trail’s major sections in our state, and listed from south to north. Or check out these hikes plotted on our Appalachian Trail Georgia Map. Wherever your adventures take you, please remember to pack out everything you pack in, and to leave no trace, to help preserve the trail and its surrounding natural beauty.
Appalachian Approach Trail
15.6 MILES, ROUND TRIP
Catch beautiful summit views and Georgia’s tallest waterfall on this fantastic 15-mile day hike or overnight backpacking adventure. The adventure begins at the towering, tumbling waterfall at Amicalola Falls State Park, Georgia’s tallest waterfall. From Amicalola, the Approach Trail climbs through a scenic forest to the southernmost end of the AT at Springer Mountain.
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Springer Mountain
2 MILES, ROUND TRIP
Hike a short, but challenging, one mile to the trail’s southernmost end at Springer Mountain. The hike ascends to beautiful views at the Springer summit and visits the AT’s southernmost blaze, commemorated with a bronze plaque.
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Springer Mountain Loop: Appalachian Trail and Benton MacKaye Trail
4.75 MILE LOOP
Hike the Springer Mountain Loop to multiple summit overlooks and through a stream-filled valley. The hike follows the Appalachian Trail to the Springer Mountain summit and then loops to beautiful views from a quiet overlook on the Benton MacKaye Trail, named for the AT’s founder.
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Three Forks to Springer Mountain
8.6 MILES, ROUND TRIP
Hike from the rhododendron-filled Three Forks Valley south to Springer Mountain, crossing through a beautiful creek-filled forest. With a staggering amount of terrain diversity and scenic beauty, it’s one of our all-time favorite day hikes in Georgia.
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Three Forks to Long Creek Falls
1.9 MILES, ROUND TRIP
Hike the AT through the creek-filled Three Forks Valley to one of North Georgia’s most beautiful waterfalls. Long Creek Falls spills and tumbles in a series of cascades beneath a forest filled with towering hemlock, vibrant green moss, and gnarly-branched rhododendron.
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Three Forks to the Hawk Mountain AT Shelter
9.1 MILES, ROUND TRIP
Hike the AT to the tumbling cascades at Long Creek Falls, and then continue eastbound, hiking to the Hawk Mountain Shelter. Take a short mid-hike detour to visit the Hickory Flatts Cemetery, a centuries-old, weathered cemetery with rustic gravestones.
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Hightower Gap to Cooper Gap
6.9 MILES, ROUND TRIP
Hike a shaded stretch of the Appalachian Trail from Hightower Gap, just north of the Hawk Mountain Shelter. The trail rolls elevation before plunging to Horse Gap and climbing to Sassafrass Mountain, and then dives down to Cooper Gap. There aren’t any stunning summit views on this stretch, but the hike explores a beautiful, wildflower-filled stretch of North Georgia forest.
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Woody Gap to the Gooch Mountain Shelter
10.6 MILES, ROUND TRIP
Grab beautiful views from this hike’s trailhead at Woody Gap, then hike southbound to stunning summit overlooks at Ramrock Mountain and the Gooch Mountain AT shelter. This stretch has fantastic campsites along the trail, making it one of our favorite short-distance overnight backpacking adventures in Georgia.
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Woody Gap to Preachers Rock
2 MILES, ROUND TRIP
This low-mileage hike follows the AT from beautiful sunrise views at Woody Gap north of Dahlonega, and then climbs to the rocky, view-packed overlook of Preachers Rock near the summit of Big Cedar Mountain. It’s a moderately difficult climb, but relatively short, and one of the most popular AT segments in North Georgia.
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Woody Gap to Jarrard Gap
11.6 MILES, ROUND TRIP
Hike to sweeping views from Preachers Rock at Big Cedar Mountain, and continue following the AT north to the wildflower-filled Jarrard Gap. From fern-filled valleys to soaring summits, this hike explores a staggering abundance of North Georgia’s unique terrain.
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Appalachian Trail Loop at Lake Winfield Scott and Slaughter Mountain
5.6 MILE LOOP
Hike the Jarrard Trail from the glassy Lake Winfield Scott, then loop on the AT to Blood Mountain’s lower elevations in a wildflower-filled forest. Then loop back to the trailhead on the Slaughter Creek Trail, exploring a fern-filled creek valley and tunneling under dense canopies of rhododendron and mountain laurel.
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Blood Mountain via Neels Gap
4.3 MILES, ROUND TRIP
It’s perhaps THE most popular hike on the AT in Georgia. This hike follows the Byron Reece Trail to the AT, and then climbs through switchbacks and scrambes over boulders to grab stunning views at the lofty Blood Mountain summit. Towering rock outcrops on the mountaintop, the highest point on the AT in Georgia, offer stunning summit views.
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Blood Mountain Loop
6 MILE LOOP
Hike the Byron Reece Trail, AT and Freeman Trail on this ultra-scenic six mile loop, climbing up, over and around the Blood Mountain summit. This loop explores some of Blood Mountain’s lesser-traveled terrain and catches solitude on the rocky, challenging return route on the Freeman Trail.
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Vogel State Park to Blood Mountain
8.5 MILE LOOP
Hike from Vogel State Park to the Blood Mountain summit, following the park’s the Bear Hair Trail and Coosa Trail to the AT. It’s a fantastic alternate route to the summit, and compared to the popular Byron Reece Trailhead at Neels Gap, offers ample parking for a small fee.
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Blood Mountain to Wolf Laurel Top & Cowrock Mountain
13 MILES, ROUND TRIP
This 13-mile adventure makes a fantastic, challenging day hike or an even better overnight backpacking trip. Hike the AT from Neels Gap and camp at Wolf Laurel Top or Cowrock Mountain, catching stunning summit views from sun-drenched, rocky mountaintops.
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Tesnatee Gap to Cowrock Mountain
2.25 MILES, ROUND TRIP
Hike the AT south from Tesnatee Gap to stunning views from the oddly-named but view-packed Cowrock Mountain. With easy trailhead access and parking off a paved highway, it’s one of the most popular short-distance hikes on Georgia’s stretch of the AT.
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Unicoi Gap to Chattahoochee Gap
8.9 MILES, ROUND TRIP
Hike the AT from Unicoi Gap north of Helen, climbing Blue Mountain to the Blue Mountain shelter. This stretch of trail meanders through a lush, fern and wildflower-filled, rocky forest to the headwaters of the Chattahoochee River at Chattahoochee Gap.
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Hogpen Gap to Unicoi Gap
29 MILES, ROUND TRIP
While it lacks any stunning summit views or tumbling waterfalls, this segment makes a fantastic long weekend backpacking adventure and offers a load of scenic forested beauty, thanks to dense carpets of fern, towering hardwoods, and loads of springtime wildflowers. Follow the AT from Hogpen Gap just north of Helen on a rolling adventure to Chattahoochee Gap, the headwaters of the Chattahoochee River, and then make a steep descent into Unicoi Gap. Multiple campsites along this stretch offer a great place to recharge before the return hike to Hogpen.
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Unicoi Gap to Indian Grave Gap
5.1 MILE LOOP
This challenging hike makes a heart-pounding climb to the summit of Rocky Mountain, catching beautiful views of the nearby Yonah Mountain. The hike dives through tunnels of mountain laurel at Indian Grave Gap before looping back to Unicoi Gap on the Rocky Mountain Trail. It’s one of the most challenging workouts on the AT in Georgia – but the summit views are well worth the effort.
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Unicoi Gap to Tray Mountain
9.9 MILES, ROUND TRIP
Hike a double-summit adventure on the Appalachian Trail from Unicoi Gap, scaling Rocky Mountain and Tray Mountain to stunning summit views. At just under 10 miles, it’s a fantastic, challenging day hike, or a great overnight backpacking adventure.
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Indian Grave Gap to Tray Mountain
4.6 MILES, ROUND TRIP
Hike the AT north from Indian Grave Gap, climbing through a gnarly forest of mountain laurel. Grab stunning views of the surrounding rolling Appalachians, Yonah Mountain, and Lake Hiawassee from the Tray Mountain summit, some of our all-time favorite views in Georgia.
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Dicks Creek Gap to Powell Mountain
5.2 MILES, ROUND TRIP
Hike the AT southbound from Dicks Creek Gap, exploring a leafy hardwood forest. The hike summits Powell Mountain to catch views of Lake Burton nestled in the distant, rolling Appalachian mountains on the far horizon. It’s a great hike year-round – but it’s especially stunning during autumn’s beautiful leaf color display.
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Dicks Creek Gap to Bly Gap, NC
17.4 MILES, ROUND TRIP
Backpack the AT north from Dicks Creek Gap to a gnarled, old oak just across the Georgia state line at Bly Gap. Explore beautiful, fern-and-moss-filled forest, and overnight at one of many great campsites.
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Appalachian Trail in North Carolina
North of the Georgia state line, the AT continues its northbound journey to Maine, climbing rugged mountains capped with historic fire towers, exploring the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and rolling over view-packed, grassy balds covered in wildflowers and wild berries.Hike the AT to some of the best views in the South at Roan Mountain, the grassy mountain balds in the Roan Highlands, and on the grassy, sun-drenched summit of Max Patch. Climb to stunning views from the historic fire lookout towers at Albert Mountain and Wesser Bald. Or climb the rocky Lovers Leap at Hot Springs, catching beautiful views of the French Broad River.
EXPLORE THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL IN NC
Our favorite hiking gear
What to pack?
Ready to hit the trail, but wondering what to pack? Our hiking gear list features our favorite, trail-tested hiking gear for day hikes in the Georgia backcountry, and our backpacking gear list features our favorite packs, tents, sleeping gear and cookware for a night (or a dozen) out on the trail. And no matter what you pack in, pack it all back out. Please leave no trace and help preserve Georgia’s beauty.
OUR HIKING GEAR LIST
Springer Mountain to Woody Gap
These hikes explore the southernmost end of the AT. Visit the final southern AT blaze on Springer Mountain’s summit, backpack through the lush, creek-filled Three Forks valley, and climb to beautiful views from Ramrock Mountain and Woody Gap.
Woody Gap to Neels Gap
These hikes trail through the wildly beautiful, wildflower- and peak-filled Blood Mountain Wilderness south of Neels Gap. This stretch of the AT in our state is the most popular, and for a very good reason: the views are stunning and the forest is particularly scenic.
Neels Gap to Unicoi Gap
Hiking north from Neels Gap, the AT rolls elevation through the Raven Cliff Wilderness, visiting soaring mountain summits and diving through sunlight-dappled, fern-filled gaps. Backpacking? Don’t miss our favorite campsite on the at the Wolf Laurel Top summit.
Unicoi Gap to Bly Gap
Departing Chattahoochee Gap, the AT reaches Unicoi Gap north of Helen, Georgia. From Unicoi Gap, the trail crosses Rocky Mountain and Tray Mountain before hiking northbound through Dicks Creek Gap and crossing the North Carolina state line at Bly Gap. Continue the northbound adventure on our favorite North Carolina Appalachian Trail hikes near Asheville.
Camping & backpacking the A.T. in Georgia
Campsites dot the length of the trail. Our favorites? The view-packed campsite on the Wolf Laurel Top summit and the trailside campsites at the Ramrock Mountain summit top our list of high-elevation AT camping sites. And the campsites at Three Forks in a mossy, boulder-filled creek valley top our list of favorite backpacking and car camping sites in Georgia.
Please Remember
Always leave no trace, pack out everything you pack in, and if you see trash, pick it up and pack it out.
Stay on the marked trail, tell someone where you're going, pack safety and wayfinding essentials, and don't rely on a mobile phone to find your way. Please always practice good trail etiquette. And before you go, always check the trailhead kiosk, official maps, and the park or ranger office for notices of changed routes, trail closures, safety information, and restrictions.
