Pinhoti Trail

The Pinhoti Trail (Pin-hoe-tee) is a 335-mile backcountry trail that runs northeast from the Talladega National Forest in Alabama to Springer Mountain in Georgia, where it joins the Benton MacKaye and Appalachian Trails. With 164 miles of trail contained in Georgia and the other 171 miles in Alabama, the Pinhoti Trail is maintained by trail clubs and associations in both states. The closest trailhead to Chattanooga is in Fort Mountain State Park, near Dalton, GA.

Through hikers will find designated campsites and shelters. Day hikers can access multiple loops through lush native forests and rocky southern terrain. The Pinhoti Trail in Northwest Georgia is a mountain biker’s paradise offering hours and days of two-wheeled trail riding. Mulberry Gap, a Mountain Bike Getaway, offers a ride in/out options with cabins, tent camping, hot showers, home-cooked meals, and shuttles. Other sections of the long-distance trail in Georgia are designated for horseback riding. There is no horseback riding allowed on the trail in Alabama.

More than 25 miles of horse trails offer loop rides varying from 3 to 16 miles. Riders must bring their own horses and register at the Fort Mountain Park stables, or visitors can take guided trail rides.

The trail contains several ecosystems and includes canopied hardwood forests, endangered eastern hemlock, brooks, lakes, rocky trails, country roads and segments of highways. The north terminus is approximately 70 miles west of Springer Mountain, the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail, near the Benton MacKaye Trail. The trail’s southern terminus is on Flagg Mountain, near Weogufka, AL.