2022-03-05 GA-AT-002 1 of 8 Horse Gap to Springer Mt. & back

We section hike the entire Appalachian Trail (AT) in Georgia in 8 trips. We go from Springer Mountain all the way to GA/NC border.

Each trip is an out and back going both AT North Bound (NoBo) and South Bound (SoBo) directions without any special car arrangement. No car shuttle and no key swap. We want to experience hiking AT both ways.

When we’re done, we have completed the entire AT in GA twice in both NoBo and SoBo directions. We have climbed twice amount of elevation gain both ways. That’s right, we leave no hill un-climbed!!

GA 1 of 8: Horse Gap to Springer Mt. & back

<<< Distance and Ascent >>>

Our GA section 1: Horse Gap to Springer Mt. & back. The round trip distance is 21 miles with a total elevation gain of 4,710 feet. These measurements are provided by Georgia Appalachian Trail Club.

<<< The Hike >>>

We start from the Horse Gap parking lot. We’ll follow AT SoBo to Hightower Gap at 2 miles, Hickory Flats Cemetery at 4.3 miles, Long Creek Falls at 5 miles, Three Forks at 6 miles, Springer Mt. parking lot at 9.5 miles, and Springer Mt. at 10.5 miles.

We’ll take our lunch break at Springer Mt., the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail. After break we’ll retrace and follow AT NoBo to get back to our cars.

<<< Important Notes >>>

The event duration does NOT include our travelling/ driving time. If you're going to meet at the event, please arrive 10 minutes before our starting time. Our duration time is an educated estimate, so we need to have some flexibility.

Please only register if you are comfortable hiking long distance at a pace of 2.5 mph in the remote mountains environment, and have recent D5 experience.

If your recent experience is not from the club, please include it in a note when you register, or email TL; otherwise you will be moved to the waiting list for the safety of everyone. We encourage our members to actively participate with joyful experience, and most importantly to stay healthy and safe at the end of our trip.

Use Google Map address:

1.   US Army Camp Merrill, Camp Merrill Dr, Dahlonega, GA 30533

2.   Horse Gap, Georgia 30572

At the front gate of US Army Camp Merrill:

From here it’s about 4.3 miles on gravel road.

Turn right onto Coopers Gap Rd for 2.8 miles at Coopers Gap,

Turn left onto Appalachian Blue Ridge Rd for 1.5 miles to reach Horse Gap parking area on the left.

1. This event may be cancelled or rescheduled if weather conditions are not satisfactory for an enjoyable outing.

2. Itinerary is subject to change at the discretion of the trip leader.