Amicalola East Trail Ridge To Len Foote Hike Inn (optional dinner)

Come join me to have hot chocolate or hot tea between the two halves of our hike.  How cool is that?

This is a moderate to difficult loop hike at a moderate pace.  We will stop and wait for slower hikers at Frosty Mountain (the highest elevation of the hike) and at the turn from the AT approach trail onto the Hike Inn Trail, as well as at the Hike Inn itself.

 We’ll meet at 10:00 just inside the Amicalola Falls State Park Visitor Center and start our hike from behind visitor center to the trailhead on parking lot on top of the falls.  From that trailhead, we will hike the AT Approach trail northward for 4.5 miles with a short stop at Frosty Mountain. This trail has a lot of ups and downs, but mostly ups, and some of the ups are steep.  We will turn right onto the Len Foote Trail and hike a mile to Len Foote Hike Inn. The East Ridge Trail climbs to the top of Amicalola Falls, rising an average of 80 feet for each 500 feet of trail.  It is one of a handful of trails considered strenuous simply because of the climb.

We will stop at the Inn to look around a bit and eat our packed lunch in the dining hall there.  The Inn does not serve lunch to dayhikers but will sometimes have some dessert or fruit that you can take in exchange for tips to the Inn’s staff.  This is not a guarantee, so be sure to bring your own lunch.  They will have iced tea, lemonade, hot water, tea bags and chocolate and other drinks that you can pay for with tips.

From the Inn we will continue southward 5 miles to top of the falls via the Len Foote Trail.  From there we take 425 steps down to parking lot.Please check with the trip leader before you leave, so we make sure everyone is accounted for.  There is an optional dinner at Giorgio's Italian resturant on exit 12. If you are planning to attend please make sure to carpool with people who are also going to dinner.

There is a $5 GA DNR parking fee per vehicle at Amicalola Falls State Park unless you display an annual pass.

DIRECTIONS from GA-400/ I-285 INTERCHANGE in N ATLANTA (Sandy Springs) to AMICALOLA FALLS STATE PARK (about 60 miles or 90 minutes):

1.  From the GA-400/ I-285 interchange go North on GA-400/US-19 N about 42 miles to the traffic light at GA-136 (a.k.a. Harmony Church Rd).
2.  Turn Left off GA-400 onto GA-136 and follow it westward about 17.3 miles.
3.  Bear Right onto GA-183 (a.k.a. Elliott Pkwy) and go about 1.1 miles.
4.  Bear Right onto GA-52 East and go 1.6 miles.
5.  Turn Left onto Amicalola Falls State Park Rd, at the park entrance.
6.  Continue northward just 0.2 mile to the State Park Visitor Center on your right.  At 10:00 AM we’ll gather just inside the Visitor Center and introduce one another.  It’s a good idea to ask for one of their nice free color maps of the State Park which clearly shows our parking lot and trailhead for the hike.

GPS and GOOGLE.COM/MAPS USERS may wish to augment the above directions by entering the Visitor Center's street Address or Lat/Lon coordinates as your destination:
  418 Amicalola Falls State Park Rd, Dawsonville, GA 30534
  34.55782,-84.24957

There is a $5 GA DNR parking fee per vehicle, payable at Amicalola Falls State Park unless you display an annual pass.