Once at the top of Pinnacle Mountain, there are signs every half mile following the Foothills Trail … While it was snowing in the North Carolina mountains the weekend I went, it never got below freezing on the Foothills Trail. Might as well, right? The Foothills Trail is a 76-mile National Recreation Trail in South and North Carolina, for hiking and backpacking. One step at a time and next thing I know I’m at the top. The Foothills Trail climbs gently out of Oconee State Park on a wide, flat trail that becomes increasingly tight before transforming into traditional single track. But it’s cool because I am a strong tomato. You’d think I’d like running for the same reasons, but no. I have no idea who most of you are, but thanks for the laughs and the encouragement. I told myself that tomorrow is my last day and every step I take today is one I don’t need to take tomorrow. It passes through four states and consists of a combination of the Foothills, Bartram and Benton Mackaye trails, along with the Smokies section of Read More … Three miles later, you’ll hit a much bigger waterfall — the Laurel Fork Falls. What did I just do?! ON HIS PHONE. The trail crosses two bridges here. Lots of small ups and downs, some stiff ridges, and more than a few switchbacks. 76.2 miles. Wake up, pack up camp, wrap up feet, hike, stop for lunch, take off shoes, eat, re-wrap feet, continue hiking, find campsite, eat more, fall asleep. To make a reservation for camping, use the city's online reservation system. For the first time ever, I was taking that left. It runs from Oconee State Park to Table Rock State Park, crossing the area north of 7,656-acre Lake Jocassee, in the northwest corner of the state. I get out of the Whitewater area, I still hear thunder, but no rain. Ascent. Compliments of Taz. Starting with the 1.2 mile Foothills Access Trail in Oconee State Park, only the first 28 miles of the Foothills Trail from the park to Upper Whitewater Falls was designated a National Recreation Trail in 1979. The Foothills Trail is an 80-mile foot trail running along the Blue Ridge Escarpment from Oconee State Park north of Walhalla, SC to Table Rock State Park north of Pickens, SC. Occasionally I’d join them and occasionally I’d find myself saying, “I. I got to this bridge, my feet are on fire, and I just wanted to sit and…listen. I finally did fall asleep for a few hours and as I packed up camp I couldn’t believe this was it. It extends from Table Rock State Park to Oconee State Park. If you complete the 77 miles of the main trail you are eligible for the really nice Peregrine Patch. This expedition lengthens the 76 mile trail to over 120 miles. We had a small window of time to complete the hike, and as daunting as hiking 77 miles in about 2.5 days is, we decided to give it a go anyway. I got irrationally angry at a sign that said “Oconee State Park, 2 miles” on it. And between these “named” campsites are plenty of unnamed little makeshift sites. Get Here. The trail system in Foot Hills State Forest is used for hiking and OHV riding in the summer and cross-country skiing and snowmobiling in the winter. Overview of the Foothills Trail The Foothills National Recreation Trail extends 77 miles from Oconee State Park to Table Rock State Park along the South Carolina/ North Carolina border. I got up to Bald Knob in what was likely record time for me—I was so excited I basically ran up there. Another day and another large elevation change, mostly up. You’re basically driving to Spartanburg, then spending another hour on some South Carolina rural highways. Am. Except the first part, 3 miles down to US 178. Elevation Change. Total mileage for these hikes will be 113+ miles. It passes through the Andrew Pickens Ranger District of the Sumter National Forest, Ellicott Rock Wilderness, Whitewater Falls, and Lake Jocassee. I don’t know you either, but I will never look at Dr. Pepper the same. Last Thursday, Craig & I set off to hike the Foothills Trail. I didn’t quite realize this was going to involve 600 vertical feet on a series of rocks, steps, and switchbacks, but it’s cool. Lots of dead and newly downed timber thru this area. I think hiking gets romanticized a bit. For sure. The Foothills Trail is a 76 mile long stretch of handcut trail that is really a jewel, and not many people know about it. I will never find the words to describe how amazing this was. Turns out the three of them were just discussing hiking the trail and they had a ton of questions for me and I was happy to chat with them for a bit. The climbing up and down and up and down is starting to get to me. It is often overlooked in favor of big mountain hikes, but the Foothills Trail makes up for lack of majestic views and elevation by being a true back country experience, where you … The sign to Table Rock State Park. Table Rock, Pinnacle, Paris Mountain, Lake Jocassee and Bad Creek are all in view and it. It’s one of the reasons I love hiking so much. I’m going. On the other side of the creek, there are some camping flats, in the middle of which is a trail … Celebrating 46 Years of the Foothills Trail Over 2,481 volunteer hours in 2020 Planning a hike? And maybe rightfully so. I’m not even complaining. Avg: 1hr. This is where it felt real. It runs from Table Rock State park to Oconee State Park. This trail profile appeared originally in The Trek.. The hiker is treated to their first of many waterfalls at mi… Gorgeous. It was everything I needed. The Foothills Trail is a 76-mile (122 km) National Recreation Trail in South and North Carolina, United States, for recreational hiking and backpacking.It extends from Table Rock State Park to Oconee State Park.It passes through the Andrew Pickens Ranger District of the Sumter National Forest, Ellicott Rock Wilderness, Whitewater Falls, and Lake Jocassee. There are 3 additional spur trails that will be offered. The first one is a small span that crosses the Toxaway Creek. So I took off and got through the Whitewater area. I was in the library studying.). Charlotte Agenda is now Axios Charlotte -. But South Carolina’s high country is worth checking out, too. Lynch’s book has some itineraries for 5, 6, and 7 day thru-hikes and for all of them they end day 1 at the Cantrell homesite campground. Trail on Glen Eyre Number 3 Reservoir, Camp Creek, Douglas Creek, and Fountain Creek in Colorado Springs. Luckily, there are plenty of established campsites along this stretch of trail, with water access and fire rings. I dropped my bag and immediately checked if I had signal too. SMT001. The Foothills Trail is a 76-mile (122 km) National Recreation Trail in South and North Carolina, United States, for recreational hiking and backpacking.It extends from Table Rock State Park to Oconee State Park.It passes through the Andrew Pickens Ranger District of the Sumter National Forest, Ellicott Rock Wilderness, Whitewater Falls, and Lake Jocassee. This is a paved trail that stretches for 21 miles between eastern Puyallup and the White River in the town of Buckley. The idea for the Foothills Trail, a National Recreation Trail located in far western South Carolina, began in the 1960s as an effort to preserve and protect the beauty of the Appalachian Foothills.A trail corridor linking Table Rock State Park in the north/east to Oconee State Park to the south/west, was completed in 1981. I nearly cried. Or was the climb breathtaking? Had it all to myself. A spur trail connects it to Caesars Head State Park. The Foothills Trail Conservancy’s website is a great resource for finding up-to-date trail conditions, but pay careful attention to weather patterns before your hike. Reminded me a lot of the Middle Saluda at Jones Gap State Park. This is a campground made near an old homesite on Sassafras Mountain. Still, it offers some pretty nice views. Must have been a decent win Think of the trail as a “short” 100-Mile Wilderness. For more information, visit the Foothills Park Towle Campground page or call 650-329-2423. Like. This National Recreation Trail is South Carolina’s longest trail. Finishing day: 67.6-76.2m. And there were two guys up there, one of them on his phone. If you want to train for an upcoming AT attempt, keep the principle of specificity in mind and try a training hike on the Foothills Trail. Foothills Trail is a 72.3 mile lightly trafficked point-to-point trail located near Pickens, South Carolina that features a lake and is rated as difficult. We had a small window of time to complete the hike, and as daunting as hiking 77 miles in about 2.5 days is, we decided to give it a go anyway. 76.2 miles between Table Rock State Park and Oconee State Park in South Carolina with a whole bunch of bouncing into North Carolina along the way. Luckily, there are plenty of established campsites along this stretch of trail, with water access and fire rings. I had a fairly uneventful morning. I wanted an answer, but here I am about to join that chorus….don’t even worry about it. We descended the 800 feet of Sassafras mountain to climb right back up Pinnacle Mountain to 3200 feet. The Foothills Trail is a 76 mile long stretch of handcut trail that is really a jewel, and not many people know about it. 18 Trip Reports for this trail, below Hike by WTA Staff: Charlie Wakenshaw. No, I’m not stopping. It’s what hikers call it because it’s, well, heartbreaking. Seriously. EASY. I agree. Relax. For some reason, the Foothills Trail people don’t tell you where the good camping spots are online. This also meant I wasn’t going to have time to do the Lower Whitewater spur trail and I was sooooo sad about that. If you’re a monster, you could double back and finish this as a 22-mile day hike. I don’t care. The trail was very easy to follow and connects up with the foothills trail at a point. The Foothills Trail Conservancy publishes a map and guidebook that divides the trail up into 14 shorter segments, and shows access points (trailheads). They were so nice and encouraging and that silly little conversation brought me back. I’m a total sucker for sounds. But how do you pass up taking in that view?!?!! Day 9 - 9 Miles - From Laurel Valley Camp To Cantrell Camp - A bit chilly this morning, around 40 and cloudy. Oh well. ;). Thank you. I have no idea how, but as I climbed in bed and zipped it shut, the first raindrops started. Onwards. South Fork Campground. Summary. It’s a competition with myself. Camping Summary: Whether you’re looking for a day hike or planning a multi-day through-hike, the Foothills Trail offers adventures of every length and difficulty. It is only 0.1 mile to the main observation area, but you need to h up a lot of small wooden steps - I would say close to a hundred. There are campsites everywhere. In the end, we only ended up hiking about 48 miles of… While I’m gone I’m in contact with my husband every single day. The campground is near the Kaweah River, 20 minutes from the Foothills Visitor Center and 40 minutes from the Giant Forest. I had visions of it raining all the next day and I convinced myself I’d be better off hiking than sitting and freaking out about weather that I can’t control. OF COURSE I DO. I made it. I love the trails for the nature and the exercise and just being outdoors, but I also really love the people I meet. Finding a place to sleep isn’t a big deal. Here’s what 9 Charlotte leaders said.