After tackling the 76 miles of the Foothills Trail’s main walkway in September my dad and I decided it would be fun to hike every spur trail it had to offer. The same can be said of our overnight hike of the Foothills Trail section 1 – once we were out of Table Rock State Park where the trail starts, we didn’t see another person until the next day when we reached the crowds who drove to the top of Sassafras Mountain. The trail mellows out in this section with mountain laurel tunnels and lots of shade – it’s very characteristic of the Foothills Trail and it’s a nice change of pace after the beating we’ve taken over the last 6 or so miles. You can find my written blog posts about our hikes on the Foothills Trail and how we tackled it section by section right here. Instead, Duke Power offered to build and maintain the central section of the Foothills Trail. One of my best friends hiked it with us, with her four children. Best of Puyallup; Contact Us; Downtown, Education, Puyallup Foothills Trail. Continuing down a steep staircase the trail levels out and follows a contour line around the mountain. Unfortunately our clothes were still sweat-soaked from the day before. Upper Whitewater Falls Trail Access. It breaks the trail into 5 sections and we use those breaks when we write about the trail. Best Sections of the Appalachian Trail to Hike in the Fall. We finished eating and were in the tent before it was even dark. Rangers 970-416-2147 For life-threatening emergencies call 911. After a short nap, we push our way back into the forest and through the weeds. That will be the end of the line until a bridge across the White River is added, a step not expected until perhaps 2023. It was short but a nice intro into the addiction known as backpacking. With carefully placed steps we descended and soon the trail began switching back on itself – we could hear the telltale sign of a road nearby. See Pierce County’s newest section of the Foothills Trail from Buckley to South Prairie. I would think we are in good shape, so would it be too far/hard to go from Hwy 178 to the Bad Creek Access in three days or is about the same distance as Oconee State Park to the Bad Creek Access, if so, which one is better? Over the years we have hiked and backpacked a few sections and have fallen in love with it’s beauty and remoteness. Following a short path behind the site leads to a wire and pulley system that makes hanging our bear bag a cinch. https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/south-carolina/foothills-national-recreation-trail They provide a cooling respite with shade and trickling water. But maybe that’s because we picked the hottest day of the year to make the 3,500 foot trek to South Carolina’s highest point – 95 degrees with our packs on was no easy feat. Highest Point Coney Peak (13,334 feet) Best Week Molas Pass to Creede. After thoroughly refreshing ourselves we retrieved car #1 and drove back to Table Rock to pick up car #2. When we could hear car doors slamming from the parking lot, we knew we were close to the top. We have done overnight trip in Paris Mountain State Park to the North Lake and camp on the lake. Off to our right is a small bald that looks north to North Carolina and the Blue Ridge mountains. We keep hiking but our pace is slowed. Scroll over the images to see section titles. Treffen Sie eine Wanderung mit The Local Hiker. The current Enumclaw section of the Foothills Trail ends at the historic Boise Creek Bridge. That's 5 (or 5.7) miles, depending on how you read the map and guidebook, which are confusing at Bad Creek. Sign In To Add To Favorites Loading Trails These would be a series of fun, casual hikes with family that would allow us all to spend more time together before my departure in February of next year—Caesar’s Head aside. At this point there was another great campsite that had just been claimed – it had new fire rings and benches, nice flat tent spots and a view to die for. On such a hot day it would have been a welcomed sight, but here there was only a slow trickle. If you purchase the guide through the link, you won’t pay anything extra, but we’ll get a small commission. The foothills trail winds a path along the Puyallup river, from behind Kmart to the bridge on 5th St. N.E. Camp there near Hillard Falls (or the site one mile past there). Eventually, we find ourselves hiking through rhododendron and pine forests. It’s a nice distraction as the trail pitches straight up towards Pinnacle Mountain. We snapped a few pictures but didn’t stay at the top for long. Length| 77 Miles Location| Western North Carolina and Northern South Carolina Highlights| 13 Waterfalls, Gorges, Wooden Steps, Multiple Suspension Bridges, State High Point, Volunteer Coordinated Shuttles Maps and Guidebooks| Anti-Gravity Gear Pocket Profile ($3.95), Foothills Trail Conference Trail Map ($15.00), Foothills Trail Conference Guidebook ($16.00) The campsite is a large multi-party site. Table Rock can be seen behind us and Paris Mountain can be seen off into the distance. A spur trail connects it to Caesars Head State Park. The trail continued losing elevation and off in the distance we could see the road where our hike finished. Then the Foothills Trail veers off to the left and is a part of Pinnacle Mountain Trail. I have spent two seasons hiking sections of the foothills trail. The City of Fort Collins Natural Areas and Trails Rangers frequently patrol here. Early on Thursday, July 4, we drove separate cars up to the Laurel Valley access (A4 in Google Maps) where we left a car, and then to the Table Rock Visitor Center to apply for an overnight parking pass. As we ate our sandwiches, storm clouds were forming over us so we didn’t rest for too long. Fall or spring would surely be a great time backpack this section! Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This 21-mile-long trail is a popular commuter route and recreational destination for bicyclists, while hikers enjoy shorter, more manageable segments of the trail. We only had 7 miles to go today and we took our time in the morning. The terrain here is pretty rugged. Black-eyed Susan, foam flowers, and phlox line the trail. Thanks for all the ideas, I really like Rain Man's idea but I don't want to double back if possible. There were a lot of tourists on this holiday weekend. The first 30 miles starting at Oconee State Park would be pretty awesome. When we got to the road it was quickly apparent that this was not the road we started on. Where fall meets winter in GSMNP. My first whack at it was about ten years ago covering sections 4, 5, 6 and 7 from the Laurel Fork to Upper Whitewater Falls. It didn’t take us long to pack up camp after breakfast, but it did take us a while to get back into the groove of hiking after such a hard hike the day before. Best section of the Foothills Trail to hike with my gf. I am wondering what section of the Foothills Trail would be the best to take my girlfriend on. It’s exciting, but a little treacherous, when the trail has us climbing over and around them. After dark, a light rain started and Fourth of July fireworks shows could be heard in the distance (according to Amy). Image via . The Foothills Trail has lots of ups and downs, so 5 miles is harder than it sounds. We came out of the woods onto the parking lot, and climbed the paved path to the top. FOOTHILLS TRAIL MAP SOUTH CAROLINA 75 miles. 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