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The whole enchilada! The Georgia AT!




The Basics:
Event Type:Backpacking
Event Location: Amicalola Falls State Park   Backpacking: The whole enchilada! The Georgia AT!  National Weather Service Forecast
Date(s) & Time:Thu, Apr 16 2026  6:00 pm >> Wed, Apr 22 2026 4:00 pm
Registration Opens: Thu, Apr 9 2026 7:00 pm
Registration Cut Off: Tue, Apr 14 2026 4:00 pm
Event Duration:Per description
Difficulty Rating:D6: Advanced (Exploratory)
Distance:87 Miles
Pace:Moderate
Trip Leader(s):
Chuck M
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Member Cost:None

Participant Info:
Who's Invited: Members Only, 21 And Older Only
Maximum Group Size:5
Minimum Group Size:2
Number Registered So Far: 1 / 0 (To see who's signed up, log in to the Member Area)
Are Dogs Permitted: No

Note: This is an "EXPLORATORY" trip. This means that there are parts of this trip, or perhaps the whole trip, that is new to your Trip Leader(s). However, they are confident that this will not be an issue.
This note is here so that you can make an informed decision. When a Trip Leader isn't personally familiar with a trip, there is an increased chance of things not going as planned and you need to be prepared. The Trip Leader may have additional details in the itinerary.

Itinerary:

Come join me backpacking the Georgia AT! I have hiked it all before, most of it multiple times, but never as a single backpacking trip. It will be great, but please don't expect precise timing. On the trail things change so the actual trip might vary materially from the description below. 

We will meet at the shelter behind the Visitor Center at 6 pm on Thursday, April 16th, and will camp in or near the shelter. This will allow us to get an early start the next morning. No miles, no climbing.

On Friday, April 17th, we will hike the Appalachian Approach Trail to Springer Mountain, pause for pictures, then continue on to Long Creek Falls, where we will find a place to camp for the night. You will need enough food to get you through to Mountain Crossing (see below). 12.8 miles, 3,600 feet of climbing.

On Saturday, April 18th, we will rise early and hike to the Lance Creek Restoration Area. 18.6 miles, 4,540 feet of climbing.

On Sunday, April 19th, we will have an easier day, hiking 8 miles to Mountain Crossing, where we will take a break to eat lunch, charge batteries (especially my CPAP battery), and to re-supply. We should leave there with about 4 days of food. We will continue hiking another 7 miles to Whitley Gap campsites (not at the shelter). 13.5 miles, 4,230 feet of climbing.

On Monday, April 20th, we will have another easier day, hiking to Blue Mountain Shelter. 12 miles, 2,620 feet of climbing.

On Tuesday, April 21st, we will hike to Deep Gap Shelter. 14.7 miles, 4,700 feet of climbing.

On Wednesday, April 22nd, we will finish our adventure, hiking to Bly Gap in North Carolina, then back to Blue Ridge Gap. 15.8 miles, 4,160 feet of climbing.

This is obviously a difficult trip, and you will need to have a record of backpacking and of recent D5s to join. If you don't have that you will be moved to the waitlist, but if you have a recording of a non-AOC event you can email me a link and I will review it. 

I will need one person to drive to Blue Ridge Gap to pick me up after I drop off my car on Friday in time to get back to Amicalola by 6 pm. This is a pretty rough road, so a high clearance AWD car would be best. After the hike we'll drive back to Amicalola to pick up the second car.


Required Items to Bring:

Bear canister. This is so we can camp anywhere we like, even places with no bear box or cables. You may be able to rent one from REI.

Everything a backpacking trip requires. If you don't know what that is, you shouldn't sign up. I'm happy to answer questions about this, though.

Recommended Items to Bring:
Use our Event Checklists to make sure you have everything you need.

How to Get There:
Event Directions:

Use the links below to get to our meeting spot.

In Apple Maps: https://maps.apple/p/izG1yg96r6MTms

In Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/aVCq4bKeyEJXfgDTA?g_st=ic


Notes:

We can coordinate the drive so only two cars need go. We'll do this after the group is set.


* We encourage all members to follow our Etiquette Guidelines while participating in AOC events.


Cancellation/Partial Attendance:   Please review the AOC cancellation policy.


Registration for this event opens at 4/9/2026 7:00:00 PM