Backpack Trail Guide

Trails / Georgia / Northwest Georgia

Pinhoti Trail in Georgia: Snake Creek Gap to Dug Gap

Chattahoochee National Forest, Conasauga Ranger District (GA 136 to Dug Gap Mountain, near Dalton)

The Pinhoti Trail continues from Alabama into Georgia, where Explore Georgia says its 167 miles make it the longest hike in the state. One stretch runs about 15 miles from Snake Creek Gap on Georgia Highway 136 to Dug Gap Mountain above Dalton, along the long ridges of northwest Georgia. AllTrails says you’re unlikely to meet many other people out there.

It’s rocky and dry, so carry plenty of water.

The hike

Wikipedia says the Pinhoti runs from Flagg Mountain in Alabama to the Benton MacKaye Trail in Georgia, and that Georgia has about 164 miles of it. Whitfield County describes the Pinhoti trail system as running about 300 miles from Alabama to the Benton MacKaye Trail and says this section begins at Snake Creek Gap off Highway 136 in Walker County and ends atop Dug Gap Mountain in Dalton.

AllTrails describes this section as a challenging 15.4-mile point-to-point route, good for backpacking and camping. It says no permits or fees are required for hiking or backcountry camping, that overnight stays are usually at primitive campsites along the ridgeline, and that bear-resistant food storage is recommended. It adds that water is available at several creek crossings, but ridgeline sections may be dry, requiring hikers to carry plenty between sources.

Reviewers describe the terrain bluntly. One calls the Georgia Pinhoti a rock garden in spots and recommends trekking poles, adding that there’s a waterfall at certain times of year. Another found no water until about 10 miles in. Trailforks lists Swamp Creek as a water crossing and England Spring Gap as a water source along the mountain bike segment known as “The Snake,” which it describes as a 12-mile black-diamond singletrack also used by trail runners. Its landmarks include Middle Mountain Crest and Mill Creek Mountain.

The Pinhoti here is shared. Trailforks shows this as a multi-use trail, and Explore Georgia says the Pinhoti offers IMBA EPIC mountain biking and horseback riding on most sections. Expect riders, especially on weekends.

The Georgia Pinhoti Trail Association’s guide describes nearby sections. South of Snake Creek Gap, the trail crosses Johns Mountain and passes Keown Falls, where horse and mountain bike travel are restricted. The guide lists no shelters or designated campsites on those sections and notes frequent stream crossings in some of them. Hiking the Appalachians and Beyond describes Keown Falls and the Johns Mountain overlook as highlights, with great winter views from Johns Mountain.

The trail has a long history. Wikipedia says construction of the Alabama Pinhoti began in 1970, and that by 1983, advocates proposed connecting it to the Appalachian Trail in Georgia, an idea that would make Flagg Mountain the AT’s southern terminus. Hiking the Appalachians and Beyond’s mileage log south of Snake Creek Gap puts Keown Falls at 0.9 mile from its parking area, the Johns Mountain summit vista at 3.25, and Pilchers Pond at 8.4.

For hikers who want a shorter or wetter trip, AllTrails lists an 11.3-mile out-and-back from Pilchers Pond to Snake Creek Gap and a 1.9-mile Keown Falls loop nearby.

For the Pinhoti’s Alabama end, see Flagg Mountain.

Tips

Camping

AllTrails says no permits or fees are required for backcountry camping on this section of the Pinhoti, and that overnight stays are usually at primitive campsites along the ridgeline. The Georgia Pinhoti Trail Association’s guide lists no shelters or designated campsites on nearby sections. Treat all water, and check current Forest Service rules and hunting seasons before you go.

Inside Intel: Plan your camp around water, not miles. A reviewer who hiked from Dug Gap toward Snake Creek Gap found no water until about 10 miles in, and AllTrails warns the ridgeline can be dry. Trailforks lists England Spring Gap and Swamp Creek as water points on the Snake section.

Trail facts

The Lowdown

Rock gardens from Snake Creek Gap to Dug Gap:

One reviewer calls the Georgia Pinhoti a rock garden in spots and recommends trekking poles for this 15.4-mile section. See how to set them up and use them right.

Get the trekking pole tips →

Where this comes from

This page draws on the sources below, along with other guides and trip reports. Links go to the original pages.

Before you go: This page is based on published trail guides, trip reports, and reviews, along with official park and agency information where we could find it. It’s meant to help backpackers discover new trails, not to replace current, official information. Conditions, closures, permits, campsites, and water sources change, and some details here may be out of date or wrong. Confirm everything with the managing agency and check current conditions before you head out, and don’t rely on this page alone for safety or navigation. Backcountry travel involves risk.