Hike of the Week: Hogpen Gap to Low Gap, Appalachian Trail, Atlanta, GA
Visit Georgia's best section of the Appalachian Trail in winter for a crowd-free experience and Blue Ridge vistas frosted in white.
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Trail Facts
- Distance: 9.8 miles (out and back)
- Time: 5 hours (or 2 days)
- Difficulty: 2 out of 5
Summary
Come summertime (or even springtime), the Appalachian Trail will be swimming with day trippers and thru-hikers. Go now, and you’ll likely get it to yourself. Sure, there will be fewer leaves and the mercury might dip into the 30s (the 50s are way more likely, however), but Georgia’s Blue Ridge Mountains look pretty dang good dressed in white.
Head northbound from Hogpen Gap (34.7258, -83.8398), where this photo was snapped, and follow an undulating ridge across Poor Mountain. Near mile 4.9, turn around at Low Gap—or post up for the night. There’s a shelter near mile 43.1 or so on the AT.
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