Appalachian Trail Approach Trail Hike: Amicalola Falls to Springer Mountain Georgia

In 2023 we section hiked 1,225 miles of the Appalachian Trail, the longest footpath in the world, and spent 13 weeks day hiking, working, and van camping on the Appalachian Trail as we moved up the trail slowly from Georgia to Maine. In this series we cover each section we hiked and in this article we cover the AT Approach Trail to the official beginning (or end) of the AT at Springer Mountain Georgia!

The AT Approach Trail begins at the base of the tallest waterfall East of the Mississippi River (Amicalola Falls) and ends at the NOBO beginning or SOBO ending of an Appalachian Trail thru-hike: Springer Mountain.

Day One Lunch Break: Springer Mountain Summit.

Amicalola Falls to Springer Mountain Section Hike Need To Know’s:

1. The hike begins at the base of the waterfall and immediately begins to climb several hundred stairs to the top of the waterfall. The PUDS (pointless ups and downs) continue on throughout the entire hike to Springer Mountain.

2. I did a roundtrip hike to Springer Mountain and back. We logged over 40,000 steps that day and while the official mileage is 17 miles (8.5 miles one way) we finished at 20 miles for the day. Quite the first day start! It was also the most elevation gain we had on any one hiking day EXCEPT the days we reached the summit of Mt Washington (New Hampshire) and Mt Katahdin (Maine.)

3. I packed 3 Liters of Water and it was one of the few days I finished all of it before finishing the hike. (We carried a filter as a back up but it wasn’t needed as the water ran out about a mile short of getting back to Amicalola Falls State Park.

4. There is lodging and camping at Amicalola Falls State Park and there are shelters along the AT Approach Trail. The best resource for all things shelter/privy/water sources we found was using the AT Guide by former thru hiker AWOL and having it in looseleaf format to bring the pages along for the section you are hiking!

5. I saw two black bear cubs on the trail within the first hour of the hike. It turned out to be the ONLY two bears I saw on trail during the entire 1,225 mile Section Hike. We saw about a dozen more but at campgrounds, on roads, nearby hikes, etc over the course of 2023.

6. This is a super intense one day hike and I would rate it as 11/10 on difficulty levels. However we had a camper van that was great to sleep in but not with 4WD and good on rough forest service roads and that was how you reach a pickup spot only a mile from the Springer Mountain Summit. (A popular drop off for AT Thru-Hikers.)

Photo at the “arch” of the Approach Trail. Our dog Cotopaxi was just finishing off his recovery from kennel cough so Jill and him skipped the hiking that day.

What did I wish I would have known or done differently?

1. I should have packed more food. I brought two bars and a bowl of pasta salad (rookie mistake) but the hike was much more strenuous and I would recommend a heavier portion of food for the day.

2. We camped at the Plum Nelly in Elijay Georgia (which was lovely) but being at the campground at the state park before and after this intense of a day hike would have been great.

3. I packed the whole AT Guide on this day and this day only for my 13 weeks on the trail! After this I realized I only needed a few sheets of looseleaf for the area I was hiking. Lesson learned!

What gear did I use and like the most?

1. Hoka One Kaha’s were my trusted shoes for this day (and for the whole summer on the trail.)

2. I used my REI 40 Liter Backpack. This worked great since I was coming on and off the trail every day but most thru-hikers or multi-day section hikers were looking at bigger packs than mine.

3. Darn Tough Vermont and Merino Wool Socks from REI and SmartWool were my go to’s.

4. Osprey Water Bladder and Lifestraw Collapsible Filter for hydration.

5. I wore New Balance running shorts mainly and much preferred that to more typical hiking shorts.

6. Gaiters were a must as was coating our clothes in Permethrin to avoid ticks. (We did not get any ticks remarkably while hiking the AT in 2023.)

The stunning Amicalola Falls is a great way to begin this hike!

What else should you know for the Appalachian Trail Approach Trail Section Hike?

1. Thru-hikers sometimes bypass these miles (the AT is 2,200 miles ish and this isn’t technically part of the trail) but it’s a super fun and enjoyable section/day hike in the Northern Georgia Mountains.

2. If you hike it in the late spring (I hiked it on May 28th) you will get the Rhodendron flowers in full bloom which was a lovely treat. If hiking in the winter or the summer I would check for the potential of extreme weather.

3. Be Bear Aware.
   Bears are all over the place here! Carry your bell/spray and know black bear protocol and if hiking with your dog know that protocol as well to prevent wildlife encounters.

4. The Springer Mountain Summit.
   You made it, congratulations!!! It was a super special experience to arrive at the Springer Summit. Knowing that people like Grandma Gatewood, Scott Jurek, Daniel White, Neva Warren, Harvey Lewis, the Native American rightful owners of this land, and so many other hikers with aspirations to hike the whole AT, thru hikers finishing their thru hike right here, and even knowing that many have come here to scatter ashes of past loved ones, start new lives with hope and so many other reasons…it was an emotional experience I won’t soon forget!
   Relish in the space if you are able!

5. Celebrate your finish however you like to celebrate!
   I had a Topo Chico at our camper van around 345 that afternoon after finishing and it might be the best mineral water I have EVER tasted in my life.

Spring flowers on the AT Approach Trail!

Overall this was an amazing first day for the three of us to get the hiking started and lovely way to begin our 13 week journey on the Appalachian Trail.

I was concerned I might have bitten off more than I could chew on day one but it was just about right (partly because I was VERY EXCITED) and partly because I wasn’t planning to sleep on the ground afterwards.

If you want to hear more about where we camped, ate, and what we loved about the Appalachian Trail Towns in the state of Georgia tune in to our podcast episode below!

Thanks for reading and comment with questions or your favorite part of this hike.
Because Adventure Feeds the Soul,
Mike R