Pinhoti Trail Dedication March 16, 2008
In 1925, the Appalachian Trail Conference, ATC, adopted Benton MacKaye’s vision of a trail stretching from New England to Georgia, with an extension south into Alabama. In 2008, the Appalachian Trail was finally connected, via the Pinhoti Trail and Benton MacKaye trails, to the southernmost Appalachians. The connector system of trails runs 334 miles from Cheaha State Park in Alabama to Springer Mountain in Georgia.
The Alabama section of the Pinhoti is foot travel only. It was built by, and is maintained by, hikers. The Georgia section of the Pinhoti is multi-use for mountain bikers, equestrians, and hikers. The Georgia section was built by and maintained by all 3 groups. NWGA SORBA has two members on the board of directors for the Georgia Pinhoti Trail Association, GPTA, Conrad Fernandez and Rick Moon.
The completion of the Pinhoti was recognized at an event held by the Alabama Hiking Society, AHS, at Cheaha State Park on March 16, 2008, a beautiful spring day. It was a large gathering of trail enthusiasts, activists, and visionaries. It was Mike Leonard’s vision to make this connector to Alabama happen, and he has worked tirelessly for 25 years to make it happen. It was very inspirational to see him recognized for a life-long work of love. The AHS recognized several groups for their contributions. The GPTA was recognized as well for their help in achieving this goal. It was only fitting that a mountain biker proudly wearing a SORBA/IMBA shirt would receive the award for Georgia.
The Georgia section of the Pinhoti Trail continues to expand mountain biking opportunities through partnerships with the NFS, Georgia State Parks, local governments, and other user groups like the Back Country Horsemen. There are 3 projects at various stages right now along the Pinhoti. A connector from Fort Mountain State Park to the Pinhoti at Peeples Lake is now open. This makes a loop possible on the south face of Fort Mountain. There is a 20-mile horse and mountain bike trail loop system off the Pinhoti at Dry Creek going through environmental studies now. There are talks going on about a mountain bike connector trail with Sloppy Floyd State Park.
The Georgia Section of the Pinhoti offers long distance point-to-point mountain bike riding. This is a rarity in the eastern United States.
