Great Eastern Trail in Alabama and Georgia: the Pinhoti

The Great Eastern Trail's first two states are on the map. Our line across Alabama and Georgia is drawn, checked and loaded into Gaia GPS, from the fire tower on Flagg Mountain to Lookout Mountain on the Tennessee line.

Alabama

The line starts at the restored CCC fire tower on Flagg Mountain, dedicated as the Pinhoti Trail's Mile 0 in October 2025, and follows the Eastern Continental Trail to the Pinhoti. In the south, county roads near Weogufka and Rockford link stretches of the Pinhoti. North of there it's Pinhoti nearly all the way, through the Talladega National Forest and Cheaha State Park, home of Alabama's highest point, to the Georgia line.

Georgia

The Pinhoti carries on into Georgia. A road walk through Cave Spring leads to the Simms Mountain Rail Trail and one more stretch of Pinhoti, then a long road walk through Lyerly and Menlo climbs onto Lookout Mountain. The line finishes on trail, past Cloudland Canyon State Park and through Lula Lake Land Trust to the Tennessee line.

Every turn is drawn on OpenStreetMap and checked in Gaia before its pin goes in. Through Lula Lake the line follows the River to Clouds Route, the way the land trust asked Great Eastern hikers to go. Each hiker needs the land trust's pass-through permit; the details are on its River to Clouds Route page.

When all nine states are done, Tim Hupp, president of the Great Eastern Trail Association, looks the line over, and then the track goes out free to anyone. Follow the build state by state on the Great Eastern Trail page.

Want the free Great Eastern track the day it's ready? Sign up for free, and we'll send it.

Check with each land manager and the weather forecast before you hike.

Hike Your Hike - John. 🥾

Hiking America is an independent navigation resource and is not part of the Great Eastern Trail Association. Learn about GETA at greateasterntrail.net.