A sort-of quiet trip on the BMT

A weekend backpacking trip on the Benton Mackaye Trail sections 1 and 2 in Georgia.

Following the white-dimonds

I was looking for some peace and quiet after a busy week and the BMT is usually good for solitude. After hiking the Approach Trail last weekend, a visit to Springer Mountain from the other direction seemed appealing. Access to the trailhead at Little Skeenah Creek via GA 60 is easy, maximizing hiking time.

Marker on section 1 of the BMT, located just after the first split with the Appalachian Trail.

I’ve previously hiked these sections of the BMT during winter but it felt like a completely different experience in the heat of summer.

Bright green tunnel.

Fortunately, there are plenty of streams, springs, and even a river on this section for cooling off.

The Toccoa River Bridge is the longest Swinging Bridge east of the Mississippi at 270 feet.

Great rhododendron (Rhododendron maximum) was still blooming along the river.

A downside of summer is that the no-see-ums were out in force. Constantly buzzing, make kamikaze trips into my eyeballs, and produce itchy welts. Oh what fun. 

Female ebony jewelwing were plentiful as well.

Ticks marched up my legs and I picked them off one by one, rippping off their heads with my fingernails. Because I'm only a friend of nature sometimes.

Long Creek Falls near Three Forks is where the BMT joins the AT.

The one mile section of the BMT that shares tread with the AT south of the falls felt like a superhighway. There was even a family with a parade of children pushing a stroller up the trail that made me smile because I like seeing kids outside. Quite a contrast to the quiet of the BMT.

Wide tread where the AT and BMT join.

The view from Owen's Overlook, just a few hundred feet off the BMT, provided more expansive views than Springer Mountain.

I choose a campsite near an open field that I hoped would provide clear views of the evening sky. The openness was a relief from the long green tunnel of the BMT. I haven't gotten used to the closed-in feeling of eastern forests after being out west these past few years.

So-called Bald.

Perhaps if I’d read the trail notes, the low-flying helicopters that flew directly over me as I hung in my hammock at the edge of “The Bald” wouldn’t have been so terrifying. Apparently the clearing is used by the US Army Rangers for training. But at least they only flew over a few times. Making this a quiet trip over-all, with a few notable exceptions.

More information

I did this hike as an out-and-back starting at GA 60 and hiking south on the BMT to Three Forks where I did a loop with the AT/BMT to Springer Mountain, and retraced my steps back to GA60.

The Benton Mackaye Trail Association's website has trail information and good trail notes.

A Quick and Dirty Guide to the BMT