Section 7
Section 7 is 13.3 miles long from the Blue Mountain Shelter to the Adams Gap Trailhead. Water is a real problem along this section of the Pinhoti, in very dry weather there is apparently no reliable water. In normal weather there will be water at the shelter, the intersection with the Chinnabee and Odum trails, and at various other run offs. The trail follows the ridge in the picture above (taken from Cheaha Park's Restaurant). Most of the trail from Cheaha to Adams Gap is within the Cheaha Wilderness area and protected from hunting and any development. The remaining portion is in the State Park and also protected from hunting. There are 27 miles of
side trails in this section that create the possibility of round trip hikes ranging from day hikes to three days on the trail. I've hiked all of these side trails and some of them are great, better than this section of the Pinhoti, including 2 series of waterfalls, a lake, and the best shelter I've ever seen. There was a fire along this section of trail in the winter of 1998-1999, a large portion of the 5 miles from the Chinnabee Trail intersection to Adams Gap was burned, mostly just the underbrush was destroyed, but some of the larger trees are also dead and falling. The fire made this already difficult portion of trail almost impossible to follow at some points. This section of the trail is also threatened by plans to discontinue trail maintenance and markings (see Trail Maintenance). The network of side trails is also included in the map of this section (Map 4), this is the best map to have if you only plan to get one.
From the Blue Mountain Shelter the trail winds up and down and around the side of the mountain for 2.5 miles before finally crossing the Talladega Scenic Drive and reaching the Cave Creek Trail intersection. This is a fairly difficult section of trail and has been recently cleared (as of October, 1999). Keep an eye out for the white turkey feet trail markers. The shelter is a new well built shelter. It is different from the others, taller and it includes a loft. It has wooden shingles and huge pine beams, there is a picnic table and fire pit. The loft is very dark. Be very careful if you light a fire! Any spark on the roof of this shelter could make it go up in flames. While the shelter itself is very nice, the setting leaves much to be desired, there is basically nothing special about it. The second time I stayed at the shelter the spring was not flowing, there was enough water in a puddle for the evening but Dad didn't think it fit to drink. In very hot dry weather don't count on there being water here. The section to the road offers a few views of the valley and over the mountains, but no really good ones. However, the trail is pretty and there are a couple more streams that appear to have water year round.
While it is okay to drink from the stream at the shelter, do not drink from the
next stream you come to! This stream is composed of run off from the
sewage treatment system of Cheaha Park. This section gets a rating of three and is moderate.
A short connector trail leads from the trailhead to the Pinhoti. The Pinhoti follows the ridge of Cheaha Mountain for 5 1/2 miles till it intersects with the Chinnabee and Odum trails at a spring (that is unreliable in dry weather) and a frequently used camp site. There used to be a shelter at this spring, but when the land was designated a wilderness the air national guard too the shelter out via helicopter and put it along the Chinnabee trail, in a much more appealing site. This is a relatively flat but rocky section of trail. There are frequent side trails that lead to overlooks on the top of rock cliffs, and many camping sites exist along the trail. However, you will have to bring water from somewhere to use any of these camping sites. I always love hiking on mountain ridges, there are large rocks and other interesting things, occasional views, the forest is less dense and more interesting. After you pass a granite marker for the wilderness area the trail turns sharply to the right and follows a spur of the mountain. This is a very beautiful section, lots of great overlooks, pine, and large boulders.
The most beautiful camp site (pictured right) on the trail is on this section, a large finger of rock that offers a view of the mountain range (the picture below is the view from your campsite) and sunset as well as a flat space for a two man tent (just down the trail is place for more tents. You will have to bring water, but it is the best. Shirley Watts, the trail tech for the southern end of the trail has just cleared this portion, and the path is in good shape, although it is rocky. After the last rock outcropping pass a sign saying three miles to the Chinnabee Intersection and three miles to the Cheaha Trailhead. There is a 1/4 mile side trail to McDill Overlook here as well. The overlook is very nice, on the way to it you will see the remains of a plane crash just off the trail. The overlook is very large and there are places there for camping as well. If you are coming up the Pinhoti from the south you will see large rocks of this overlook off to your left from quite a distance.
South of these signs the trail reenters the Cheaha Wilderness. New markers have been painted for the next couple of miles of boulder hopping through the most difficult section of the trail to follow. Note the picture to the right, this is not a fun section to hike on. The path, while fairly flat, is difficult because of an abundance of rocks. About a mile before the Chinnabee intersection is another overlook and camping spot that is nice as well, although in my opinion not as nice as the previous one. The first three miles of this section gets a four star rating and is moderate, the second three miles gets three stars and a moderate to difficult rating, I found the rocks to be more difficult than climbing straight up the mountain.
Right after the intersection with the Chinnabee and Odum trails you will find the spring and you will see campsites all around (there was no water when I was there last after a drought, although it appears to usually be reliable). It isn't the most beautiful place to camp, you might carry your water another 10 minutes or so down the trail to some more appealing sites. The trail continues to follow the ridge for another mile or so before dropping down the mountain and over many hills to Adams Gap. There are a few rocks along this portion of the trail that you can go out on to eat lunch and enjoy a panoramic view of the valley, Cheaha Mountain, and the other surrounding mountains.
In a very dry season all of the water from Hillabee Creek to Clairmont Springs is
suspect, fill up where ever you can. If there has been a good amount of rain you should find water from small springs and run off. If need be you can also take the Skyway Loop a mile or so from Adams gap and find reliable water. This is the section of the trail that was burned and you will see fading signs of the fire. When the trail passes a few large rock outcroppings it turns sharply to the right and heads steeply down the mountain. This section has been improved so it shouldn't be too hard to follow. According to the map the trail appears to be downhill all the way from the top of the mountain to Adams Gap. What you can't tell is that it winds up and down over these little foothills for 2 1/2 miles. It is kind of a pretty section, but the constant up and down and back and forth make it long and tiresome. The section of this trial on top of the mountain gets a three star rating and is fairly easy, once you start going down it gets a two star rating and is moderate. Trail maintenance is varied and there appear to be a rash of different kind of new markers.
The parking lot at Adams Gap is paved as is the road leading to it from Cheaha. However the two roads that appear on the map as leaving Adams gap are both dirt, the one that goes down the mountain on the east side of the trailhead soon joins with a paved road and from there you can get to the High Falls trailhead or go south to the Porter's Gap trailhead. It isn't dirt for very long and is well graded.
Trail Reports
Section 7
Section 7 is 13.3 miles long from the Blue Mountain Shelter to the Adams Gap Trailhead. Water is a real problem along this section of the Pinhoti, in very dry weather there is apparently no reliable water. In normal weather there will be water at the shelter, the intersection with the Chinnabee and Odum trails, and at various other run offs. The trail follows the ridge in the picture above (taken from Cheaha Park's Restaurant). Most of the trail from Cheaha to Adams Gap is within the Cheaha Wilderness area and protected from hunting and any development. The remaining portion is in the State Park and also protected from hunting. There are 27 miles of
side trails in this section that create the possibility of round trip hikes ranging from day hikes to three days on the trail. I've hiked all of these side trails and some of them are great, better than this section of the Pinhoti, including 2 series of waterfalls, a lake, and the best shelter I've ever seen. There was a fire along this section of trail in the winter of 1998-1999, a large portion of the 5 miles from the Chinnabee Trail intersection to Adams Gap was burned, mostly just the underbrush was destroyed, but some of the larger trees are also dead and falling. The fire made this already difficult portion of trail almost impossible to follow at some points. This section of the trail is also threatened by plans to discontinue trail maintenance and markings (see Trail Maintenance). The network of side trails is also included in the map of this section (Map 4), this is the best map to have if you only plan to get one.
From the Blue Mountain Shelter the trail winds up and down and around the side of the mountain for 2.5 miles before finally crossing the Talladega Scenic Drive and reaching the Cave Creek Trail intersection. This is a fairly difficult section of trail and has been recently cleared (as of October, 1999). Keep an eye out for the white turkey feet trail markers. The shelter is a new well built shelter. It is different from the others, taller and it includes a loft. It has wooden shingles and huge pine beams, there is a picnic table and fire pit. The loft is very dark. Be very careful if you light a fire! Any spark on the roof of this shelter could make it go up in flames. While the shelter itself is very nice, the setting leaves much to be desired, there is basically nothing special about it. The second time I stayed at the shelter the spring was not flowing, there was enough water in a puddle for the evening but Dad didn't think it fit to drink. In very hot dry weather don't count on there being water here. The section to the road offers a few views of the valley and over the mountains, but no really good ones. However, the trail is pretty and there are a couple more streams that appear to have water year round.
While it is okay to drink from the stream at the shelter, do not drink from the
next stream you come to! This stream is composed of run off from the
sewage treatment system of Cheaha Park. This section gets a rating of three and is moderate.
A short connector trail leads from the trailhead to the Pinhoti. The Pinhoti follows the ridge of Cheaha Mountain for 5 1/2 miles till it intersects with the Chinnabee and Odum trails at a spring (that is unreliable in dry weather) and a frequently used camp site. There used to be a shelter at this spring, but when the land was designated a wilderness the air national guard too the shelter out via helicopter and put it along the Chinnabee trail, in a much more appealing site. This is a relatively flat but rocky section of trail. There are frequent side trails that lead to overlooks on the top of rock cliffs, and many camping sites exist along the trail. However, you will have to bring water from somewhere to use any of these camping sites. I always love hiking on mountain ridges, there are large rocks and other interesting things, occasional views, the forest is less dense and more interesting. After you pass a granite marker for the wilderness area the trail turns sharply to the right and follows a spur of the mountain. This is a very beautiful section, lots of great overlooks, pine, and large boulders.
The most beautiful camp site (pictured right) on the trail is on this section, a large finger of rock that offers a view of the mountain range (the picture below is the view from your campsite) and sunset as well as a flat space for a two man tent (just down the trail is place for more tents. You will have to bring water, but it is the best. Shirley Watts, the trail tech for the southern end of the trail has just cleared this portion, and the path is in good shape, although it is rocky. After the last rock outcropping pass a sign saying three miles to the Chinnabee Intersection and three miles to the Cheaha Trailhead. There is a 1/4 mile side trail to McDill Overlook here as well. The overlook is very nice, on the way to it you will see the remains of a plane crash just off the trail. The overlook is very large and there are places there for camping as well. If you are coming up the Pinhoti from the south you will see large rocks of this overlook off to your left from quite a distance.
South of these signs the trail reenters the Cheaha Wilderness. New markers have been painted for the next couple of miles of boulder hopping through the most difficult section of the trail to follow. Note the picture to the right, this is not a fun section to hike on. The path, while fairly flat, is difficult because of an abundance of rocks. About a mile before the Chinnabee intersection is another overlook and camping spot that is nice as well, although in my opinion not as nice as the previous one. The first three miles of this section gets a four star rating and is moderate, the second three miles gets three stars and a moderate to difficult rating, I found the rocks to be more difficult than climbing straight up the mountain.
Right after the intersection with the Chinnabee and Odum trails you will find the spring and you will see campsites all around (there was no water when I was there last after a drought, although it appears to usually be reliable). It isn't the most beautiful place to camp, you might carry your water another 10 minutes or so down the trail to some more appealing sites. The trail continues to follow the ridge for another mile or so before dropping down the mountain and over many hills to Adams Gap. There are a few rocks along this portion of the trail that you can go out on to eat lunch and enjoy a panoramic view of the valley, Cheaha Mountain, and the other surrounding mountains.
In a very dry season all of the water from Hillabee Creek to Clairmont Springs is
suspect, fill up where ever you can. If there has been a good amount of rain you should find water from small springs and run off. If need be you can also take the Skyway Loop a mile or so from Adams gap and find reliable water. This is the section of the trail that was burned and you will see fading signs of the fire. When the trail passes a few large rock outcroppings it turns sharply to the right and heads steeply down the mountain. This section has been improved so it shouldn't be too hard to follow. According to the map the trail appears to be downhill all the way from the top of the mountain to Adams Gap. What you can't tell is that it winds up and down over these little foothills for 2 1/2 miles. It is kind of a pretty section, but the constant up and down and back and forth make it long and tiresome. The section of this trial on top of the mountain gets a three star rating and is fairly easy, once you start going down it gets a two star rating and is moderate. Trail maintenance is varied and there appear to be a rash of different kind of new markers.
The parking lot at Adams Gap is paved as is the road leading to it from Cheaha. However the two roads that appear on the map as leaving Adams gap are both dirt, the one that goes down the mountain on the east side of the trailhead soon joins with a paved road and from there you can get to the High Falls trailhead or go south to the Porter's Gap trailhead. It isn't dirt for very long and is well graded.
Trail Reports[Pinhoti/Reports/Reports/p7.htm]
Average Grade for this section is 8 1/2%.
Last Hiked: November, 2001
This site is brought to you by the Alabama Hiking Trail Society, dedicated to completing the Eastern Continental Trail and increasing hiking opportunities in Alabama. We hope you find the information useful and will consider supporting the AHTS. Before you leave please visit the AHTS web page to learn more about us and the work we do.
Please help make this site interactive by providing your feedback and updates on the trails and signing the guestbook. The guestbook and discussion board can be found under "Trail Talk."
About Lee, webmaster and author of Hiking Alabama
Last Updated: April 2003
© 1999, 2000, 2001 M. Lee Van Horn. All text and photos on this site are the exclusive copyright of M. Lee Van Horn and the Alabama Hiking Trail Society unless otherwise noted. No text or photos may be reproduced without consent of the author. No page herein may be reproduced or contained within another page or window. Links to this site are greatly appreciated and should be directed to this page.
Average Grade for this section is 8 1/2%.
Last Hiked: November, 2001
This site is brought to you by the Alabama Hiking Trail Society, dedicated to completing the Eastern Continental Trail and increasing hiking opportunities in Alabama. We hope you find the information useful and will consider supporting the AHTS. Before you leave please visit the AHTS web page to learn more about us and the work we do.
Please help make this site interactive by providing your feedback and updates on the trails and signing the guestbook. The guestbook and discussion board can be found under "Trail Talk."
About Lee, webmaster and author of Hiking Alabama
Last Updated: April 2003
© 1999, 2000, 2001 M. Lee Van Horn. All text and photos on this site are the exclusive copyright of M. Lee Van Horn and the Alabama Hiking Trail Society unless otherwise noted. No text or photos may be reproduced without consent of the author. No page herein may be reproduced or contained within another page or window. Links to this site are greatly appreciated and should be directed to this page.