Suggested Short Hikes

Don't have 10 days to through hike the Pinhoti? Here are a few one to three day hikes that I think are the best the trail system has to offer.

Choccolocco Watershed: Starting on Rabbit Town Road on map section 3 (the road is on section 2, but the trail is on section 3), follow the Pinhoti south around the watershed, and up the mountain to FR 540. This is a beautiful section of trail and there is a great campsite as well if you want to make it an overnighter. It is about seven miles to FR 540, I went up and back in one day. Also, if you have two cars you could park one at the Coleman Lake Trailhead, that way when you get to the end you could take a swim in the lake and visit the Shoal Creek Church. Taking Rabbit Town Road to the trail you will see a sign for Coleman Lake on gravel roads. This section gets my 4 star rating. Distance between 9 and 14 miles.

Laurel Shelter: Starting at the FR 500 trailhead which is very easy to access from I 20 this is a 16 mile there or back trail or you could make a shortcut making it 13 - 14 miles. The trail is in section 5. Follow the Pinhoti north from the trailhead about 300 feet up to near the top of a ridge. The trail then weaves back and forth on the side of the ridge offering views of the valley and a beautiful pine forest. The trail crosses FR 523 and weaves around to cross FR 531. From FR 531 the trail gradually goes downhill 1.4 miles to the Laurel Shelter. Camp there for the night, or if on a day hike have lunch there. Cool your feet in the stream and fill your canteen before leaving. On the way back you can shorten your hike by taking FR 531 to FR 523 and rejoining the trail there. You also might bushwack south and up the hill on your left to an old logging road that will take you out to FR 500. I wouldn't bushwack during the summer when the grass and thorns are high and you can't see well, but during the winter everything is fair game. This trail gets a 3-4 star rating.

Cheaha Falls Shelter Loop: This is a great 2 day hike that is between 17 and 19 miles. The trails on this are covered in section 7 and side trails. The loop starts at Adams Gap (get there by getting off I 20 at the Cheaha State Park exit follow the signs to Cheaha and then continue past straight past the park until the pavement ends). Take Skyway trail to Chinnabee Silent Trail. You might stop at Lake Chinnabee for lunch and to play on the swings. If you are up for a couple miles extra take Lakeside Trail around the lake. Follow Chinnabee north to the shelter. Be sure to go down and check out the waterfalls (at right) in the evening. The picture at the top of the page was taken from the shelter in the early morning. The second day is shorter mile wise but has a lot of elevation gain and loss. The trial crosses the paved road, and goes up Cheaha Mountain where it joins the Pinhoti. From there it goes down and up and down and up and down.... until you get back to your car at Adams Gap. This is the best trail in the system, 4 star plus, with the exception of the last couple miles. (For a variation on this loop that I like even better see The Trail From Another Perspective. My father and I did this one way hike which is quite stunning)

Cave Creek Loop: This loop leaves from the Cheaha Trailhead, follows the Pinhoti along the western side of Cheaha Mountain, and then crosses over and follows Cave Creek Trail back for a total of about 11 easy miles for a good three star day hike (covered in section 7 and side trails). You also can extend this loop by following Odum trail down to High Falls. This is a long hike for a day (20 miles), I did it and wouldn't recommend that anyone repeat it as it took my knee a few months to recover. (In the last two years I've gotten in better shape and 20 miles is my average daily trek, this trail does not have serious elevation gain or loss so it shouldn't be that bad) High Falls are beautiful and it is a great trail. You could make this into an easy two day hike. This addition makes the trail a three to four star trail. To the left is one the first of the High Falls.

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Last Updated: April 2003

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