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In
the Conecuh National Forest in southern Alabama, named
for the Muskogee phrase “land of cane,” the Conecuh
Trail follows a gentle, rolling route through a bottomland
forest of beech and oak interspersed with the stands of
cane that give the forest its name. The connecting Florida
Trail is nearby.
Between
the two long existing segments in Alabama, a gap of some
220 miles exists, posing a major challenge to trail planners.
However, within this gap trail development is under way
at Flagg
Mountain, the southernmost 1,000-foot peak in the Appalachian
chain. This mountain, the first for northbound hikers,
is topped with a magnificent 50-foot stone tower built
by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1935.
Nearly
140 miles of the Alabama
Pinhoti Trail traverse a very remote section of the
Appalachians to the Georgia border. Sections here are much
more rugged than you would expect, with numerous deep gaps,
and clifftop vistas. Highlights include 2,407-foot Cheaha
Mountain, the state’s highest point. The Alabama Pinhoti
also passes through a number of beautiful watersheds where
backpackers can pitch their tents on earthen dams. It directly
connects the GET hiker to the Georgia
Pinhoti Trail.
North
to Georgia >
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