Chattooga River Trail

If you have issues with poison ivy you may want to look to hike elsewhere. It’s everywhere.

Great trail. Alternately shaded and not. Fairly clear with a lot of water access. Water seems low this time of year.

While this trail does run along the river, you can only SEE the river at the beginning (if you start at US 76). You HEAR the river, but in the summer there is too much vegetation, and you are up too high. Lots of cool plants: Wild Bergamot was my favorite. Goldenrod about to bloom. Wild Hydrangea. Ferns. Phlox. Lots of poison Ivy so watch out. I went in from US 76 about 4.5 -5 miles and turned around. Be careful about following the right path. There's a fork about 1/4 mile in. Take the left. You have to choose a direction after the first bridge. Go right. Very sparse 4G and phone service so be careful. Let someone know where you are going.

Awesome trail. Pure wilderness. Started at 28 bridge and made it down to 76 in 3 days. Not bragging either. This trail for that particular 20 miles is moderate to difficult. Some very tall climbs. The gems are hidden within and come up on you right when your about to give up hope. Bring a map. Nat-geo works well. Shows you routes to waterfalls and such. Bring plenty of food for energy but don’t weigh yourself down. That’s the catch. Swim bait for smallmouth bass. Caught 2. If you would like to test your experience then this trail is perfect. You won’t die if you bring water filtration of some variation, however, you will if you don’t.!

trail was not well marked at crossings. but otherwise a great hike. very quiet and peaceful.

Not as scenic, or water accesible as it appears on the maps. A nice flat trail through forest with some river views...

Downed trees beyond Bad Creek make it hard for dogs and children. my dog clamored over a tree and fell down a cliff.

Nice hike but the trail is really not very close to the river. Was hoping it would be a nice hike along the river. This was up in the hills above it. Still a good hike, I just had different expectations. Also every creek crossing is bridged which most probably greatly appreciate. I personally prefer my trails to be a little more wild. Water crossings and wet feet are part of the fun.

beautiful and peaceful.

First things - we started from the end (Hwy 28) and hiked south, and we did not hike the entire trail. We only hiked to Earl's Ford (it was my daughters first backpacking trip and we wanted to keep it light. I guess I was just hoping for more highlights. We though a lunch at Earls Ford would be nice - play in the water and then work our way back... Earls Ford is beautiful and would be a perfect picnic spot, except for the car campers and ORV folks. Lots of trash and trucks. The trail isn't used much by hikers - we saw 1 hiker over the past 2 days. The campsites are large, but nothing too exceptional, and they seem to be spaced out ever 3 miles or so. There were a few sections with lots of horse traffic (although marked as hikers only), and the spiders are plentiful. We'll try the south end of the trail in a few weeks.

First I need to clear up a couple facts: -This trail is 25 miles one-way and says so right on the sign at the trailhead. -The trailhead is on the South Carolina side of the river. It's on the left immediately AFTER the bridge from Clayton. As for my review we loved this trail! Its far less crowded than the AT, has tons of water, great camp sites, and it's easy hiking. The negatives: It was spider season! And I mean lots and lots of spiders. I'm an avid outdoorsman and have spent a lot of time backpacking and I've never seen close to this many webs and spiders. I had to walk with a trekking pole up in front of me to catch the webs before my face did, because they were every 20 feet across the trail! There was also lots of ticks, so take precautions. There was 2 side trails within the first mile that aren't marked. Take a right on the first one to stay on the trail, and a left on the second one. There were also a number of down trees to climb over, and at one point (at a fork about 6 miles in) there is a total blockage that you can't get around. So take the left fork about 10 feet and there's a little trail to cut back down to the main trail... I made an arrow out of sticks but who knows how long that will last. Overall we will go back here and hike it over and over just for the beautiful water camping and the solitude. Its one of the best hikes in Georgia!

Only saw 3 other backpackers. They were a few blow downs on the trail that we had to cut trails around. There’s a creek crossing about 7 miles in from the hwy 76 trailhead that was a little challenging to cross.

Uhhh The Chattooga Trail is alot more than 20 miles. It goes all the way up to Ellicott Rock at the Ga and NC line.

This trip was completed not quite three weeks after Hurricane Irma blew through. Irma blew down a LOT of trees, many of which totally blocked the trail. Lots of bushwhacking and scrambling were necessary. As others have noted, the Chattooga River is not featured as prominently as you might think. If the blowdowns were not so prevalent, this would have been a great trip. I hiked 20.53 miles North to South from Russell Bridge on Hwy 28 down to Hwy 76.

A good trail to find a campsite with the sound of water from the mountains or near the river. River campsites seem to be taken on the weekends. Love this trail will come back often

Great trail for everyone. Great place to introduce your children to the beauty of nature. It is safe and beautiful.

This trail is a delight! We got in at Hwy 28 and hiked down into Georgia. There are plenty of campsites along either tributaries or on the Chatooga. Some good ups and downs, but nothing too bad and the views of the river coming down from the mountains are fantastic.

The CRT is a lot longer than 20 miles. The best section is from hwy 28 to ellicott rock and seems to have been omitted from here. Been hiking it in sections. Can be strenuous if you're not prepared but otherwise well kept. My favorite place to hike.

Did a solo trip starting at the 76 bridge heading Northbound....first portion of the trip was beautiful hike through big hemlocks staying off the river most of the time. You first hit the Chattooga at 4.5 miles and follow it for a mile or so before heading back up away from it. I camped on Dicks Creek which was around the halfway mark. The second portion of the trip up to the 28 bridge the following day was quite a bit more difficult thru higher elevations. Overall a great trip and a beautiful river....looks like it should be out West....I took some off shoots to the river along the way and believe I logged around 25 miles

Challenging bike, I loved it. Lots of up and down. River not far away if you want to check it out. Wasn't aware you could not bike until I completed the trail, oops! Please change this rule.

Great trail and although you are near the river, you don't see it that much. Be careful to really watch for other trails that shoot off of the main trail. The markings are not near as good at on the AT.

We hiked from the trail head all the way to the first part of the trail that dips into the chattooga river and back. There are 2 small camp sites within the 1st 15 minutes of hiking from the trail head. Each are located right after you cross a small wooden bridge, the 1st one is after the first bridge, and the second site is about 400 steps after the 1st bridge, you'll cross a pair of wooden bridges and its on your left. The next camp sites are several miles further in. Great views and quite pretty. Surprisingly I didnt see much animal life, I only saw one bird during a night hike and some small fish once I reached the river, it may have been due to it being November. I estimate from the trailhead to the first point you reach the river is about 6-7 miles. Great hike if you're looking to be alone in the woods, I barely saw many folks. Also a good hike to bring a dog. .

Absolutely beautiful! Go down to the campgrounds for tranquil and peaceful views!

Backpacking was a thrill!

Beautiful, fun and easy hike. Great for camping too!

https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B3cudVH39UDgZkVORWNIWTVQZzg Link to helpful maps available from Chattooga Native Plant Society