Guide For Thru-hiking The Foothills Trail

[@Ajidimal]

Hiking back out of the Horsepasture River, I half expected Sméagol to betray me to Shelob at the top of the hidden stairs.

[@gboltonatrail1099]

Great Video! You covered everything well. I am a Hammocker and had no issues finding a spot to hang. We planned to Thru Hike it last May; however, a heat blast of plus 90* daytime temps force us off the trail during that 30 mile stretch of no roads. Tax actually was out on his pontoon and boat shuttled us! So heat and humidity can impact miles tremendously if there is a time crunch. I am planning to return and thru hike it again next spring when I can take seven days to complete. I did end up with poison ivy issues because there weren’t privies at some of the campgrounds. Although, there are options at each end and some road crossings. Also, I used the pocket elevation map that helped some, because I didn’t care for the All Trail version (like you, I love Far Out). Thanks for all your recent videos! I am enjoying hikes under 100-300 miles more than the 4-6 month journeys.

[@ChristopherMarshburn]

Great video Dixie. I was about 3 days behind you going the same direction. Between the great weather and the amazing fall foliage at peak I felt like I won the backpacking lottery. Definitely one of the best maintained trails in the country.

[@sagehiker]

For a Rockies person, this looks like the place to hike for an eastern seaboard, southern woodlands experience. I was not expecting the logistics issues, like food carry from the remoteness. Having all that water mitigates the issue. I love maps but also enjoy the comfort of a GPS "you are here" in terrain that does not have major landmarks. Great introduction to the Foothills Trail!

[@johnalden5821]

Yeah, there definitely are parts of the southern Appalachians that are still pretty remote. There are plenty of houses around in this area, just not that many towns. But as the name implies, these are just the beginning of the mountains. They gain in height and frequency to the north and west, up to the Smokies and the Black Mountains in North Carolina. Those are the highest mountains in the East in terms of elevation. The ridges go as far as you can see on a clear day.

[@dmorgan1307]

I've done this a couple times. Late winter and early spring has the best views as there aren't any leaves on the trees. Fall is the best time IMO, the colors are second to none

[@bernielamont825]

Hey Dixie! With Fancy Mae leading the way, who needs Guthooks? Give her a congrats on her first thru hike from me! like someone said, "you rock".

[@biglal15]

For those who are interested in hiking to table rock summit, you can take a left past bald rock overlook onto mill creek pass. This will take you to the ridge trail which take you to tablerock summit.

[@TexasRoast]

I know being from the South hiking in the cold is taboo, but I'd love to see you try some snowshoe hiking trails.

[@jroc1064]

I definitely recommend the guidebook it really is informative and lays it out starting from both ends. Great video thank you

[@Nicole-wj7yq]

Great to see you hiking in the Upstate! You were only about 15 miles from me. One other consideration for hiking the Foothills Trail in the summer is the copperheads. Hope you enjoyed SC!

[@cheri7828]

Or the rattle snake my hiking partner almost stepped on!

[@johnellis4129]

Taz is awesome. I became ill on the trail and was able to use my Zoleo to text him to get a ride off trail. My buddy accidentally left his trekking poles in his truck and he called me a few days later and even mailed them to us. Once again, awesome dude. Headed back next year !

[@4leaftayblack418]

I’m doing this trail next month. The cold is just fine by me. I wanted to say that I Hiked the Appalachian back in 2018 and your content is really what educated me a lot on what to be ready for. You are thorough without it seeming tedious to listen to. I’ve only done shorter hikes/trails since and now that I decided to the FT you are the first to pop up on my feed. I find comfort in that and you have again given me another great breakdown on what to expect. You always give the good and the bad but it’s clear the love you have for the outdoors. I know it’s not always sunshine for ya but I hope you know how many people rely on your educating and welcoming approach. You do great work Dixie! I wish you many happy trails to come. Love the braces! -4Leaf

[@offthetrailsadventures]

Just did about 30 miles just for a quick weekend out on the Foothills trail and can confirm... Tons of hammock camping options at almost every campsite we passed.

[@doctorhump57]

Thanks for your spot on review and for shining a spotlight on this gem of a trail. For those who have asked about temps, we thru-hiked east to west at the end of March/early April of 2021 and had lows in the mid to high 20s. A highlight of that time of year is the blooming of the Oconee Bells, a rare flower of the southern Appalachians.

[@jameslollis2727]

Good video....SC native. Hiked it all. You do still need to go to the top of Table Rock. The view over the watershed lake is one of the best in the state!

[@brholder1]

I've never have had an issue with finding a place to hang on the Foothills Trail. Winter hiking is not that bad, we do get some warm days. And you are correct about doing it in the summer, you stay wet.

[@ginofalcone8040]

Just did a portion of the Foothills trail back in October. Started at Oconee State Park and ended at Fish Hatchery Road. Beautiful trails and scenery! Highly recommend!

[@sheilahenry7279]

Thinking of Oct to see fall foliage. Did it get too cold

[@whatsuncledandoing]

The water cisterns are worth mentioning, I was happy to find one of them more than once during my thru hike this past spring. There must be dozens of them, seemed like one every couple miles or so.

[@ridgepath]

I hear that we have the Boy Scouts to thank for those cisterns.

[@LWilli5]

So much useful info! That sunrise is simply spectacular and the autumn colors were lovely.

[@Allan_aka_RocKITEman]

*Dixie:* _"Oh my gosh, I haven't seen a human being for days."_ For ME, that is NOT a negative...😊

[@youbeknowin]

That is one fancy pup

[@_Roasted_Marshmallow]

Last time I went, we got the rare opportunity to see the blue ghost fireflies! What a beautiful sight! ❤

[@ryanhussey4952]

This was both mine and my dogs first through hike about a year ago. Taz did shuttle me and he really was amazing. A bear munched my food on the 3rd night (using an Ursack). So the rest of the trip was eating around bear slobber. Great experience though and watching your video brought back good memories.

[@lisapirkkala9247]

Thank you, Dixie! Being from the Pacific Northwest, I really enjoyed north and south Carolina when I was there this summer and fall. I am thinking about doing the foothills trail. I did a small bit of the pinhoti trail and trails in Croft state park. Also parts of the Mountains to Sea Trail. It was so different, and green, and It was so nice to be warm! So I really enjoyed this video and the information. Thank you for another inspirational vlog! Really appreciate you!

[@johnalden5821]

I went to high school in the area, so these are some old hiking haunts for me. Table Rock was our family's go-to mountain while we lived there. Any friends or family who would visit us got to go up the mountain, as far as they cared to go. I have been to the top at least a dozen times, I guess. The Foothills Trail was in the planning stages then (and one of my brothers was actually helping out with the planning), so it's great to see all that hard work come to fruition. Thanks for the video guide -- this was a lot of helpful info.

[@DoseofDirt]

I recently moved not too far from here (less than a days drive) and after watching your video, this trail is definitely in my future! Those fall colors are so good, I think I'll plan it for end of October 2022 (if I can wait that long! 😂). Thanks for sharing all your knowledge and experience on this trail!

[@komalley35]

So much great information crammed into this video. You covered it all. I love this trail.

[@MrWilliamwade]

That’s it. I’m setting a start date for the AT.

[@jillianmarie77]

All Trails uses "averages" of the users who use it (or so I understand). Gaia would be a great alternative to Guthooks

[@kjclem94]

When I’ve done sections of the FHT, I’ve added it to my Gaia and it worked great…so a second recommendation for Gaia!

[@jeffreyjones1721]

Love your videos Dixie. Not sure when your next Q&A will be, but have a few q's. 1) In one of your videos you mention your future kids. You're not getting any younger, and the whole, man, home, kid thing takes a while to cook. Do you think about that? Are you concerned about sacrificing your image, brand, self, love of trails? Are you concerned you may resent a husband, kids, etc. if you couldn't through hike, although you probably could? Would you/have you tried rock climbing? There's not enough time to do it all. Is having a kid a type of adventure that interests you? Floating Mississippi, biking across USA, PNWT, etc. adventures. Do you stress about what you will miss since there isn't enough time for everything? Thx. Love everything about your content!

[@WesHicks]

Dixie, your videos are always so helpful!! I love how candid you are about stuff, it's super appreciated!

[@stephenmasciocchi1411]

I've thru-hiked the Foothills Trail twice and hammock camped both times. Never had trouble finding trees at any campsite. Both times I hiked the trail I used the AntiGravity Gear Pocket Profile - super lightweight with all the information you need (mileage, water sources, campsites, etc.). I've experienced all kinds of weather in the fall/winter. Everything from 65 degrees, to 24 hours of rain, to sleet and 28 degree mornings. It is a beautiful trail and remains one of my favorites. And Taz is the man!

[@mlk08012]

My favorite trail. If you’re a member and you complete a through hike you get a patch and certificate as well. TAZ is great!

[@amberbydreamsart5467]

My parents live in the Greenville area, if you fly in to GSP make sure to check out downtown Greenville!! it's gorgeous with a lot of great restaurants (if you don't mind the wait, I recommend smoke on the water) Anyways, great video, I'm hoping to thru-hike the foothills trail in 2022, work schedule and ankles willing!! I'm hoping to do an early spring shakedown on pine mountain trail, then maybe mid-late spring find time to do the foothills trail. that might be a biiit ambitious as far as having free time, but you gotta dream, lol

[@lht6458]

I was ahead of you a couple weeks same direction (second week of Sept.) What a great trail. I had a great time. My hiking buddy used a hammock and had no problem finding a place to set up. On our hike we saw only a few people, mostly along the Chattooga River and the last part of Table Rock, We shared our campsites with one other person about 1/2 the time and the weather was 65-78 every day.

[@nasszebiche5618]

Hi Dixie, Thanks for this video. Very interesting. I thought of you last week when they announced this new trail called the Hexatrek in France. It's a 2500 km tru hike across France strating at the German border and finishing at the Spanish border. I hope you'll give it a try :)

[@chriskelley9730]

Great Information for those interested in trying out or to prepare for the AT :)

[@mikebasiewicz6421]

For trout fishermen, the trail borders the Chattooga River and crosses 4 more rivers and bumps lake Jocassee. You'll need both North and South Carolina fishing licenses. Get the fishing regulations for both states so you stay legal. Enjoy.

[@TDSudduth]

So good of you to call attention to trails other than the most well known! Beautiful trail, thanks!

[@bobbers]

I did a few days starting at the west terminus. Good video and well covered. Thanks for all your continued useful videos! Taz is an outstanding trail angel!!

[@richardnettles7481]

Foothills Trail thru hiker here. You did an amazing job with this guide - lots of helpful information for anyone who has not been before. I purchased the guide book, but never read it. I think the small pocket profile map is all you need, along with researching the trail using the Interactive Map for cell phone coverage reference points. My 12 yr old son and I completed the trail in less than 4.5 days, but that's covering a lot of ground - I would recommend a 6 day trip to allow enough time to smell the roses

[@risley83]

Hiked the trail in March. Weather was great. No problem finding hammocks hangs. I purchased the guidebook from the foothills trail conservancy and took pictures of the pages with my phone. No extra weight but all the info.

[@melchurch3019]

Very helpful. After watching your first video I decided this would be a good trail for next spring or fall. I loved the way Fancy looked at you and was very connected with you. Thanks, Backfire.

[@GoAheadandHike]

Thanks for always putting out great content on so many different trails. My brother and I are looking at the FHT for our next Thru Hike. So I appreciate your informative videos on your hike on this trail.

[@brucespicher835]

Great video Dixie. I am planning to solo hike the trail in October 2022. Thanks for all the informamtion.

[@DarbHikes]

My buddy got sick and we had to get off trail early, Taz picked us up on the side of the road, didn't take my money, and brought me directly to our vehicle. The man is a legit Angel in man's clothing.

[@jeremiahjohnson4067]

Thanks for this excellent concise summary of the 411 on the Foothills trail. I have completed two sections from Table Rock to Bad Creek and your insights are on target. Most campsites are good for hammocks. The pocket Hiking the Foothills Trail guide by Scott Lynch is a good reference for planning and carrying in the field. I do agree that it would be great if the trail was available on FarOut/Guthook. Taz is a great help with the shuttle.and resupply option. Agree 100% with the beautiful waterfalls.

[@danielcluley870]

I just want to shout out TAZ! Awesome guy. Thanks for helping us with our through-hike!

[@allenhansen7783]

I thru hiked the Foothills in April this year and hammock camped 5 nights. No issues finding trees to use a hammock.

[@NeonRamble]

I highly recommend the slab stone chairs at the Cantrell site.

[@Mr_Nobody913]

I’ve been planning a foothills hike ever since I visited Table Rock last year. It’s coming true this spring and or summer. Excellent and informative video as always.

[@rvboondocker2559]

Thanks! Yeah, I’ve had some issues with AllTrails as well. I appreciate all your insights!

[@richardjones2627]

Did you use a trail guidebook for this hike? If so where did you get the guidebook

[@HomemadeWanderlust]

I didn’t. I had a map and I used the AllTrails app which was off in mileage. In hindsight the guidebook is a great idea 😅

[@joyceh1430]

Great video Dixie. I second your recommendation of The Hungry Hiker restaurant. Ate there before and after a girls camping trip last fall at Oconee State Park and everyone really enjoyed it.

[@fierceflamingo3433]

This was so awesome and very thorough! Thanks for doing this Dixie!! About to go do it a second time in a few weeks in the freezing cold 🥶😁

[@elizabethteselle3431]

I swear, whenever I look up anything on KZbin it turns out you did a video on it LOL! Thank you!!

[@goldenbadger8247]

During my thruhike, there was a stark difference between the trail maintenance at Oconee state park and Duke Energy.

[@MylesAway3]

Excellent video Dixie. It looks beautiful out there.

[@cunninghamww10]

Elevation westbound is over 17k feet - not sure where that 10K number came from but the trail averages over 200 feet per mile.

[@christinenatvig9094]

My friends and I experienced the miles difference when we section hiked. We were very new to backpacking at that point though. We went during the summer and you are right, it’s hot and muggy.

[@abbihumphlett2185]

Far Out does have a trail map for this now! Hooray!

[@rachaellindsco9505]

Love this! I’ve done it twice, in both directions. Both with and without a dog, an amazing way to spend a week!

[@toddkelly75]

Great review. Taz is great!! My first thru hike was here. Awesome trail.

[@ronaldrose7593]

Hello 👋 Dixie, a big thank you for sharing this informative review of the Foothills Trail. You always do a great job. The very best to you for your good health and safety when out on the trail. 🤗

[@leannepar6]

This is so informative and thorough! Thanks so much for doing this vid Dixie

[@allenstratton5399]

This is now my bucket list and will be doing this very soon. Thank you for yet another great video

[@lindac3433]

Super useful info Dixie. Thanks so much. Love your informative videos.

[@walterlangston7866]

was on the Appalachian trail not long ago for A few days and it got cold at night done in to march then will be back on trail

[@FollowThomas]

I'm gonna hike it through in October. This was very helpful 👍

[@dankygr33n52]

This will be my first thru hike. Im hoping to to do it the upcoming fall or end of summer

[@alanstrange2421]

My sons and I did the western half of the trail (from Bad Creek to Oconee), and we were all in hammocks. We were always able to find spots, but we had a bit of trouble finding a spot along the river that would accommodate 3 hammocks. In fact, I think we wound up staying at the same beach site and had to get a bit creative, but we managed. Hoping to thru-hike it this fall or next spring. Hopefully my knees can handle all of the stairs. lol

[@PisgahGravelProject]

For anyone wanting to hike FHT I highly recommend the Foothills Trail Interactive Map. There is a good tutorial video on KZbin for this trail. Watch the video so you can use all of the maps features. One of the best maps I've ever seen. Many hours of "boots on the ground" and "sweat equity" went into making the map. It's incredible, check it out

[@RickStoneTravels]

Dixie you’ve gotta checkout The River to River Trail in Shawnee National Forest, southern Illinois

[@jlloyd75]

I just got the email. FarOut just added the Foothills Trail. Maybe they watched your review and were motivated to get at it. Looks like another great option fairly close to Asheville. Lucky me.

[@johneason6540]

Excellent review. Thank you. Im in Tucson now, so I guess the azt should be on my list

[@john1349]

AllTrails isn’t designed to reconcile with the miles a park (or any various maps) claims a trail is. It recorded whatever miles whoever uploaded that exact route walked according to the GPS data their phone tracked. That’s what the red line represents, which has nothing to do with whatever mapping done by that park who knows when. All the phone based programs use the same GPS receiver in your phone to track distance.

[@JillianCampsArizona]

Ohhhh it’s a training trail for the Appalachian nice! I was wondering why such a long beautiful video! Nice, Dixie! You’re definitely an inspiration for my channel!

[@grennangoeshiking]

Antigravity gear makes a single sheet folding map with the elevation and mileage similar to the ones they make for the AT

[@db.mc2]

Thanks Dixie 👊 stay safe and be well my friend 👋

[@lisamonalisahikes]

I need this to my hike list

[@tomgip]

Thanks Dixie! Looks like a great place to hike. Love the video!

[@fizzix6401]

I live in Oconee County and am on the trail almost every week. Dixie has very accurately portrayed the trail for those who haven't made the trip. I agree that it is an excellent "tuner" for the AT in terms of gear and procedures. My biggest disappointment is missing her on the trail! When she was doing the FHT, I was doing the lower 250 miles of the AT. I would have loved to chat and pet Fancy!

[@barbaras77]

Plenty of hammock spots at every campsite I’ve stayed at on the trail. I’ve done 3 thru hikes & lots of section hikes.

[@christinafaulkner2994]

Great job covering the basics of this great trail.

[@feliciaabbott5023]

Thank you! This is great information!

[@melizabeth908]

Great info. I love that you start slow. I love that you have your own tent, I mean who wants to share a tent with another human, lol. Sorry Mardi.

[@CritterLizard]

Amazing to see how much this trail has developed! Thank you for this video!

[@NancyandMako]

Thanks so much for this video we are leaving out Tuesday from Table Rock heading west. Ultra hiking girl, Russ , Retread and Mako and I!!! 😊😊💥

[@hollywalton5343]

I did 34 miles of the trail starting at Table Rock this past June.

[@johnmys5am]

Thank you. All good information.

[@jeffs6229]

Amazing bridges too! Great hike! I enjoyed all the stairs and water sources, made it easy to carry throughout the day. Taz gave me a sweet alcohol stove he made from beer cans he found while maintaining the trail! Thanks for the video Dixie! If you haven’t done the Art Loeb yet it should be next on your list!

[@ihikefar]

You missed the petroglyphs on the Table Rock side of the trail!

[@unfi6798]

Hey Dixie, excellent vid. Greetings from Australia.

[@tmarine3159]

Thanks for the review.

[@foothillstrailhiker2426]

Thanks so much for mentioning the Interactive map.

[@darylfleischer]

AllTrails..... Build your own mileage adventure!

[@johncurths6369]

I’m just getting into hiking backpacking I’ve done couple overnighters and some long trails here in Michigan one question with the AT, Are you required to wear your backpack if so why I did not understand

[@youngkimmy40]

I live in SC in the summer it will be super duper hot!

[@ThisIsUnused]

Thanks for sharing this, Dixie! I'm in South Carolina right now and was considering this.

[@perryrush5378]

The first 4 times I hiked the FHT I slept in my hammock. The last time I hiked it I took my duplex tent. Thanks for the great review. That was very detailed. Too bad all your fans in the area could not have met up with you for a campfire chat. :)