Trails in the Mountain West and Pacific West seem to get all the love. And that’s understandable—western trails have epic views, dry weather, and are generally pretty easy to navigate. But as a child of the South, I’m here to tell you that Georgia, Florida, Alabama, and South Carolina have some real gems that are worth considering. And don’t forget about the Appalachian states of Tennessee, North Carolina, and West Virginia.
So if you live in the Southeast, consider giving one of these routes a try. And make sure to grab some BBQ afterward. We’re the only ones doing it right, no matter what they say in Texas or Kansas City. And can I talk you into giving boiled peanuts a try? I promise, you won’t regret it.
Find all of our trails sorted by region here, and a roundup of our favorite overnight loops here.
1) The Florida Trail
- 1,500 miles, easy terrain
- 60-90 days
- Best in winter and early spring
If you are looking for a long hiking experience that isn’t especially overtaxing on the calves and ankles, consider the Florida Trail. The 1,500-mile length is considerably less than the Appalachian, Continental Divide, or Pacific Crest Trails. That means you can get an immersive, multiweek adventure without having to quit or lose your job.
The Florida Trail offers mostly flat walking with plenty of resupply, but watch out for heat, snakes, and gators. Give serious consideration to a January or February departure date, and you’ll encounter mostly mild temperatures the whole way.
Florida is, of course, famously flat, which means finding a level spot for your shelter will be a snap. Challenges include shorter daylight walking hours in the winter and agricultural runoff polluting the water sources.
Learn more about hiking the Florida Trail here.
2) The Foothills Trail
- 76 miles, moderate terrain
- 5-8 days
- Best in fall, winter, and early spring
Don’t have the time or inclination for 1,500 miles of Florida walking? How about 76 miles in western South Carolina? If that’s more your speed, read on!
The Foothills Trail boasts secluded, quiet dispersed campsites, decent views, and a plethora of swimming opportunities in some of the South’s most famous rivers, waterfalls, and swimming holes. You’ll also go over the high point of South Carolina!
Make sure to spend some time in the terminus town of Greenville, a lovely but much underappreciated city with a thriving arts scene and plenty of microbreweries.
Learn more about hiking the Foothills Trail here.
3) The Benton MacKaye Trail
- 287 miles, moderate to difficult terrain
- 15-30 days
- Best in spring and fall, but winter is doable
You may never have heard of Benton MacKaye, but you’ve certainly heard of his most well-known contribution to American hiking culture: the Appalachian Trail.
The trail that bears his name runs roughly parallel to the AT for around 300 miles, but is much less traveled. You can knock it out in 15 to 30 days depending on your pace, but be prepared for all the stream crossings, steep verticals, and green vegetation tunnels that the southern Appalachians are known for.
If you can go 100 miles without resupply, you can restock your food via mail drop from 2 different walkable locations. I love the elegance of that—walking 300 miles without having to hitch into town.
Learn more about hiking the Benton MacKaye Trail here.
4) The Pinhoti Trail
- 335 miles, moderate terrain
- 30 days
- Best in spring and fall. Winter can be rainy but is doable
You could think of the Pinhoti Trail as another alternative to the busy season on the Appalachian Trail. Backpacking Routes cofounder Jeff Garmire reports that the 335-mile Pinhoti Trail (which runs east to west across Alabama and Georgia) has over 75 well-maintained, fairly new shelters that offer an all-around nicer experience than those found on the AT. Bonus points: the outhouses and composting toilets don’t stink as bad either.
Like all of the trails on this list, you may want to avoid tackling the Pinhoti Trail in the high summer because of the heat, humidity, and bugs. Water is generally plentiful, it’s well-signed, and navigation is easy.
The terrain on the Pinhoti Trail is about what you’d expect from mountainous southern terrain—steep, short climbs and descents with lots of rocks, roots, and mud.
Learn more about hiking the Pinhoti Trail here.
5) Great Smoky Mountains National Park 127-Mile Loop
- 127 miles, difficult terrain
- 8-10 days
- Best in spring and fall, winter could be snowy
This misty, squelchy loop route was put together by Backpacking Routes cofounder Andrew Marshall (hey, that’s me!). I needed a roughly 100-mile loop around the park that began and ended at Fontana Dam, so I drew up this route that includes 20miles of lakeshore walking, steep climbs up and over Clingmans Dome, some Appalachian Trail hiking, sections of the Benton MacKaye trail (see above) and plenty of stream crossings.
If you’ve never been to the Smokies, you owe yourself a visit. It’s technically a temperate rainforest, and you’ll be hard-pressed to find a more tangled, lush, green stretch of land outside the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia.
You can tackle this route any time of year, really, but each season has its hazards. Summer has bugs and humidity, you could get snow and freezing temperatures in the winter, and the shoulder seasons have rain, rain, rain. Look out for salamanders—the Smokies have a few species that live nowhere else in the world.
Learn more about the Great Smoky Mountains National Park 127-mile loop here.
