Join us for one of the most scenic River backpacks in the Southeast! We will disappear into the largest–and probably the wettest–wilderness east of the Mississippi. The Cohutta Wilderness at 36,977 acres is the largest National Forest Wilderness in the southeast and combined with the Big Frog Wilderness in Tennessee the area is some of the most pristine and isolated in the South.

The trail drops a relatively steady 1,600 feet over the course of 2 days, so there's no big uphill mountains to climb. This won't be an ultra intense hike, but it's not a beginner hike either. We'll start at the higher elevation trailhead, hiking north/downstream towards the TN border about 8 miles each day and setting up camp near the water close to the Hickory Ridge junction. The 80-foot, two-tiered Jacks River Falls will be just half a mile away and after dropping our gear and setting up camp, we can stroll on over to the falls, enjoy the swimming holes, the cliff jump for the more daring individuals, and the play areas all around.

"The falls is the most scenic single feature in the Cohutta Wilderness and the most frequently visited area despite the 4.6 mile hike to the falls. Its beauty, power, and great swimming area draws a lot of visitors. The falls is series of a couple of small waterfalls, one large waterfall, and some cascades that are perfect for swimming. Descending in stages, the surging water piles up against boulders and rock walls, carving swirlholes in the bedrock. Well worth the hike Jacks River Falls is in a rugged setting of exposed rock flanked by hemlock and white pines."

HERE'S A VIDEO OF THE CLIFF JUMPING

http://www.youtube.co...

After splashing through rivers and hiking along trails for another 8 miles on day two, we'll find ourselves at the terminus trailhead right next to the GA/TN Border.

Note: The campgrounds immediately around the falls are closed due to overuse so we'll hike a short bit away from the falls and main camping areas and set up camp in the alternative camping sites.

General Info:
Location: Cohutta Wilderness in North Georgia
Distance: 16.1 miles
Type: Straight through with overnight primitive camping
Difficulty: Moderate - due to terrain and distance
Expected pace: Moderate 2.5mph
Elevation drop: 1592 feet
Water depth: Ankle/knee/thigh height depending on recent rainfall
River crossings: 43

Required items:
Water hiking shoes - Chacos, Keens, and Tevas are perfect
Trekking poles
Tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, etc.
Mini-Toiletries
Layered Clothing, spare clean/dry clothing for camp, etc. appropriate for weather
Meals—you'll need the following:
- 1 Breakfast (Sun)
- 2 Lunches (Sat & Sun)
- 1 Dinner (Sat)
- Freeze-dried meals (using a light camp stove for boiling water) + trail mix, jerky, etc. work well on trips like this

You can rent gear from a friend(I have some extra)or buddy up with someone and share/borrow what you need if you're missing something. If you need some gear, you can help each other out down in the comments area.

Recommended items:
Water treatment supplies - Bring your water filters if you got 'em
Swimsuit and pack towel
Camera - Scenic Beauty!
Headlamp or flashlight
Spare trashbag to wrap your sleeping bag in - You don't want it getting wet!

Carpool info:

The drive is about 2 hours each way, plus stops.

Make sure to pay your driver/chauffeur for gas at the end of the trip!

We'll be running some car shuttles for this event. Here's how this is gonna work:

We'll all drive to the end of the hike together, leave behind half of our cars at the trail head, pile into the other half of the cars, and drive to start. Then when we hike to the end, we'll pile into the cars we'd left at the end, drive back to the beginning of the hike, and finally head back to Chattanooga.

GPS Coordinates:
Starting Trailhead: 34.93343N, 84.518845W
Finish Trailhead: 34.988415N, 84.632813W