A Fluffy Folks Guide to Hiking in Georgia

The great outdoors can be awe-inspiring, stimulating our senses and challenging our bodies to push further and reach higher towards that next summit. But it can also cause us to gasp for oxygen and fret over whatever it was that just cracked in our lower back. If you are a member of the Fluffy Folks Club – you know, folks like me with a little extra to love, you totally get what I’m saying. I’m here to tell you that the trail doesn’t care if you are fluffy or fit, it’s going to continue being the trail regardless. The good news is – it welcomes us all indiscriminately. It’s time for plus-size hikers to lose their inhibitions, pick up their trekking poles, and hit those trails.

From novice to expert – North Georgia has a trail for everyone.

North Georgia offers trails that will challenge novice hikers and experts alike. While there are countless trails that will leave your heart pounding and your lungs feeling like they’ve been incinerated, there are also plenty of trails that offer a less intense experience with equally rewarding views. Choosing the right trail for your skill level is important not only for your safety but also for your enjoyment. You don’t want to give up on such a rewarding sport, simply because you chose to take the wrong path. I can’t tell you how many times I have tossed down my trekking poles mid-hike, announcing to myself (sometimes to the world) that “I’m out!”. Learn from my childish tantrums – choose the right trail and prepare yourself for it.

Elevation gain – the devil’s arithmetic.

When I decide what trail I want to hike I consider two things – distance and elevation gain. Distance is self-explanatory. Elevation gain is simply the elevation that is gained between two points, not considering the downhills. It is how high you climb – the sum of the uphills. If you are fluffy, the uphills tend to be the hardest part. Distance is important because it not only determines how far you must hike, but also how steep your climb is going to be based on the elevation gain. A 2-mile hike with a 100-foot elevation gain is a lot different than a 2-mile hike with a 1,000-foot elevation gain. Get it? Okay, that’s my math lesson.

Being a member of the Fluffy Folks Club, hereafter referred to as FFC, I received my education on the effects of elevation gain the hard way. I live in the coastal region of South Georgia where the average elevation is 49 feet above sea level. Going for a walk down here might mean an elevation gain of 22 feet, as the trails are nearly flat. Don’t get me wrong, coastal Georgia is a beautiful place, but hiking down here is extremely different than hiking in the mountains. I made the mistake of thinking I was prepared for a 5-mile hike in North Georgia because I had worked up to hiking 6 miles per day in South Georgia.

The devil’s arithmetic proved me wrong! I set out on a 5-mile hike near Dawsonville Georgia that had an impressive 1,200-foot elevation gain. My 6-mile, 52-foot elevation gain hike was nothing in comparison. I survived it, obviously, but I certainly would have enjoyed myself more if I had properly prepared. You can read read more about that epic journey here.

Research trails before you head out.

AllTrails.com is an excellent resource for choosing the right trail. You can download the app on your phone. Trails are listed according to their type (loop, point-to-point, out and back), as well as distance and elevation gain. AllTrails also ranks trails by their difficulty level – easy/moderate/hard. A word on this – what might be easy for one person, could be moderate or difficult for you.

Being an FFC card-carrying member, I know that I am not in the same league as someone who has just stepped off a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail. Let’s get real. If a trail is ranked as moderate, with an average hiking time of one hour to complete, I will use my own math – Fluffy Folks Arithmetic – to calculate how long I think it might take me to complete. Basically, I double it. If the trail has an elevation gain that I find intimidating, I triple the estimated time to complete. By doing so I am being reasonable about how long I think it might take me to finish a hike. Otherwise, I am setting myself up for frustration, or worse – a long night in the woods. And that my friends, could be disastrous.

You could always walk to Maine.

The beautiful thing about hiking in North Georgia, is the accessibility of exceptional trails. The crown jewel of these is the famous Appalachian Trail (AT) – a nearly 2,200-mile-long foot path from, you guessed it – Georgia to Maine. Or Maine to Georgia if you are heading southbound. The southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail is Springer Mountain. Each spring thousands of aspiring thru-hikers set off from Springer Mountain, Georgia with the goal of reaching Mount Katahdin, Maine. About 25% of them actually make it. Many quit in Georgia.

If you want a taste of the AT, there are several places where you can jump on the trail for a short hike. One such place is Woody Gap Recreation Area. We recently hiked from the Woody Gap parking lot to Preachers Rock, a beautiful overlook on the Appalachian Trail. It was a moderately rated hike – approximately 2 miles round trip, with an elevation gain of 436 ft. It was quite enjoyable, and just strenuous enough with a good uphill scramble towards the end. Challenging, but not debilitating.

Fall hiking in North Georgia.

I must admit, autumn is my favorite season. Pumpkin spice, or no pumpkin spice. I’m all about getting outside when Mother Nature turns her face towards winter. If you are into hiking, or are considering getting into hiking, do yourself a favor and visit North Georgia. Fall is an excellent time to hit the trail! After a long, hot summer, the weather has started to cool down in this southern state. In my experience, when it comes to plus-size hiking, cool weather makes the trek much more enjoyable.

The mountain foliage in North Georgia puts on a brilliant show starting in mid-October and you will find a refreshing crispness in the forests of these parts. Fall hiking in Georgia is the perfect way to pass an afternoon – or an overnight backpacking jaunt for those more adventurous souls. Fluffy souls included.

Set up base camp at one of North Georgia’s picturesque state parks.

Not only does North Georgia have exceptional hiking trails, it also has beautiful state parks in which you can easily access those trails. One of the most famous state parks is Amicalola Falls State Park. It is home to the famous Amicalola Falls, one of several breathtaking North Georgia waterfalls. Springer Mountain, and the Appalachian Trail, can be reached from Amicalola Falls State Park via the Appalachian Approach Trail. This 8.9 mile point-to-point trail is rated as hard, and that’s an understatement. The approach trail includes climbing 604 stairs to the top of Amicalola Falls. It’s certainly a bucket-list kind of hike.

Orchards, vineyards, and gold – Oh My!

Every challenging hike deserves its reward. The beautiful thing about hiking in North Georgia, besides the obvious beauty of the landscape, is that these ancient mountains are dotted with charming little towns – little towns that are rich in history and natural resources.

Blue Ridge Georgia is one of my absolute favorite places. Considered one of the South’s top mountain towns, Blue Ridge offers excellent dining, shopping, and wonderful seasonal festivals. A visit to Blue Ridge’s Mercier Orchards is a must. Not only are the orchards a stunning site to behold, but you can also indulge yourself with wonderful shopping in their market. Or treat yourself, because you’ve earned it, to a homemade apple pie right out of the oven. They have an exceptional bakery! If you are up for more adventure, take a rail tour of the North Georgia mountains aboard the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway. It is one of the best ways to experience the fall foliage.

Not too far from Helen, and surrounded by wonderful vineyards, is Dahlonega, another of my favorite North Georgia towns. Does the name sound familiar? Maybe it’s because Dahlonega is synonymous with gold. That’s right, there is gold in these here parts! Home to once thriving gold mines, Dahlonega is a picturesque little town, complete with a town square that is surrounded by shops and wonderful places to dine, sip coffee, and plan how you are going to strike it rich panning for gold at the Consolidated Gold Mine. Here you can tour the underground mineshafts of a bygone era. It’s history you don’t hear about too often, and it’s certainly worth the visit.

So, are the mountains calling you?

It doesn’t matter where you are in life, how old or how fit. Nature has something for all of us. I like to think it was designed for our enjoyment. The mountains, particularly beckon to that inner adventurer in each of us. It’s easy for fluffy folks to feel like they don’t fit in, or they are unable to get out there and enjoy nature. That’s simply not true. There is a path for all of us, plus-size hikers included. We just need to put one foot in front of the other and begin. So, if the mountains are calling to you my fine fluffy friends, answer them. The trail is waiting.