Georgia Appalachian Trail Club

06/15/2026

Find out where this is and join a hike this Sunday! Open to all.
https://georgia-atclub.org/events/sunday-at-sweetwater-creek-state-park/

06/09/2026

06/09/2026

Opening the new Byron Herbert Reece Trail was a great way to celebrate National Trails Day. Nearly 40 volunteers joined the Georgia Appalachian Trail Club, Appalachian Trail Conservancy and the US Forest Service to celebrate and do some trail work.

Enjoy this short USFS video for more information on the trail re-route: https://shorturl.at/buyQi

Pictured from left are Christine Ramsey, GATC maintainer for this trail section, Jay Dement, GATC district leader for District 6, and John Stephens, recreation program manager for the Blue Ridge Ranger District, Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest. (USDA Forest Service photo by Laura Fitzmorris)

06/07/2026

What does Wilderness have to do with the new Byron Herbert Reece Trail?

Congress designated the Blood Mountain Wilderness in 1991. Wilderness areas are protected to remain natural and undeveloped. Of course, in 1991 the Appalachian Trail had already been running over the top of Blood Mountain for many years, and the shelter and other structures were allowed to remain. The new BHR trail provides an opportunity for a hike more true to the principles of Wilderness.

Wilderness trails are intentionally narrow and minimally constructed, fostering solitude and a deeper connection to nature. The original BHR trail was wide and heavily built, with more than 100 rock and log steps. The redesigned trail embraces true Wilderness character — a narrow path on a gentler grade that naturally reduces the need for constructed features like steps. While solitude may be elusive on such a popular trail, the new trail's winding, intimate character gives hikers a far better chance to connect with the wilderness around them.

We've seen all of the seasons on this trail over the last few years of work and we think you'll find beauty on the new trail no matter the time of year.

06/07/2026

Why relocate the Byron Herbert Reece Trail?

We've learned a lot about building good trail since the original BHR trail was constructed. The old trail was very wide, heavily eroded and often confusing due to the many hiker made trails. Poor trail construction also allowed soil to flow into the adjacent stream.

This new trail provides a narrow and more sustainable trail through beautiful forest, with minimal signs of human intervention. Designed using newer trail building standards, it is less likely to become wide and eroded like the original trail and will require less on-going maintenance from volunteers.

Blood Mountain and the BHR trail reside in a designated Wilderness area. Congress mandates that these areas be maintained to provide visitors with an opportunity to experience public lands in the most natural and undeveloped condition possible. We believe this new 1.4 mile trail better provides that for hikers.

Photos show a comparison of the old and new trail.

06/06/2026

The new Byron Herbert Reece Trail opens today! This new trail is designed to better fit the intent of designated Wilderness and to be more resilient and sustainable over time.

What does this mean for you?

The new trail is narrow and designed to feel natural and less developed, providing hikers with a more traditional backcountry experience.

The new trail is a little longer, making an in and out hike to the summit of Blood Mountain 5.1 miles.

The new trail will intersect the A.T. farther uphill toward the summit, no longer aligning with the Freeman Trail at Flatrock Gap.

Stay tuned for future posts on why and how this trail was built and check out our website for a detailed map.

06/05/2026

Changes are coming to the Byron Herbert Reece trail! Next time you hike to Blood Mountain from the BHR parking lot, you'll have a new Wilderness experience. We'll be posting more information in the coming days so stay tuned!

06/05/2026

Learning to identify and remove non-native invasive plants is one way the GATC is working to protect the trail.

05/30/2026

We truly enjoy hosting these college student work trips. Check out this Reel from Bowling Green State University and the students who spent their Spring Break working on the trail in Georgia.