Ranking the Trails
Each trail that appears on the GeorgiaTrails.com site has been hiked by Trailmasters Pam and Randy Golden.
Trail length is the total length of the trail in miles from our GPS.
Location is derived from the mapping system that is integrated with our new Garmin Etrex GPS. The counties that the trail runs through are listed and a link is provided to additional information about the county including history, events, links, interesting things to do, battles that occurred in the county and state parks, if any.
The Features column includes notable features of the trail. This can include, but is not limited to, rivers, lakes, waterfalls, camping, Appalachian Trail access, picnicking, Visitor's Center, fishing or scenic
The last hiked date is extremely important to note. Some of these trails have not been updated in three or four years, and in that period of time the information about them can become outdated.
Type of Trail--there are essentially three types of trails, Loop, Point-to-Point and In and out. A loop trail brings you back to the place you start without walking on the same path. A point-to-point trail is designed to be walked from one place to another, and is too long to return to the starting point. An in and out trail takes you in, then returns you to the place you started.
Our rating-this is our completely arbitrary rating of the trail. We are experienced hikers who have been doing this for nearly 20 years. An easy trail can have occasional grades that are steep or moderate for a short periods of time, but for the most part are level, dirt terrain. Moderate trails may have a number of moderate to steep climbs and can include areas where the trail is difficult to traverse. Difficult trails can have steep section with treacherous footing, rock strewn sections, or heavily tree-rooted paths. Strenuous trails should only be attempted by an experienced hiker. These trails normally feature long sections of difficult climbs, poor trail conditions or any combination of the two. If there is an area on a trail that is more difficult than the trail as a whole, it will be mentioned in the text.
Your rating--this is were you get a shot at rating the trail. Your figure is taken and averaged in with the rating of the other people who have hiked the trail and an average rating appears. The number of people to rate the trail appears in parenthesis next to the rating.
Date added--gives you an idea of how long we have been hiking this trail.
Trail Usage--an overall rating reflecting the average use of the trail. This will not include nearby events that may boost a moderate usage trail to a heavy usage for a brief period of time. If you decide to go to Andrews Cove during the Helen-to-the-Atlantic hot balloon race, its going to be a heavy and not a moderate.
Georgia Trails Features
Feature articles from Georgia Trails
Article Links
Pam and Randy Golden
Georgia Trails
Georgia Trails Index
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