Duncan Ridge Trail

Length: 35.5 miles
Rating: Strenuous

This challenging trail, with high ridges and steep climbs to several mountain tops, crosses a 260-foot swinging bridge over the Toccoa River.

This challenging trail follows high, dry ridges for most of its length. The trail begins on Long Creek near Three Forks on the Appalachian Trail, goes north, and crosses the Toccoa River on a 260-foot swinging bridge. The trail then leads north and west along Duncan Ridge through Mulky Gap to Slaughter Gap. It includes many steep climbs and descents over several mountain tops.

The trail is blue blazed for all of this section but also has yellow blazes on the eastern portion, where the Coosa Backcountry Trail (Union County) shares the same tread way and also will have the white diamonds of the Benton MacKaye trail from Long Creek Falls (Fannin County) for Rhodes Mountain. About 1.25 miles on the eastern end are within the Blood Mountain Wilderness. A 60 mile loop trail can be made by combining this trail with the Appalachian Trail.

Directions:

Take US 19 and 129 south from Blairsville Georgia for 9.5 miles. Turn right (west) onto GA 180 and go 3 miles to Wolfpen Gap. The trail crosses GA 180 in the gap. The trail can also be reached in Mulky Gap by Forest Service Road 4, Mulky Gap Road.