Took the 'old logging road' shortcut on the Pinhoti Trail near Cheaha last month

Everyone online says to stick to the main trail because the logging roads are longer, but I shaved 4 miles off my day with better views. Has anyone else found a marked route that's actually a faster alternative?

2 comments

2 Comments

logan27112d agoProlific Poster

Wait, you actually found a logging road on the Pinhoti that saved you time? Most of the ones I've tried near Cheaha just dead end or loop back around after a mile or so. I always figured the old logging roads were a total crapshoot because they weren't built for hiking, just for hauling timber. But if you found one with better views and it shaved off 4 miles maybe I've been missing out. I'd be curious which specific road or junction you took because I'd rather not waste a whole afternoon exploring a random turnoff.

sagejackson12d ago

Huh, yeah @logan271 I hear you. That's exactly how most of them are around here. The one I found was just south of the High Rock overlook where the trail cuts close to an old clearcut. It's not marked or anything, just a wide dirt track that curves down the ridge more directly. I've noticed this with a lot of stuff honestly. We always assume the "proper" way is the only decent way, but sometimes the rougher path that someone else built for a totally different reason ends up being the better shortcut. It's like how I used to avoid back roads in town because they look beat up, but they actually save me ten minutes at rush hour compared to the main highway. Same principle out here.