Getting to the Appalachian Trail's Southern Terminus

Freefall at Springer Mountain, GA

I am making plans for the Appalachian Trail... finally. One thing is certain: I will be meeting up with Squatch up at Fontana Dam, NC around March 20th. However, getting to the Appalachian Trail's southern terminus (Springer Mountain) is still up in the air.

I did a Google search "shuttle to Springer Mountain, Appalachian Trail," and I turned up a wealth of information. Whiteblaze.net had some great suggestions.

Hiker Hostel, which is operated by Josh and Leigh Saint (770) 312-7342 looks to be the top choice. They offer a Thruhiker Special, which includes a pickup at the North Springs MARTA station, one night's stay, breakfast, 8 oz. of denatured alcohol, and a shuttle to Amicalola Falls State park. As of 2010, they charged $75 for the service, which seems very reasonable. I first read about them in an A.T. Journey's Magazine, and have been eager to check out their place. I also know that Josh and Leigh hiked the AT in 2000, so I guess I am biased to choose them. I signed up for a reservation online, and I look forward to hearing back from them. Hopefully they can swing the ride.

There's also a guy named Survivor Dave, (678) 469-0978 who also provides a shuttle from the North Springs MARTA station. The good news is that it looks like he keeps things simple: he takes one to the trailhead. The bad news is that he does not post a price. That actually deters me from choosing him. Second, I think it would be easier if there was a way to sign up for a reservation online instead of having to make a call. Not that I am averse to the phone. It's actually a west coast-east coast thing. As I research this at 8pm on the west coast, I am not apt to make the call at 11pm EST, and I am not going to remember to do it the following day. Nonetheless, he seems to run a good barebones service.

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy also provides a shuttle list, which includes others like Appalachian Adam and North Georgia Outfitters. Based on what I've seen online, I imagine anyone operating on their own schedule or with a myriad of needs can score a ride to Springer Mountain... I think I did (keeping fingers crossed)!