Backcountry Camping on the PMT

How to obtain a backcountry permit to camp on the Pine Mountain Trail

Parking and campsite descriptions

Backcountry Camping  FAQs

 

   

Backpacking on the Pine Mountain Trail 

The Pine Mountain Trail has 14 backcountry/backpacking sites. Twelve of the sites are located about every 2-3 miles or so along the 23 miles of the main Pine Mountain Trail. Grindstone Gap is located on the white blazed Sawtooth connector trail and  Little Bridges Campsite is located on the Chestnut Oak Trail. If you are new to the Pine Mountain Trail you may want to call the FDR Park Office (706-663-4858) or Jim Hall with the Pine Mountain Trail Association (706-569-0497) for information on planning a backpacking trip.

The best planning tool is the PMT map. Using it, you can judge how far you may want to walk in and out for a backpacking trip. To purchase a map click on the Neat Stuff link on the left. Jim Hall can arrange to mail maps via phone or email. Shuttles are available from PMTA member Carl Carlson (706-628-5336). Call a few days ahead please. NOTE: There is no charge,  however Carl does accept donations to the Pine Mountain Trail Association for shuttles. 

The PMT gets a lot of Boy Scouts and some Girl Scout units who use our hiking trail and backcountry sites. If you are a scout leader, we encourage you to try our trail and join the Pine Mountain Trail Association. The BSA Backpacking merit badge requirements for staying 2 nights and covering 15 miles can be met by using our main trail along with connecting loops and backcountry sites. Simple work projects on the trail can be arranged by calling in advance our PMT maintenance supervisor Carl Carlson. Carl can also give talks to scout units and others about the trail and related outdoor subjects. More info can be found here and here.

Each backcountry camping site will hold some 15 people and their tents except Whiskey Still Campsite and Broken Tree Campsite (each of which has only 3 tent sites with a maximum of ten persons). Most are on a large flat wooded area with two to three fire rings. Campfires are permitted using only downed, dead wood. Ten of the fourteen sites have good water supplies nearby but three sites have had some dry spells (Sassafras Hill, Whiskey Still and Grindstone Gap). Check with FDR Park Rangers when you register at the park office for information on the current water situation and possible fire bans.

Backcountry camping on the PMT is by permit at designated sites only. If you backcountry camp on the Pine Mountain Trail you must first get a permit to camp from the FDR park office before entering the woods and have either a Georgia Park Pass or buy a Daily Use Fee Pass to be displayed on the rear view mirror of each vehicle left parked overnight. If you travel to FDR in two or more vehicles, ask the clerk at the park office for a duplicate copy of your backcountry permit for each vehicle.

 

Obtaining a backpacking permit

You must be 18 years old or older to obtain a backpacking permit and there must be at least one person in the group 18 or older.

Permits are obtained at the FDR State park office. You'll need the tag numbers of any vehicles you are using to record on the backpacking permits.  As you enter the park office to the right is an area with a large trail map and blank backcountry permits.  

Review the map and pick out the campsite(s) where you’d like to stay, then grab a permit and fill in your personal information with tag number and go to the counter where the clerk will tell you which backcountry sites are available and help you fill in the rest of the permit including campsite and parking location, and trail entry and exit. The Backcountry camping fee is $5.00 per day per person (max of $25.00 for a group or organization permit). The Park takes cash and most debit and credit cards. Backcountry camping fees are waived for Pine Mountain Trail Association Members (individuals and organizations) upon presentation of a valid PMTA membership card.

The clerk will have you fill out the permit form and will also have you put an entry point and exit point for your trip. 

Permits must be obtained about 2 hours before dark. 

You  may make reservations online 24 hours a day, seven days a week at http://www.georgiastateparks.org/  or by calling 1-800-864-7275 8 a.m. - 8 p.m. during the week and 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. on weekends. There is no additional fee for this service. Please note that if you make a reservation to backcountry camp through the Georgia 800 reservation service or online, it reserves you a backcountry site but does not reserve a specific named site at that time.

Park rules state that each site can have no more than 15 persons per site per night (i.e. if you are a Scout unit and have 25 boys, be prepared to split up into two sites). Remember that each vehicle left overnight anywhere within FDR State park must have a copy of the backcountry permit on the dash of the vehicle in plain view and a valid daily use fee parking permit or Georgia Park Pass. If you travel to FDR in two or more vehicles, ask the clerk at the park office for a duplicate of the copy of your backcountry permit for each.

Backpacking permits at FDR (and all Georgia State Parks) are only issued to persons age 18 and up to stay overnight and camp at one of the 13 designated sites on the Pine Mountain Trail.   All ages are most welcome for day hiking or backpacking, but minors must be with someone age 18 and up at all times! 

 

Backpacking

Once you get your backcountry permit, it is a good idea to call home and let someone know which site(s) you will be at and where you are parking, along with your tag number. Relatives etc. can reach you in a EMERGENCY only by calling the FDR Park Rangers at 706-663-4256 (this is a 24 hour number). You must camp in the site you have a permit for and need to park where you indicate on the backcountry permit. Should you decide to not stay at a site (due to sudden illness or weather conditions etc), call the park rangers or go by the park office and let a clerk know. Once you get a permit for a particular site, you CANNOT change the site you are staying at without first getting permission from the FDR Park Office.

 

Parking  for backpacking and hiking

Parking to hike or camp on the Pine Mountain Trail is easy and safe. If you look at the PMT map, you will see five  named parking areas (Gardens Overlook, Buzzards Roost, Fox Den Cove, Mollyhugger Hill and Rocky Point) along Hwy 190, which are located at trail road crossings. Trail access can also be found at Dowdell Knob Trailhead Parking area, WJSP-TV tower parking and picnic area, FDR State Park Swimming Pool parking lot and the FDR Park Office parking lots. Each is a paved off-road parking area and is patrolled by both the FDR State Park Rangers and the local county sheriff. Near the western end of the trail, parking is available at the Country Store parking lot at US 27 and Ga 190 just outside FDR State Park. To our knowledge, there has not been a reported case for many years of a car being damaged when left during the day or overnight within FDR State Park.

If you park anywhere within FDR State Park, you must have a Georgia Park Pass or current daily use fee pass. Self- pay boxes are located at the Park Office, the RV campground, the WJSP-TV tower parking lot, Mollyhugger Hill parking lot, Dowdell's Knob Trailhead and near the FDR Statue in picnic area at Dowdell Knob. Parking at the WJSP-TV tower parking lot is within FDR  State Park. 

The fee for regular size passenger vehicles and vans is $3.00 per day. However, if you have a vehicle that is a 13 passenger or larger van (like many church groups, scout units, and schools use) the fee is $20.00 per day if you are hiking only, but if you are backpacking (staying overnight) the fee for a large van will be only $3.00.  A yearly pass is $50.00 for a large van. For a 30 passenger bus, the daily fee is $50.00 per day or a yearly pass rate of $200.00. If you have any questions call the park office at  706-663-4858  You should be aware of these fees before driving to FDR State Park. You will be asked the size of vehicle you are driving and charged accordingly. Vehicles will be ticketed by FDR State Park Rangers if found without a valid Daily Use/Parking Permit or a valid Georgia  State Park yearly pass. 

If you are backcountry camping and leave your vehicle overnight, you must also have the blue vehicle copy of the backcountry permit displayed on the dash of each vehicle.

This vehicle had a parking permit but did not have a backpacking permit and received a ticket.

 
 

Main points

 

Get to the park office early on weekends as sites are first come, first reserved. Permits are issued for a specific named site only on the day of use or the start of a multiple-night trip.

The  FDR State Park office is open 8-5 Monday-Thursday,  8 a.m. till  10 p.m. on Friday, and  8 a.m. to 5-6 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.

Be aware of the 15 person per site limit on group use.

Be aware of parking fees and the backpacking permit costs.

A backcountry camping permit will only be issued to those individuals 18 or older. Those under 18 can be with a person age 18 or older.

If your group wants to camp out together and not hike in to a backcountry site, the  FDR State Park has a Pioneer Camping area away from the Pine Mountain Trail near the RV campground. This is a drive up primitive area. Some scout units use this area for their younger scouts and another leader or two take the older ones backpacking on the Pine Mountain Trail.

Contact the FDR park office to camp in the Pioneer area. The current fee is $15.00 per night for 1-15 campers and $1 per person over 15 persons. This area is not part of the Pine Mountain Trail backcountry.

 

Helpful hints for camping on the PMT

We had 2945 backpackers use the PMT in 2007. The rainy and cold weather in winter and a fire ban during most of 2007 was a factor in the number of backpackers not using the trail campsites as they did a few years ago. 

In 2001, we had a record 4029 backpackers.  In 2005 there were 3325 and 3549 in 2006.

The most popular months in 2007 were January-May and then September-December, with March and October being the two most used months overall. The chart below shows the most popular campsites for  2005 & 2006. 

If you are planning on coming to FDR State Park to camp on the trail, come early as you can on weekend days as permits for backcountry sites are reserved first come, first permitted.

PHONES: There are payphones in the RV Campground and at the FDR Park Office lower parking lot. Cell phones are advisable to carry on the trail, however, in some low areas some handhelds may not get out.

EMERGENCIES ON THE TRAIL: If you have an emergency (i.e. medical situation) and need help, contact the FDR Park Rangers FIRST! The park is located in Harris and Meriwether counties and if you call 911 you may not get the proper 911 center. Let the FDR Park Ranger do that for you by calling 706-663-4256 (24 hours). Carry a map and know where you are when you seek help.  If lost, try to relay where you started on the trail or your last known location.

PLEASE use the above number for urgent needs only. If you have an information or map question, call the FDR office at  706-663-4858 .

WATER: Available at most sites but check before getting your permit. All water must be purified, filtered, or boiled before drinking.

FOOD SUPPLIES:  In  Pine Mountain , there is the Corner Food Store (Chevron) at US 27 and GA 354 and a IGA supermarket downtown.

FIRES: Fires are allowed only in the established fires rings at the 13 named campsites. Please do not build new fire rings or move existing ones. Keep fires small so as not to blaze up and impact overhanging limbs and leaves. Use only dead, downed wood. Please do not cut down dead trees or green ones. There are plenty of dead, downed limbs and trees. If you cannot find any, use your stove. Please do not bring charcoal, wax fire-starters or fire-logs, as they will not burn up completely.  Please put your fire out before bedtime (we often get some winds during the night). When leaving the campsite in the morning, make sure the fire is out by pouring water on it till the steaming stops. 

 

drown campfires with  a couple gallons of water                                               

Stir the coals....   

 Then pour on more water till the steaming stops.

If you have any firewood left, stack it neatly for the next campers. Please do not try to burn glass containers, cans, plastic items or aluminum foil. If other campers did, please put them in your trash bag to carry out. Leave the campsite looking better than you found it.

TRASH: Plan on carrying out any cans, foil, glass or plastic trash. IT WILL NOT BURN. When you get a backpacking/backcountry permit, the park office clerk has a free trash bag for you. Ask for one if they do not offer you one! Trash cans are located near trail road crossings and parking lots.

PETS: Dogs are welcome to walk with you on the trail, but must be on a 6' leash. No pack animals of any kind.

WEATHER: Weather conditions at FDR State Park can be found here on the Weather Channel website or by calling the local NOAH Weather number. Temperature readings will always be closer to whatever is showing for Atlanta more than Columbus, Ga. In warmer weather, sudden wind and rain storms come across the Pine Mountain ridge. Be prepared.

The FDR Park office sells Pine Mountain Trail items like maps, patches, hats, shirts, hiking staff medallions, etc. For a list of the PMT STUFF items available by mail, see our PMT STUFF section. NOTE: prices for items on the website are somewhat different from what retail stores and the FDR State Park charges for them.

HIKING WITH KIDS?---see our special section on KIDS HIKING TIPS

 

Backcountry Campsite Descriptions and Directions

 

LITTLE BRIDGES CAMPSITE: This campsite is located on the Chestnut Oak Trail section just off the main PMT. You can get to this site from the west end of the Chestnut Oak Trail by parking at the Gardens Country Store, hiking up Ga 190 a short ways to the rock wall entrance way of FDR State Park.  The Pine Mountain Trail sign is on the south side of the road on the right. Look for a sign for the Chestnut Oak Trail on your left (see photo).  Hike the Chestnut Oak Trail east 1.7 miles to the campsite.  (The entire Chestnut Oak Trail is 2.1 miles long.) 

If you are hiking from Mile 1.4 of the Pine Mountain Trail at the Garden Overlook Parking Area, you cross Ga. 190 to the north. Just after you cross the road, there is a junction with the Chestnut Oak Trail that goes to your left (west). Little Bridges Campsite is located just down the mountain .4 mile from this junction or 1.8 miles from the start of the PMT. There is a nice year-round spring beside the camp. Large hardwoods are all around this beautiful camp. This camp was built to allow backpackers a close first or last night's camp. The distance to Ga. 190 will make it a good choice for first time backpackers or those with younger campers.

DEAD PINE CAMPSITE: This is the first site from the west end of the main PMT. The site is located past Mile 2 about .4 mile. The next site to the east is BIG KNOT , about 5.5 miles along the trail. Dead Pine has a small spring nearby that is the water source.

BROKEN TREE CAMPSITE: This campsite is located 1.6 miles east from the FDR Park Office on the main PMT. If you park at Fox Den Cove Parking Lot, cross Ga. 190 and follow the PMT back to the west. Broken Tree Campsite is .6 mile west of Mile 6. From the Park Office, if you hike east you cross paved roads twice before you reach the camp (look on the map) near Mile 5. The camp is on south side of the trail (heading east) in a small bottom just before you start back uphill. There is wooden sign on your right. This is a small camp, for three tents at the most.  There is one fire ring. There is a year-round spring on the edge of the camp. In winter this is a warm camp, as a hill north of it should block the wind. There is an ample supply of downed, dead wood for campfires.

GRINDSTONE GAP CAMPSITE: Of the thirteen backcountry campsites, eleven are located on the main Pine Mountain Trail. However, Grindstone Gap is located on the white-blazed Sawtooth Trail. To get to the site, you can go west on the PMT (south of HWY 190) from Fox Den Cove Parking Lot and then EAST on the Sawtooth Trail. Grindstone is located in a bottom, off the trail in a rather flat area. Water has not been reliable recently in warmer months.

BIG KNOT CAMPSITE: From Fox Den Cove parking lot, go east on the PMT (north of Hwy 190 away from the parking lot). The hike to Big Knot takes you past a large rock cliff near Indian Mountain . Down the slope away from the top of the mountain, the trail views to the west are great. The trail crosses a small wooden bridge just before a uphill climb and trail to the right for the site. Mile 8 is just past the site sign. The site is on small ridge with three fire rings to choose from. Water, in a clear spring, is located just at the bottom of the ridge to the east of the site about 100 yds or so.

JENKINS SPRING CAMPSITE: Our newest campsite, established October 2008, is .3 miles east of Mile 8. From Fox Den Cove Parking Lot, hike east 2.1 miles. You will cross a small spring with bamboo on your right. The access trail and sign is just beyond on your left. From Mollyhugger Hill Parking Lot, hike west 2.8 miles. The access trail will be on your right. Follow the white-blazed access trail across a small bridge to the site. Water source is marked with a sign in the northwest corner of camp. The boundary of FDR State Park is approximately 200 yards north of the campsite. This is private property. Please note the marks on the trees and stay within the park.

BEECH BOTTOM CAMPSITE: Just to the east of Mile 9, this site is located just across some stepping stones in a small spring fed stream. The trail runs along side the stream and makes a slight turn near the crossing area. If you leave Molly Hugger Hill Parking Lot and go west on the trail, you have about a two mile hike in. This hike in is varied, in that you go down and up several times with some pretty good switch-backs west of Mile 10. The site is a large flat cleared area under tree cover. Be aware the markers on trees at the back of the site that mark the boundary of FDR State Park. There is not as much dead firewood at this camp as others have.

WHISKEY STILL CAMPSITE: If you park at Mollyhugger Hill Parking Lot and cross the road (south of Hwy 190) you are going east on the trail down the mountain. About .4 mile in you come to large rock and a sign on the right for Whiskey Still campsite. Follow the site trail to the three tent sites on the hillside. This site was reworked in 1998-1999 as an Eagle Scout project. In 2001, Scouts reworked the access trail. There is  a 1/4 mile water trail to a spring southwest of the site. NOTE: there are only three tent sites and small fire rings. There is one larger fire ring just below the three tent sites with a nice sitting area.

BETHEL CREEK CAMPSITE: Located about Mile 12.5. You can park on Hines Gap road and hike about .3 mile in or from Molly Hugger Hill Parking Lot it is still only about 1.5 miles or about 2 miles west of Dowdell Knob. This site is just off the trail (south of it) and like all sites it is marked with a wooden sign. Just west of the site is a area some have camped in, but it is NOT Bethel Creek Campsite. Bethel Creek Campsite has Bethel Creek running along side it all year. Dead downed wood for fires can be found north of the trail up the hillside.

BROWN DOG CAMPSITE: Built in 1998 and is north of the trail just west of Mile 16 just east of the small waterfall near Brown Dog Bluff. Uphill past the campsite entrance sign about 80 yards you find a nice flat area and three fire ring areas. There is ample wood all around the site. The water source is the spring and waterfall mentioned above. To get to Brown Dog Campsite you can hike in from the Dowdell Knob area east about 1.5 miles or park at Rocky Point Parking Lot and hike in west about 2.1 miles. You can also hike in from the Dowdell Knob Road on the Sawtooth Trail to the east end of it, then west on the PMT to just past Mile 16.

SPARKS CREEK CAMPSITE: Located in a bottom besides Sparks Creek just west of Mile 17 marker. To get there go east of Dowdell Knob about two miles, or west of Rocky Point Parking Lot just over a mile in. The hike from Rocky Point in is the best, as the trail comes down through the cliffs at Rocky Point and it is down hill all the way. Just west of Mile 17 the trail turns left and you cross Sparks Creek on stepping stones and the trail continues along side the stream to the sign marking the campsite and a small wooden bridge. Cross the bridge and turn right and you will see three fire rings along the stream.

SASSAFRAS HILL CAMPSITE: This is a large site and a favorite of scout units. Most hike to the site starting in from the WJSP-TV tower and heading west on the trail some 4.6 miles to the site. You can also take a easy hike in from Rocky Point Parking Lot (cross Ga. 190 from the parking lot ) and head east some .4 of a mile. Just before the site is small wooden bridge that you cross and continue uphill on the blue-blazed PMT to the site on the left. Water is close by, but at the present time is unreliable west and east of the site. The site has several fire rings located on this large flat hill top. 

OLD SAWMILL CAMPSITE: Most people hike in to this site from the WJSP-TV tower parking lot (about 2.7 miles) The site has ample water from a good sized stream. The hike in is one of the most scenic, with lots of varied hiking over water crossings and hills, past cliffs and waterfalls. This is the favorite site of many.

BUMBLE BEE RIDGE CAMPSITE: Most people hike in to this site from the WJSP-TV tower end of the trail. The site is located at the end of nice climb up a hill about 1.5 miles in from the WJSP-TV tower parking lot. The site has some large pine trees as cover. Water source is back down the trail at the bottom of the hill. Please stay on the marked blue-blazed trail in and near the campsite area when going for water.

 

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Page Created : 11/19/97
Page Updated : 11/18/08