Warning: the trail markers on the Pinhoti in Alabama shifted DRASTICALLY since last fall

I hiked Section 3 of the Pinhoti Trail near Cheaha State Park last October and then again two weeks ago, and the white blazes were completely different in three spots. Over just 7 months, someone or something moved the markers about half a mile off the original path, leading straight into a washout area. Has anyone else noticed reroutes or tampered markers on the Pinhoti this year?

2 comments

2 Comments

nancy_king294d ago

Directly leading into a washout area" - well yeah, that sounds about right for Alabama trail magic lately. I hiked that section in March and got completely turned around in the fog because one of the markers was literally pointing at a fallen tree that wasn't even on the trail map. Who do I even call about this, the Forest Service or some volunteer group? I swear the Pinhoti keeps changing faster than my GPS can update.

wells.christopher4d ago

Call the Alabama Trail Towns Association, they handle Pinhoti maintenance and actually just flagged a bunch of mismarked sections like this on their Facebook page last month. Sounds like somebody's "helpful" reroute turned into a real hazard, especially with that washout eating the old trail.