Date: 04/07/2026
Name: Benton MacKaye Trail from GA Hwy 60 to the Toccoa River Swinging Bridge
Distance: 7.7
Difficulty: Easy
Total Climbing Elevation: 1.696
Type: Out & Back
Notes: Another great hike day with sunny skies and temperatures in the 50's and 60's. This section of the Benton MacKaye Trail was in great shape with no blowdowns, no muddy or wet sections, few rocks or roots with mostly a soft trail bed of shredded leaves to walk on. Yes, there is an initial climb of ~600-700 feet over 1.4 to 1.6 miles followed by a steady, less steep, downhill of 800 feet over 2.1 miles. However, we did not find any of the inclines to be terribly difficult. Thile the hardwood trees were leafing out, we still had a views of the surrounding mountains along much of the ridgeline trail. The Toccoa River Suspension/Swinging Bridge was impressive and it did swing as we walked across it. The reported waterfall on the south side of the river is just a small cascade from a feeder branch into the river. We saw just a few wildflowers today. This is a moderately difficult to difficult hike. Great job everyone! Today's Hikers: Don Pratt, Terre Pratt, Randy Passow, Matt Henderson & Toby, Jack Treadman, Renée Corbett, Linda Shultz, Heather Wall & Toby, Betty Smith, Pam Hembree, Cindi Hansen & Mike Bell.
AllTrails Link: Benton MacKaye Trail from GA Hwy 60 to the Toccoa River Swinging Bridge near Suches, GA
Additional Search Terms: April