Eastern Continental Trail

Looking for the next big step (pun intended) in hiking Alabama? Then consider the Eastern Continental Trail. This one is for serious backpackers only!

The trail was first hiked in 1997 by 23-year-old John Brinda. One day he decided to hike the Florida National Scenic Trail that stretches from Key West to Pensacola, FL. Upon arriving at the Florida / Alabama state line, the end of the trek, he was so hooked on this journey that he wanted more and continued hiking into Alabama, heading northward.

Eventually, John's journey led him to the Pinhoti National Recreation Trail in the Talladega National Forest, then to the Benton MacKaye Trail in Georgia, then to the Appalachian Trail, then to the International Appalachian Trail, finally finishing up his adventure 5,500 miles later at Cape Gaspe', Canada!

Since then hundreds of hikers have taken the "long way 'round" and hiked the eastern seaboard on the E.C.T. Groups such as the American Hiking Society are "connecting the dots" to make the trail a complete wilderness footpath. The big piece in this puzzle is the Alabama section. Currently, the walk from Florida to the Pinhoti Trail in the Talladega National Forest is mostly road walk, but the wheels are in motion to take the trail off the road and into the wilderness.

As we mentioned in the Pinhoti Trail section, the Alabama Trails Association is linking the Alabama Pinhoti to the Georgia state line just north of the Talladega National Forest and the Georgia Pinhoti Trail. Meanwhile, the Alabama Hiking Trail Society is working to move the trail off the highway. The first new section of E.C.T. was completed on Flagg Mountain (see "Flagg Mountain" in the River Region section) and from there it is a short connection to the Pinhoti.

But for right now, the hike to Flagg from Florida is still a road walk, but an adventure nonetheless. A wonderful book on what to expect is M.J. Eberhart's "Ten Million Steps" that traces "Nimblewill Nomad's" (his hiking name) trek along the E.C.T. It was Nomad who coined the name "Eastern Continental Trail."

Some of the highlights of hiking the E.C.T. in Alabama include the cypress swamps of Conecuh National Forest, the first mountain of 1,000 feet on the trail at Flagg Mountain, and the heights, waterfalls and views from the mountains of the Talladega National Forest. There is plenty to do and see along the Alabama section of the Eastern Continental Trail and plenty of resources to tell you all about thru-hiking this trail with such information as where to resupply, places to stay, and things to see.