Georgia trails · Benton MacKaye Trail
Benton MacKaye Trail
A 12.8-mile out-and-back in Georgia, with 1,636 ft of climbing. Reaches McKenny Gap and other pass/summit destinations.
Elevation profile
The climbing leans toward the middle third: 44% of the ascent falls between mile 4.3 and mile 8.6. It gives back about 2,624 ft along the way, so it rolls rather than climbing steadily.
3-D terrain
USGS 3DEP ELEVATION × ESRI WORLD IMAGERY · VERTICAL ×1.5
Reaches
- McKenny Gap (pass)
- Fowler Mountain (summit)
- Hatley Gap (pass)
- Bushy Head Gap (pass)
- Halloway Gap (pass)
- Flat Top Mountain (summit)
- Bear Den Mountain (summit)
- Hudson Gap (pass)
- Dyer Gap (pass)
Getting there
Benton MacKaye Trail access. About 1 h 12 min drive (51 mi) from Canton. 34.84964, -84.41742 · directions
Daylight at the trailhead
On October 14, 2026 — the day this page was generated — first light reaches this trailhead at 7:17 a.m., the sun rises at 7:42 a.m. and sets at 7:04 p.m., and the last usable light fades about 7:29 p.m. (EDT) — 11 h 22 min of daylight. At about 2.7 mph plus 30 minutes per 1,000 feet of climbing, the 25.7-mile round trip takes roughly 11 h 08 min, so leaving the trailhead at sunrise puts you back around 6:50 p.m. — 14 min before sunset.
Nearby trails
- Benton Mackaye — 7.9 mi
- Jacks River — 8.1 mi
- Rough Ridge — 9.0 mi
- Conasauga River — 9.2 mi