What is The Georgia Traverse?
The Georgia Traverse was created by David Giguere and is a collection of county, state and Forest Service roads that comprise a (mostly) off-pavement route across North Georgia. I designed it to be traveled east to west, beginning at Burrells Ford Road along the Georgia / South Carolina border. The Georgia Traverse visits North Carolina and Tennessee before ending at the Georgia / Alabama border. The total mileage of all paved and unpaved sections is 390 miles. I included a few alternate, off-pavement sections to explore along the Traverse. The total mileage includes the alternate sections, as shown in the map and represented in the download. However, roads not explicitly shown as part of the Traverse are not included in the mileage. Of the 390 total miles presented here, 226 miles are unpaved road surfaces consisting of gravel, dirt or both. Connecting the off-tarmac sections are 164 miles of pavement, with just over 40% of the paved miles found west of the Cohutta and Big Frog Wilderness Loop. Though I found limited opportunities for off-pavement connectivity in the western portion of the Traverse, I decided to include what I did find in an effort to offer a border to border travel experience across Georgia.
In addition to the 390 miles of tracks displayed on the map and offered in the download, I include over 500 waypoints that offer unique details (road names, possible campsites, hiking opportunities, water crossings, etc.) of what you will find along the Traverse. While much of the road data is available through a variety of sources, it is this collection of waypoints that set The Georgia Traverse apart from any other offering. As mentioned earlier, the Traverse is published with the intention of east-west travel. I attempted to include turn by turn directions when transiting between off-pavement and paved sections and these left/right directions are only accurate when traveling the Traverse east-west. Of course, there's no reason why you cannot simply follow the tracks west-east and ignore the directions. In fact, I highly encourage people to view the Traverse as an opportunity to explore our beautiful state at their own pace, choosing portions to leisurely visit over many weekends rather than a single, long journey.
You have a basic understanding of The Georgia Traverse and you're ready to plan your adventure? Perfect! It's time to visit the Disclaimer before beginning to plan your trip. I know, it's no fun but it is necessary. With the Disclaimer out of the way, here's what you need to know before using the map and/or the files available for download.
All off-pavement tracks and associated waypoints were captured by GPS in the field and, at the time of capture, were reasonably spatially accurate. The tracks and waypoints that comprise The Georgia Traverse were documented over the course of a number of years and may no longer be valid or accurate for a variety of reasons including road maintenance, seasonal closures, budgetary closures, improper usage, etc. Please note that the many of the pavement tracks and associated pavement waypoints were captured using online mapping resources and are not field-verified. If you find an error or notice a change that should be represented in the map and download, please contact us using the email link at the bottom or the Contact Georgia Overland page. Additionally, I strongly recommend you visit the Trail Condition blog post to check for any Community Reported updates that may impact your visit.
Where 'possible campsite' waypoints are displayed these are simply areas that, in my visual determination, appeared to be used as an informal campsite. No legal determination is provided as to the true legality of camping in these sites. It is up to the user to contact the appropriate jurisdiction to determine if camping is legally permitted in these areas. There are many formal, state and National Forest campgrounds that may be accessed along the Traverse and when in doubt I encourage those wishing to camp to make arrangements at a designated campground.
Enjoy the trails, roads and waterways and be careful out there. Plan on much slower travel speeds (10-20mph) when driving on dirt and gravel roads. Like any trip into the outdoors, please use common sense and let someone know where you are going and when you plan to return. Trail conditions can change from day to day and some sections may be very remote with no traffic and no services (no fuel, food or cell phone service). With limited or nonexistent services, you must plan accordingly when it comes to food, fuel and the possibility of an unplanned overnight. Pack and know how to properly use a First Aid kit. Please practice responsible use and pack out what you pack in. Stay on the trail. Visit Tread Lightly! for tips on reducing the impact on the land by you and your vehicle.
Next, you should visit the Interactive Map displaying the tracks and points of The Georgia Traverse, or head straight to the Download page to download The Georgia Traverse files in a variety of geospatial formats.
In addition to the 390 miles of tracks displayed on the map and offered in the download, I include over 500 waypoints that offer unique details (road names, possible campsites, hiking opportunities, water crossings, etc.) of what you will find along the Traverse. While much of the road data is available through a variety of sources, it is this collection of waypoints that set The Georgia Traverse apart from any other offering. As mentioned earlier, the Traverse is published with the intention of east-west travel. I attempted to include turn by turn directions when transiting between off-pavement and paved sections and these left/right directions are only accurate when traveling the Traverse east-west. Of course, there's no reason why you cannot simply follow the tracks west-east and ignore the directions. In fact, I highly encourage people to view the Traverse as an opportunity to explore our beautiful state at their own pace, choosing portions to leisurely visit over many weekends rather than a single, long journey.
You have a basic understanding of The Georgia Traverse and you're ready to plan your adventure? Perfect! It's time to visit the Disclaimer before beginning to plan your trip. I know, it's no fun but it is necessary. With the Disclaimer out of the way, here's what you need to know before using the map and/or the files available for download.
All off-pavement tracks and associated waypoints were captured by GPS in the field and, at the time of capture, were reasonably spatially accurate. The tracks and waypoints that comprise The Georgia Traverse were documented over the course of a number of years and may no longer be valid or accurate for a variety of reasons including road maintenance, seasonal closures, budgetary closures, improper usage, etc. Please note that the many of the pavement tracks and associated pavement waypoints were captured using online mapping resources and are not field-verified. If you find an error or notice a change that should be represented in the map and download, please contact us using the email link at the bottom or the Contact Georgia Overland page. Additionally, I strongly recommend you visit the Trail Condition blog post to check for any Community Reported updates that may impact your visit.
Where 'possible campsite' waypoints are displayed these are simply areas that, in my visual determination, appeared to be used as an informal campsite. No legal determination is provided as to the true legality of camping in these sites. It is up to the user to contact the appropriate jurisdiction to determine if camping is legally permitted in these areas. There are many formal, state and National Forest campgrounds that may be accessed along the Traverse and when in doubt I encourage those wishing to camp to make arrangements at a designated campground.
Enjoy the trails, roads and waterways and be careful out there. Plan on much slower travel speeds (10-20mph) when driving on dirt and gravel roads. Like any trip into the outdoors, please use common sense and let someone know where you are going and when you plan to return. Trail conditions can change from day to day and some sections may be very remote with no traffic and no services (no fuel, food or cell phone service). With limited or nonexistent services, you must plan accordingly when it comes to food, fuel and the possibility of an unplanned overnight. Pack and know how to properly use a First Aid kit. Please practice responsible use and pack out what you pack in. Stay on the trail. Visit Tread Lightly! for tips on reducing the impact on the land by you and your vehicle.
Next, you should visit the Interactive Map displaying the tracks and points of The Georgia Traverse, or head straight to the Download page to download The Georgia Traverse files in a variety of geospatial formats.
