6 Mile AT Hike - Jones Meadow to Allen Gap.

Two of us did this hike.

We challenged the rain gods again on this hike and won. There were heavy rains in the early morning which stopped just before we hit the trail. We started the hike in a cloud and did not come out of the cloud until the 4 mile mark as we reached the Little Laurel shelter. But the high winds made it feel like rain as it knocked all of the water from the trees.

The first 4 miles of the hike were rooty and very rocky. The trail improved after the early stretch.. At the shelter we came upon a sign that let us know we had 4.9 miles left in our hike. I thought it should be only two more miles. There must have been a trail re-route sometime after my book was written. So we did 8.9 miles instead of 6 miles for this adventure on the AT. We spent 3 hours and 47 minutes on the trail for this hike.

This hike will begin at its highest point at Jones Meadow (4700 ft) and descends all of the way to Allen Gap at (2234 ft). The views are wonderful from the top of Jones Meadow. This 6 mile descent will start off steeply through rocky switchbacks. 1.1 miles into the hike we will come to Little Laurel Shelter.

From here the descent will remain steep through swtichbacks for about a quarter mile and then become a more gentle descent.

Plan on spendng 3.5 hours on the trail.

There are beds available at the Laughing Heart Hostel in Hot Springs.