Len Foote Hike Inn Trail — Attraction in Talking Rock

My wife and I debated what we wanted to do for our 25th wedding anniversary and eventually settled on The Len Foote Hike Inn. What a fun, unique experience.

The hike is certainly moderate. Not hard, but not easy. We were expecting rain so I overpacked a bit, with my pack weighing 25lbs and hers at 14lbs. The hike consists of successive ascents and descents through wild rhododendron glades and hardwood forests with several stream crossings that do have bridges. It got a little mucky towards the end but there is planking (which can be slick when wet). I was glad I had my hiking poles, particularly on the descents. We were booking… it took us 2hrs 8m to complete but we passed several folks on the way up.

The Inn itself is obviously rustic… not the most romantic getaway, but we were looking more for the adventure. Don’t expect privacy. The bathhouse and toilets were extremely, impressively clean. It’s a shared space with males on one side and females on the other. Our room consisted of a built-in bunk with some dowels to hang your things.

We unpacked and then settled in some chairs down by the overlook to enjoy the view, listen to the birds, and just unplug.

The food was served family-style. When the dinner bell rings, everyone heads to the food hall for a shared meal. It was awkward at first sitting with strangers, but everyone was there to share the experience and it was interesting to hear about everyone’s adventures and get to know folks. The food was excellent… Mike, I’m not a mac and cheese guy, but you gotta keep bringing the mac back. It was excellent!

After dinner, there was an educational seminar. John, the “volunteer” for the weekend, was an experienced anthropologist and forestry expert who shared the history of how the indigenous and original people groups managed the forest. It was tremendously informative and interesting.

After our talk, a few of us went down to the deck/overlook and sat talking deep into the night, trying to answer deep, existential questions. It was truly an enjoyable evening.

The birds starting early, so we headed down to the overlook deck to watch the sunrise and got to know some of our fellow travelers a bit more as we sipped coffee until breakfast. The food, again, was great. My only complaint is that I wish there was more fruit - it was a very heavy breakfast… too heavy for a long hike.

We checked out and headed up towards the AT Approach trail then took a left back towards Amicalola. Honestly, I found this trail to be much less enjoyable. You climb for most of the first 1/3, then it’s all downhill from there. There were really no views along the way either.

Things I’d do differently: I’d probably stay an extra night and go to Springer on the second day. They will make a lunch for you if you do this. I would pack less. I would not take the AT Approach back. The Hike Inn trail is much more scenic.

We...

My son and I have hiked this several times. He's an Eagle Scout, and it's a great way to have some phone free bonding time with him. It's a five mile hike up. It's not too difficult, but there are many uphill areas. I have MS, and in a relapse, but I stillI made it just fine, although very slowly this time. I would suggest a walking pole as the trail is rocky and uneven. You can see Atlanta in the distance on a clear day, which is pretty cool! The rooms in the lodge are extremely basic...bunk bed, mirror, and a fan. Bring an extension cord if you want to charge your phone in your room. There is a charging station in the main building, though. The dinner was good, and the breakfast was particularly great! The showers are nice. There is a game room which is fun, plus a tour of the facilities and a nature talk with a guest. The sunrise and sunset are...

It was over 12 years since we first hike this trail to the Lenfoote Inn in October. The hike in February is also very pretty. The trail is well marked and maintained, couple of little creeks to cross, up and down trail, some rugged and steep but there are 2-3 places with benches or logs to stop and rest/snack. Beautiful scenery! The inn is the perfect place to spend the night/s for a hearty and delicious supper and breakfast ( where you meet and greet fellow hikers) hot showers and good night sleep ( except when the guy next door snores which seems amplified in the quietness of the night and the thin walls). The staff are super nice and friendly. There is the common bathhouse and restrooms which are heated in cold weather. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay! We will definitely come...