USDA Forest Service, partners reroute Byron Herbert Reece Trail to restore Wilderness conditions

From left to right: Christine Ramsey, GATC maintainer for this trail section, Jay Dement, GATC district leader for District 6, and John Stephens, recreation program manager for the Blue Ridge Ranger District, Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest. Photo courtesy of USDA Forest Service, Laura Fitzmorris.

This release was originally issued by U.S. Forest Service Southern Region and is republished here with permission.

GAINESVILLE, Ga. — The U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, in partnership with the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) and Georgia Appalachian Trail Club (GATC), has rerouted the Byron Herbert Reece Trail on the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest.

The project constructed about 1.4 miles of new trail connecting the Byron Herbert Reece Trailhead to the Appalachian Trail near Flatrock Gap. The new route is designed to better align with Wilderness standards and provide a more sustainable, long-term recreation experience.

The reroute has returned the trail to a more natural condition, with a narrower tread and fewer constructed features. The previous trail will be closed and allowed to return to a natural state.

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“Managing designated Wilderness areas the way they were intended is a core responsibility of the Forest Service,” said Forest Supervisor Judy Toppins. “This project helps protect the landscape while ensuring visitors can continue to access and enjoy this area for years to come.”

The work was completed using traditional methods consistent with Wilderness stewardship, including the use of hand tools and sustainable trail design. Volunteers with the Appalachian Trail Conservancy’s Konnarock Trail Crew and the Georgia Appalachian Trail Club built the trail’s new route.

“The Byron Herbert Reece Trail reroute project is a culmination of over eight years of planning and three years of construction,” said Tom Lamb, GATC Trails Supervisor. “This new trail route will provide an enhanced wilderness experience for hikers and access to the Appalachian Trail. Dozens of Georgia Appalachian Trail Club members, from planning to route marking, to new tread construction, to specialized rock work, to the addition of 3 new maintainers for the section, have put in hundreds of hours of volunteer time to make this dream a reality. In conjunction with other A.T. partners, the GATC is eager to open this section of trail that was built to the current best practice standards for wilderness trail.”

“The Byron Herbert Reece Trail relocation project is a great example of the power of cooperation and partnership at the heart of managing the Appalachian Trail,” said Sarah Adams, ATC Regional Manager for Georgia and Nantahala. “Without the years of dedicated efforts from everyone involved, from flagging countless number of routes to the challenges of building treadway in rocky areas in a variety of weather conditions, we would not have the wonderful new trail that matches the wilderness character and core experience of one of many special gateways to the A.T. in this area.”

The Byron Herbert Reece Trail provides access to the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, one of the most visited long-distance trails in the world. The reroute helps maintain the quality of that experience while protecting the surrounding Wilderness area.

For more information about Wilderness areas and what to expect when visiting, go to: https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/wilderness