Janie

Apr 20, 2023

March 25, 2023 thru-hike experience

"I did this 22-mile trail as a thru-hike. I parked at Franklin State Forest and had a friend drive me to Douglas State Forest, then I hiked the entire trail to my car. There are sections of this trail that are clear, wide, and well-maintained. Five stars to those bits. Then there are parts that are unsigned, narrow, muddy, and intertwine with local unsigned trails. The map I downloaded from the SNETT site did not help during those sections. I relied on my Gaia app. Note that the date I hiked, there is a road crossing by a highway where the trail is not clear . If I had not used my Gaia app, I would not have known where to pick up the trail after that highway. Also, when I hiked, part of the trail through Blackstone was closed. There were no detour signs or any way to know exactly where to find the rest of the trail unless you happened to have the Gaia app. (I am not sponsored by Gaia! I just use the app when maps don’t help). I debated whether to give this trail three or four stars. Some sections are five stars, others are two. I settled on four for the trail as a whole."