The hike begins on the Cave Creek Trail and quickly connects to the Pinhoti Trail, which is marked with sky-blue rectangles. Follow the Pinhoti for about a quarter mile until you see a sign on a tree directing you to another connector trail on your left. This connector leads you directly to the park gates.

From the gates, I took the Cheaha Express Trail, marked with yellow rectangles. This is a multi-use trail for both hiking and biking, and I saw several bike tire tracks in the dirt— so be mindful of your surroundings.

Watch for the fork where the Deer Run Trail (marked with purple) continues straight. I stayed on the Cheaha Express Trail.

As you near the summit, take another connector on your left — a dirt and gravel road that leads up to the towers. Following this road will bring you to the very top of the mountain.

Along the way, I encountered several deer, one tick, and a lot of mosquitoes.

At the summit, there’s an observation tower you can climb, as well as a nearby radio tower. The survey mark is located just to the left of the observation tower.

For the descent, I considered taking the Big Foot Trail or the road. I opted for the road to shorten my trip.

I began my hike at Unicoi Gap, heading southbound on the Appalachian Trail. Unicoi Gap has a fairly large parking lot, though it can get crowded on weekends.

The trail to Blue Mountain is just under 1.5 miles, with a steep and rocky ascent gaining about 1,100 feet in elevation. Use extra caution after rain, as the rocks can be wet and slippery.

The summit of Blue Mountain is unremarkable, and the trail continues along the ridge with some moderate ups and downs. About 0.7 miles past the summit, you'll reach the Blue Mountain Shelter, which has nearby privy and a water source.

From there, it's another 0.3 miles to Henson Gap, where I began the ascent to Spaniards Knob South. The climb involves about 0.4 miles of bushwhacking and roughly 400 feet of elevation gain, with some boulder scrambling near the top.

In the last 200 feet, you'll encounter dense briars. I highly recommend wearing pants—this section is brutal. It would also make more sense to attempt this climb during colder months. On the return trip, I discovered it's better to avoid following the ridge directly; staying slightly to the right provides a clearer path with fewer briars.

The summit of Spaniards Knob South is completely unremarkable, covered in briars with no views or markers. I wouldn't recommend climbing it unless you have a strong reason—like completing the GATC 4000 Challenge, as I did.