Mapping the Sheltowee

Traildust · Posted: Thu Oct 16, 2014 12:27 pm Post subject: New Southern Terminus of Trace

On October 1st of this year, the STA and the National Park Service completed the final link in the south of the John Muir Trail / Sheltowee Trace Trail to add 14 miles to the Trace in the south. The new southern terminus is now Burnt Mill Bridge trail head. The route south of Leatherwood is just more spectacular trail to hike in the Big South Fork. It is primitive camping, some water available. The new route is blazed, most places with JMT and ST blazes side by side so you should not have any difficult finding your way. If you need help, assistance, please let me know.

Thanks to National Park Service and our STA members for their commitment to Closing the Gap and funding this project.

This will be the end point for a couple years at least as we now work with the NPS to find a way to get over to the Cumberland Trail / Great Eastern Trail to make the final connection.

Boyd · Posted: Thu Oct 16, 2014 8:11 pm Post subject:

Awesome. This is a huge connection for both the ST and JMT. Much kudos to the STA, its volunteers, and the NPS for Closing the Gap!!!

This is the kind of linkage the trail needs. I was out there a few weeks ago and trail cut is fresh and could use some foot pounding. Sounds like a hiker challenge.

We've recently compiled the entire trail into a new online map here: http://www.sheltoweetrace.com/hike/ and it works on mobile devices, if you have signal. How often does that happen in the woods?