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January 5, 2021

Latham Cemetery-Pear Orchard Loop

Distance
5.2 mi
Climbing
551 ft
Difficulty
Easy
Type
Loop
GPS track availableView on AllTrails →

A good day to hike with mostly clear skies, light winds and temperatures in the 40's. This is an easy hike with no really steep hills to climb. The trails were in generally good condition, but wet in places from the rains 3 days prior. Some of those wet stretches were also rutted out and muddy from frequent horse traffic. There are numerous trail signs at trail intersections since there are four trails crisscrossing in this area. However, the color-coding on the signs are not carried onto blazing along the trails which could lead to inadvertently going the wrong direction. There are two shallow stream crossings which were not a problem today, but could be shortly after heavy rains. A nice hike for a family or those not wanting anything too strenuous. There are 2-4 more water falls in this area which may be of interest to hikers and can be found by accessing the online Georgia Waterfall's Map.

The route

5.2 mi · 551 ft climbing · 3h 3m out, 2h 45m walking · 1.9 mph moving

Elevation

Hover over the profile to see the elevation and steepness. Your position will be shown on the map.

1,284 ft913 ft0.0 mi1.3 mi2.6 mi3.9 mi5.2 mi
  • Steepness
  • Gentle under 5%
  • Moderate 5–10%
  • Steep 10–15%
  • Very steep over 15%

9 photos are shown on the map where they were taken — click one to see it full size.

Photos (14)

  • Oldest Latham Cemetery Marker -WIley T. Jones - Dies Oct 4, 1891
  • Latham Cemetery looking southward
  • Looking upstream atop Mary Steele Falls
  • Look downstream atop Mary Steele Falls
  • View of Rest Stop Falls
  • Stream Crossing of Big Leather Wood Creek
  • Today's hikers above Mary Steele Falls: Vic, Renée, Mike, Jenny & Ray
  • NFS Information posting on Latham Cemetery
  • Lathan Road/Trail enroute to Latham Cemetery
  • Trail conditions on the west side of the Pear Orchard Loop showing frequent horse traffic
  • Information on Mary Steele Falls
  • Just about the only color found on the trail today
  • View of Currahee Mountain from the east side of Latham Cemetery Loop
  • Typical trail signs