The 8.8-mile blue-blazed trail from Amicalola Falls State Park up to the AT terminus on Springer Mountain. It is not officially part of the Appalachian Trail, but most thru-hikers walk it as a deliberate warm-up — and as a reminder that they have signed up for several months of exactly this kind of walking.
The trail climbs about 2,000 feet net but with substantial up-and-down. The opening section ascends the 600-step staircase beside Amicalola Falls itself, which is famously demoralising for hikers carrying full thru-hike packs. The middle section runs through hardwood forest with several small camps; the final stretch eases onto the summit ridge. Allow seven to ten hours one way for most hikers.