A small mountain stream in The Cut, a private nature preserve and campground, flowing over moss-covered rocks in a lush, green forest with dense foliage overhead.

Private Creekside Camp & Nature Preserve

Earned On Foot

A.T. MILE 73.9 · ONE MILE HIKE IN · BIG JOHN CREEK · HIAWASSEE, GA · SMALL BY DESIGN · OPENING SPRING 2027

Hike in from the Appalachian Trail to a limited-capacity creekside campground and private nature preserve with secluded sites, wellness options, food, resupply, and space to disappear for a while.

Opening Spring 2027. Waitlist now open.

Join the Waitlist

Not Every Place Should Be Easy to Reach

A dense forest scene with tall trees, green leaves, and a small rocky creek running through the forest floor.

Near mile 74 of the Appalachian Trail, an old mountain cut drops from Plumorchard Gap down to Hightower Valley.

Long before marked trails and modern maps, this trail along Big John Creek carried Cherokees and gold miners through a quieter part of the mountains.

It was never built for crowds. And crowds never claimed it.

The Cut preserves that legacy: a natural creekside camp, private by design, reached on foot.

Choose your hike. Make the cut.

Whether you’re thru-hiking or just coming in for the weekend, The Cut gives you a comfortable place to land.

Close-up of a person crossing a stream on rocky terrain, wearing hiking boots and camouflage shorts, with water flowing around their feet.

1) Pick your Route

Start anywhere along the A.T. or take a shorter route that gets you to from trailhead to camp in under two hours. Explore ways in.

A woman giving a massage to a man lying face down on a massage table outdoors in a wooded area.

4) Restore

A well-appointed bathhouse, outdoor showers, and open-air tubs bring warm water to the edge of the woods. Soak, book a massage, or simply relax for a while before heading back to the trail.

Bring your own gear or arrive at a site already outfitted with everything you need. See what we offer.

Person relaxing in a hammock with a book and a water bottle in a green outdoor setting.

2) Choose Your Camp

Once you reach camp, you shouldn’t have to leave. Access our Supply Depot for simple breakfasts, lunches, dinners, snacks, fruit, coffee, and frozen treats throughout your stay, or ship a resupply package ahead, and we’ll have it waiting when you arrive.

A campfire with burning logs and flames, set outdoors in a forest. Nearby, there is a round wooden table holding slices of cheese, a container of olives, and sliced meats. A person wearing beige pants is sitting beside the table, with part of their leg visible.

3) Eat Well, Resupply

“The Cut is a hidden gem in the mountains, like stepping back to a simpler time. It revives something in me that only the natural world can.”
— Jesse Dorphinghaus, Early Access Preview Guest

Built from what belongs Here

The Cut is shaped by the land, not imposed on it.

Paths follow the terrain. Trees stay where they can. Rock, timber, and native growth become part of the camp instead of being cleared away.

The result is a place that feels like it belongs here: simple, comfortable, weathered, and still close to the wild.

Bring the gear. Or don’t.

The Cut offers outfitted wild camping: Bring your own gear, or let us prepare the full creekside stay.

Outline of a backpack with a front pocket on a black background.

Hike in with your own gear. We’ll provide the perfect spot to land.
A premium creekside or platform site for hikers and campers with their own tent and setup. Includes bathhouse access and the option to add food, resupply, firewood, and other camp basics.

Bring your own camp

A fully prepared creekside stay with tent, food, fire, bedding, and even string lights included.
The easiest, most complete way to stay at The Cut. All you have to do is hike in. Add on a massage or a creekside soak in one of our cast iron tubs for the ultimate camping experience.

A line drawing of a camping tent with a small campfire to the right and three stars above it.

Outfitted Campsites

Two hikers walking on rocky trail through lush green forest with mountain view in background and pink flowers in foreground.
Inside a camping tent, two people are lying with their feet visible, looking out at a small campfire and two chairs in a forest with a stream running through it.
Join the Waitlist

Waitlist members get first access when opening dates are released, along with opening-season savings and limited Cut gear.

Not Everyone Should Make The cut

A person wearing hiking boots sitting on a moss-covered rock by a small creek in a dense forest.
A person wearing hiking boots sitting on a moss-covered rock by a small creek in a dense forest.

Some places let you visit the outdoors without leaving life behind.

A crowded campground. A car a few steps away. Nature within reach, but never far from the noise.

The Cut asks more than most places do. The hike in creates a clean break from everyday life, gives you space to fully settle in, and makes arriving feel earned.

“The adventure is part of what makes it special. Finding The Cut becomes part of your story.”
— Julynn Durkee, Early Access Preview Guest

Will You Make The Cut?

The Cut stays small on purpose, with just enough sites to preserve the quiet and solitude that make this place worth the hike.

Join the waitlist for early booking access, opening-season savings, and a chance to get limited Cut gear when reservations open.

Join the Waitlist