calendar_today 09 Dec, 2026 – 13 Dec, 2026
directions_run Running
language Official Website
sell $145.00 – $4485.00
...the world's only mountain staircase endurance Event above Georgia's highest waterfall. The AT starts here. So does the next version of you.
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👥 Buddies Half Off · code buddy50
💰 Save at least $50 · code reg50
🎖️ Vets, Military & 1st Responders · $70 off · code brave70
👥👥 Trail Family of 4 · save up to 25% per person · code reg50
🔥 Hard things are harder alone.
📣 Buddies Half Off
50% off when you register with a Trail Buddy. Use code buddy50 at checkout. Half the price. Twice the suffering. All the proof.
No buddy yet? Register for any Buddy Event now. Your buddy completes their info on RunSignUp later at no extra cost.
Code buddy50. All Buddy Events. Any Series.
30 states. 3 countries. Ages teens to 70s. This is who shows up.
💬 "I thru-hiked the AT in 2019. Started at Springer. Took the road walk to skip the Approach Trail because everyone said it was brutal. Been thinking about those 604 stairs ever since. Not this time. I reached out to the Cadre last week and told them I am in."
— Renee · AT Class of 2019 · Registering for Kuwohi
The Staircase keeps no score. You finish what you finish. That's enough.
Every comparison below is apples to apples. One complete climb and descent of each world landmark vs one complete IronHike Event. All stairs up. All stairs down. Round trip.
You have seen the Events.
You have seen the numbers.
The Staircase is waiting.
December 9–13, 2026 · Amicalola Falls State Park · Dawsonville, GA
Register Now. Claim Your Spot. 🎯The Staircase keeps no score. You finish what you finish. That's enough.
💬 "I finished Mohawk last October and loved it. But by February I was on the StairMaster every morning thinking about what an IronHike on a staircase would feel like. When the Georgia announcement dropped I told the Cadre the same day — I am in for Everest."
— Derek · IronHike Mohawk Athlete · Registering for Everest at Amicalola
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The Amicalola Falls State Park Lodge sits at the summit of the park, overlooking the falls and the North Georgia mountains. Stunning views. A full restaurant on-site. Walking distance from the course. For Mountain Athletes who want a bed between laps, and for family and spectators who want to watch the sunrise over the falls, there is no better base camp. Cabins also available for families and groups.
📞 Reservations: (800) 864-7275
Mention IronHike to ask about the group rate for Mountain Athletes, family, and spectators.
Visit Lodge Website |  |
💬 "I live in Nashville. New England is a flight and a half. I kept watching IronHike videos thinking some day. Then they announced Georgia and I reached out to IronHike before I even finished reading the page. December cannot come soon enough."
— Darnell · Nashville, TN · Registering for Double Kuwohi
For five days, December 9–13, 2026, we take over the AT Approach Trail staircase at Amicalola Falls State Park in Dawsonville, Georgia. The park is home to the highest waterfall in Georgia and the official approach to the Appalachian Trail. Georgia in December means cool mountain air, dramatic cascades, and the AT gateway at your feet. The staircase is waiting.
💬 "My daughter asked me why I was training on the StairMaster at 5am every morning. I told her I was going to Georgia in December to climb 41,000 stairs. She said that sounds insane. I said I know. I just got off the phone with IronHike and we are both in."
— Terri · Charlotte, NC · Registering for Denali · Trail Buddy with her daughter
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IronHike is a veteran-owned elevation-based endurance event Series now at Amicalola Falls State Park in Dawsonville, Georgia. No lifts. No shortcuts. No gondola. Earn every step up and every step down. The self-powered Everesting alternative on the AT Approach Trail, the official gateway to the 2,197-mile Appalachian Trail.
If you've done 5Ks, half marathons, or weekend hikes and keep asking what's next, this is what's next. No running required. If you can climb stairs repeatedly, you can do this.
You won't go up alone. The Tribe is already there, at 2 AM, at base camp, on the staircase. Shared suffering builds something that finish-line medals don't.
IronHike started at Mohawk Mountain Ski Area in Cornwall, CT. A real mountain. 595 feet of vertical gain per lap. A different kind of hard. Two Series run there every year. Spring and Fall. Same Tribe. Same Cadre. Different Mountain.
If the Staircase is calling you and the Mountain is too, IronHike has both.
| 🌿 Spring at Mohawk |
| 🍂 Fall at Mohawk |
Everything you need to know about the course, the venue, training, gear, and what to expect on the Staircase.
📖 Read the Mountain Athletes GuideEach team member in the Trail Buddy or Trail Family Event has no minimum or maximum laps, mileage, elevation, or time on the course. Teams manage who is on the Staircase for how long and when, according to conditions, fitness levels, and the needs of the team.
Do I need to be a runner? No. IronHike is a hiking Event. If you can climb stairs repeatedly, you can do this. Running is never required.
What if I can't finish? The Staircase keeps no score. Every lap is earned. Every Mountain Athlete sets their own ceiling. The Event ends when you decide it ends, or when the Final Bell rings.
Policy: No refunds, deferrals, or transfers between Series. Upon request, you may receive an 80% credit toward any future Event (no expiration). All sales final.
Transfers within the same Series are allowed on a case-by-case basis.
Dec 09, 2026
Distance — 180 Miles
Type — Running
23:59
$1,495.00
Dec 09, 2026
Distance — 180 Miles
Type — Running
23:59
$2,452.00
Dec 09, 2026
Distance — 180 Miles
Type — Running
23:59
$4,485.00
Dec 10, 2026
Distance — 126 Miles
Type — Running
00:00
$1,195.00
Dec 10, 2026
Distance — 74 Miles
Type — Running
12:00
$1,295.00
Dec 10, 2026
Distance — 74 Miles
Type — Running
12:00
$2,124.00
Dec 10, 2026
Distance — 74 Miles
Type — Running
12:00
$3,885.00
Dec 11, 2026
Distance — 51 Miles
Type — Running
12:00
$1,050.00
Dec 11, 2026
Distance — 51 Miles
Type — Running
12:00
$1,722.00
Dec 11, 2026
Distance — 51 Miles
Type — Running
12:00
$3,150.00
Dec 12, 2026
Distance — 36 Miles
Type — Running
12:00
$445.00
Dec 12, 2026
Distance — 33 Miles
Type — Running
12:00
$345.00
Dec 12, 2026
Distance — 33 Miles
Type — Running
12:00
$566.00
Dec 12, 2026
Distance — 33 Miles
Type — Running
12:00
$1,035.00
Dec 12, 2026
Distance — 16 Miles
Type — Running
12:00
$145.00
Dec 12, 2026
Distance — 16 Miles
Type — Running
12:00
$238.00
Dec 12, 2026
Distance — 16 Miles
Type — Running
12:00
$435.00
These values represent the 3-year monthly averages for December in Dawsonville.
Learn more about the host city, Dawsonville.
Dawsonville is a city in Georgia's Historic High Country.
Read more launchRead what other athletes have to say about their experience at the IronHike Amicalola Falls Appalachian Trail Approach Fall 2026.
Be the first to share your experience with the community!
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location_on Dawsonville, Georgia, US
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