Claim Your Spot on the Staircase. Register for Fall 2026. 🎯
The beauty of the Georgia mountains in early December. The AT gateway at your feet. The Mountain Staircase is waiting.
💦 Amicalola Falls State Park · Dawsonville, GA · December 9–13, 2026
💬 "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
🔥 Hard things are harder alone.👤Solo · Go it alone, surrounded by a Tribe. Your pace. Your staircase. Your proof.
👥Buddy · 50% off with code buddy50. Bring someone. Half the price. Twice the suffering. All the proof.
👥👥Family · A FlexRelay team of four. Self-managed pacing. No minimum laps per person. Discount built in.
💡No buddy yet? Register for any Buddy Event now. Your buddy completes their info on RunSignUp later at no extra cost.
7 Events. One staircase. 604 up. 604 down. Repeat until the Final Bell.Trek solo, with a Trail Buddy, or as a Trail Family. Self-managed pacing. No minimum laps per person.
💦 Fall 2026 · Dec 9–13, 2026 · Amicalola Falls State Park, Dawsonville GA
Capacity is limited by the Staircase. When it's full, it's full.
Discount codes.
🎯reg50 $50 off any Solo or Trail Family registration
🎖️brave70 $70 off any Solo or Trail Family registration. Veterans, active military, and first responders.
👥buddy50 50% off Trail Buddy registration. Bring someone. 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.
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KuwohiThe entry point. Your first staircase endurance Event. If you can climb stairs repeatedly, you have the base fitness to start. The rest is mental. That's what the Staircase is for.📅 IronHikers Away: Sat, Dec 12 @ Noon | Final Bell: Sat, Dec 12 @ MidnightBadass Rating💪💪☆☆☆👤 Solo · $95/day · code reg50 💰
👥 Buddies half-off · $59/day each · code buddy50 💰
👥👥 Family · $96/day each · built in 🎁 -
Double KuwohiA full day and night on the Staircase. Night trekking by headlamp. 24 hours to find out what you are actually made of.📅 IronHikers Away: Sat, Dec 12 @ Noon | Final Bell: Sun, Dec 13 @ NoonBadass Rating💪💪½☆☆👤 Solo · $147/day · code reg50 💰
👥 Buddies half-off · $70/day each · code buddy50 💰
👥👥 Family · $123/day each · built in 🎁 -
Answer the Bell Ultra - BasicOne lap per hour, every hour, on the hour. The staircase backyard ultra. Answer the Bell until you can't.📅 IronHikers Away: Sat, Dec 12 @ Noon | Final Bell: Sun, Dec 13 @ NoonBadass Rating💪💪💪☆☆👤 Solo · $197/day · code reg50 💰
💡 Solo only. No FlexRelay team format. -
DenaliTwo days, two nights, no shortcuts. The Staircase does not rest. Neither do you.📅 IronHikers Away: Fri, Dec 11 @ Noon | Final Bell: Sun, Dec 13 @ NoonBadass Rating💪💪💪½☆👤 Solo · $333/day · code reg50 💰
👥 Buddies half-off · $143/day each · code buddy50 💰
👥👥 Family · $258/day each · built in 🎁 -
EverestThe authentic self-powered Everesting alternative on a staircase. Three days and nights. Every stair earned on the way up and the way down.📅 IronHikers Away: Thu, Dec 10 @ Noon | Final Bell: Sun, Dec 13 @ NoonBadass Rating💪💪💪💪☆👤 Solo · $311/day · code reg50 💰
👥 Buddies half-off · $132/day each · code buddy50 💰
👥👥 Family · $239/day each · built in 🎁 -
Answer the Bell Ultra - Full84 hours. One lap per hour, every hour. Through darkness, fatigue, and doubt. Answer the Bell until you just can't anymore.📅 IronHikers Away: Thu, Dec 10 @ Midnight | Final Bell: Sun, Dec 13 @ NoonBadass Rating💪💪💪💪💪👤 Solo · $229/day · code reg50 💰
💡 Solo only. No FlexRelay team format. -
Olympus Mons UltraThe Hardest Ultra on Earth. Or Mars. Only 3 finishers ever. None on this course yet.📅 IronHikers Away: Wed, Dec 9 @ Midnight | Final Bell: Sun, Dec 13 @ NoonBadass Rating💪💪💪💪💪½👤 Solo · $289/day · code reg50 💰
👥 Buddies half-off · $122/day each · code buddy50 💰
👥👥 Family · $221/day each · built in 🎁
💬 "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
30 states. 3 countries. Ages teens to 70s. This is who shows up.
Not ready to register yet? Read the Mountain Athlete Guide or browse the FAQ first.
🏃 Not a Race🏁 No podium. No records. No age group awards.🪞 Your only competition: yesterday's version of you.🔁 Summit, descend, repeat. Self-manage your rest, pace, fuel, and hydration. Solo, with a Trail Buddy, or as a Trail Family. Your pace. Your staircase. Your proof.🚑 Your Safety on the Staircase⛑️ Our Cadre carries military medical training. On-site. Every hour of the Event.👣 The Cadre treks every Event alongside you. You are never alone on that Staircase.🔁 Self-managed pace. No minimum laps. Rest when you need to. The Staircase keeps no score.🌙 Night trekking Events require a headlamp. Mandatory gear lists provided at registration.
Fall 2026 · When & Where📍 Amicalola Falls State Park418 Amicalola Falls State Park Road, Dawsonville, GA 30534🗓️ December 9–13, 2026Five days on the AT Approach Trail Staircase🚗 Drive TimesAtlanta 1 hr 15 min · Chattanooga 1 hr 30 min · Nashville 3 hr 15 min · Charlotte 3 hr 30 min✈️ Nearest AirportsHartsfield-Jackson (ATL) 1 hr 15 min · Chattanooga (CHA) 1 hr 30 min🛏️ Stay at the LodgeAmicalola Falls Lodge · Steps from the Staircase · (800) 864-7275 · Mention IronHike⛺ Tenting On-SiteFree for Mountain Athletes. Pitch your tent steps from the course.
💬 "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
Venue / Course Details · Amicalola Falls State Park 💦📍 Amicalola Falls State Park418 Amicalola Falls State Park Road, Dawsonville, GA 30534. Georgia's highest waterfall. The official gateway to the AT.📐 Lap Distance & Stats1.5 miles per lap. 604 stairs up. 604 stairs down. 604' of vertical gain per lap. Every stair earned both ways.⛰️ Venue ElevationsHQ Bell Summit: 2,550 ft · Viewing Bridge: 2,150 ft · Base of Falls: 2,050 ft · Reflection Pool: 1,946 ft🌙 Night TrekkingHeadlamp required for all Events 24 hours and longer. The Staircase does not pause for dark.🏕️ Base CampReflection Pool base camp with hydration, snacks, and Tribe camaraderie. Your anchor between laps.
What's Included in Your Fall 2026 Registration ✅- ⛺Free tenting for Mountain Athletes, steps from the Staircase. Lodge and cabin options also available for Mountain Athletes, family, and spectators.
- 🔥Base camp support station at the Reflection Pool. Hydration, snacks, and Tribe camaraderie.
- 🏅Personalized Event bibs, summit tokens, finisher's medals, and hats.
- 📋Custom training plans designed by Chaski Endurance Collective.
- ✅Exclusive AT Approach Trail staircase access. The official gateway to the Appalachian Trail.
- 📞Mountain Athlete Tribe community calls for pre-Event preparation and post-Event connection.
- 🅿️Free parking for Mountain Athletes at Amicalola Falls State Park.
- 🤝A new Tribe. Bragging rights. Proof.
The Staircase keeps no score. You finish what you finish. That's enough.
🛏️ Stay at the Lodge. Steps from the Staircase.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
💬 "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
🔆 About IronHikeVeteran-owned. Founded on the Appalachian Trail. 30 states and 3 countries and counting.
We take over the AT Approach Trail staircase for five days and you own it. Summit, descend, repeat. Solo or with your Tribe in our FlexRelay format. 12 to 84 hours. 6,644' to 72,480' of self-powered vertical gain. 604 stairs at a time.
The Cadre treks every Event alongside you. No gondola. No shortcuts. No podium. Just proof.
You show up, you belong. This is the Tribe.
▲ ▲ ▲Georgia mountain weather in December is part of the Event. Pack for it. Plan for it. Earn it anyway.
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