HIGHLIGHTS:
The Chattahoochee National Forest is one of two National
Forests in the State of Georgia, and it takes its name from the
Chattahoochee River whose headwaters begin in the North Georgia mountains. The
River and the area were given the name by the English settlers who
heard it from the Indians that
once lived here.
The Chattahoochee National Forest was
created
when the Forest Service purchased 31,000 acres in Fannin, Gilmer, Lumpkin
and Union Counties from the Gennett family in 1911 for $7.00 per acre.
In the beginning, the Chattahoochee was part of
the Nantahala and Cherokee National Forests in North Carolina and Tennessee,
but eventually the Forest Service made additional land purchases and expanded
the Chattahoochee to its current size of nearly 750,000 acres.
The Blood Mountain Wilderness area received its designation in 1991,
and it is a sub-section of the Chattahoochee National Forest. The
wilderness area is bordered to the northwest by
Georgia Highway 60 and the Blue
Ridge mountain range, and to the northeast
by Georgia Highway 19/129 and Neels Gap. Major trails in this area include
the Appalachian Trail, Freeman Trail, the
Dockery Lake/Miller Gap Trail, the Coosa Backcountry Trail, the Duncan Ridge
Trail, The Bare Hair Trail, and the Slaughter Creek Trail.
Blood Mountain is
the highest point on the Appalachian Trail in the state of Georgia, and it is a
popular destination for both overnight and day hikers since there are
magnificent views from a rock outcropping at the summit. Blood Mountain and
nearby Slaughter Gap were once the site of a major battle between the Cherokee
and the Creek Indians. The summit is also known for an old stone shelter built
by the Civilian Conservation Core during the 1930’s. It is listed in the
National Register of Historic Places and is still used by hikers as a
backcountry shelter (although no water is available at the summit). It's a steep climb
to the summit of Blood Mountain at 4,461 feet but the views from a rock
outcropping near the shelter are spectacular.
We started our
hike to Blood Mountain
from the Reece Memorial Parking Area off GA 19/129 near Neels Gap. It's
a steep climb to the summit at 4,461 feet but the views from a rock outcropping
near the shelter are spectacular. Blood Mountain is the highest point on
the Appalachian Trail in Georgia, and it is the second highest peak in the State
(after Brasstown Bald.) As a result, the area is heavily used and no
campfires are permitted near the summit. There are a number of side trails
in this area, however, and a variety of hikes and campsites are available that
use blue blazed side trails instead of the Appalachian Trail (where most of the
foot traffic is focused).
