Third Edition The Hiking Trails of North Georgia Tim Homan Updated trail information gathered in collaboration with (Beth Giddens, Editor) Because conditions are constantly changing, Peachtree Publishers can assume no liability for accidents or injuries incurred on the trails described in this book. Published by PEACHTREE PUBLISHERS, LTD. 1700 Chattahoochee Avenue Atlanta, Georgia 30318-2112 Third Edition Text © 1981, 1986, 1987, 1997, 2001 by Tim Homan Cover photo © 1992, 1997 Craig M. Tanner All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other—except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher. Manufactured in the United States of America Book and cover design by Loraine M. Balcsik Cover photo by Craig M. Tanner Composition by Darren Schillace Maps by Doug Ponte 10 9 8 7 6 Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Homan, Tim. The hiking trails of north Georgia / Tim Homan. —3rd ed. p. cm. ISBN 1-56145-127-4 1. Hiking—Georgia—Guidebooks. 2. Trails—Georgia—Guidebooks. 3. Georgia—Guidebooks. I. Title. GV199.42.G46H65 1997 917.58—DC20 95-52151 CIP Cover photograph: Autumn ferns along the Tennessee Rock Trail at Black Rock Mountain State Park. Table of Contents Preface to the Third Edition . xi Scope of the Book . .xii Definition of a Trail . .xii The Information Column . xiii The Hiking Trails Rabun Bald . .1 Holcomb Creek Trail . 1 Rabun Bald Trail . .3 Chattooga River Area Map . .5 Chattooga River . .7 Three Forks Trail . .7 Warwoman Dell Nature Trail . .9 Chattooga River Trail . .11 Sutton Hole Trail . .14 Raven Rock Trail . .15 Camp Creek Trail . .17 Black Rock Mountain . .19 Ada-Hi Falls Nature Trail . .19 Tennessee Rock Trail . .21 James E. Edmonds Backcountry Trail . .23 Tallulah Basin . .25 Northern Tallulah Basin Area Map . .25 Southern Tallulah Basin Area Map . .26 Coleman River Trail . .27 Non-Game Wildlife Trail . .29 Hemlock Falls Trail . .30 Rabun Beach Trail . .31 Fall Branch Trail . .33 North Rim Trail . .35 South Rim Trail . .36 Gorge Floor Trail . .37 Terrora Trail . .38 Panther Creek Trail . .39 Lake Russell Wildlife Management Area . .42 Broad River Trail . .42 Lake Russell Trail . .44 Sourwood Trail . .46 Tray Mountain . .48 High Shoals Trail . .48 Tray Mountain Area Map . .49 Rocky Mountain Trail . .52 Andrews Cove Trail . .54 Anna Ruby Falls National Recreational Trail . .56 Smith Creek Trail . .58 Unicoi Lake Trail . .60 Bottoms Loop Trail . .62 Brasstown Bald . .64 Arkaquah Trail . .64 Brasstown Bald Area Map . .65 Jacks Knob Trail . .69 Summit Trail . .71 Wagon Train Trail . .73 Upper Chattahoochee Basin . .76 Horse Trough Falls Trail . .76 Raven Cliffs . .77 Laurel Ridge Interpretive Trail . .78 Raven Cliffs Area Map . .79 Dukes Creek Falls Trail . .82 Raven Cliffs Trail . .84 Logan Turnpike Trail . .86 Blood Mountain . .91 Blood Mountain Area Map . .91 Byron Reece Nature Trail . .92 Bear Hair Gap Trail . .94 Coosa Backcountry Trail . .96 Sosebee Cove Trail . .99 Jarrard Gap Trail . .102 Slaughter Creek Trail . .104 Helton Creek Falls Trail . .106 Byron Herbert Reece Trail . .107 Freeman Trail . .109 DeSoto Falls Trail . .110 Lakeshore Trail . .112 Dockery Lake Trail . .113 Duncan Ridge . .115 Eyes on Wildlife Trail . .115 Yellow Mountain Trail . .117 Mill Shoals Trail . .119 Old-Growth Forest Trail . .121 Springer Mountain . .123 Trail to Base of Falls . .123 West Ridge Trail . .125 Dawson Forest Wildlife Management Area . ..