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Amicalola Falls/Fort Mountain Hikes
As you sit on the hillside, or lie prone under the trees of the forest, or sprawl wet-legged by a mountain stream, the great door, that does not look like a door, opens"-Stephen Graham
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| Amicalola Falls Loop |
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This hike utilizes a number of trails to make an approximately 4.25 mile loop, visiting most popular attractions and facilities of the park. This hike features forest, creek, long stairclimbs, high waterfall with two observation perspectives, lodge, and visitors center. The hike starts at the West Ridge Spring trailhead (directions below). Follow West Ridge Spring Trail to its intersection with Upper West Ridge Trail and take a left. Follow this trail until reaching the base of the falls parking area and reflection pool. Then follow the paved Base of Falls Trail uphill, up stairs, to the lower observation bridge. This is around the one mile mark. Continue accross the bridge, turn right, and proceed up more stairs to the upper observation bridge. Cross this bridge, accend a shorter concrete set of stairs, cross the upper falls parking area, and follow the trail to the lodge. At about the 1.5 mile mark, the hiker arrives at the park lodge. One could visit the lodge concessions to get a meal, cold drink, or souvenir. After a visit to the lodge, taking time to enjoy the view, follow the same trail back towards the upper falls parking area, turning left onto the East Ridge Spring Trail. This trail follows gravel road at first, but does turn right (well marked) off the road into forest, heading down towards the Visitors Center. This trail is also the Appalachian Approach Trail (see AT approach to Springer Mountain in AT/BMT trail descriptions). Heading downwards, towards the south, this is the last steps many thru-hikers take as they finish a journey begun over 2,000 miles north in Maine. Just before arriving at the Visitors Center, a short spur trail leads to the right to the southmost AT trail shelter. At about the 3 mile mark, the hiker arrives at the Visitors Center, entering through the back door. Take a some time to look at the various exhibits and live snakes, then head out the front door, cross the street to the Creek Trail. This trail immediately crosses the creek, follows the creek for a short distance, then leaves the creekside to its intersection with Lower West Ridge Trail. Turn left onto Lower West Ridge Trail, climbing to intersect Upper West Ridge Trail turning to the right, to meet back up with West Ridge Spring Trail from the beginning of the hike. This is at about mile 4. Return to the parking lot on West Ridge Spring Trail. To reach the trailhead, go to Amicalola Falls State Park on Hwy 52, 20 miles east of Hwy 515. Once in the park, turn left onto a park road opposite the Visitors Center. Follow this road uphill, the trailhead and parking is on the right. |
| AT Approach Trail |
| See AT Approach to Springer Mtn trail description in AT/BMT hikes section. |
| Gahuti Backcountry Trail |
| This hike is a moderate 8.2 mile loop around the peaks of Fort Mountain State Park. The hike makes a nice short, beginners backpack trip, or a long, moderate day hike. For the backpacker there are four campsites around the loop. Sites 2 and 3 are the best sites due to their size and location nearest the halfway point of the hike. Backpackers and overnight campers must stop at the Visitors Center to register for campsites. The trailhead is located at the parking for Cool Springs Overlook, by the big trail sign. Cool Springs Overlook itself is a great view of the Cohutta area. The Gahuti trail passes by this overlook at the end of the hike, but it is OK to take a stroll there first. Back to the hike, follow the orange blazed trail to the right of the trailhead, clockwise. Campsite 1 is encountered at mile 1.4. This is a small site with a bit of old tin refuse in it, with a creek a short distance downtrail. Continue the hike, on the east side of the ridge, to the trail's crossing of the park road, near the park entrance, at mile 2.6. At this point the hike is one third completed. The hike arrives at Campsite 2 at mile 3.2. This is a nicer and larger site than the first. The hike continues, with views west, of Chatsworth. The dome atop the courthouse, with its squared green, can easily be indentified. Campsite 3, a nice, large site, comes up at mile 5. The hike then continues to an intersection with Big Rock Nature Trail at mile 5.5. The trail is shared as it follows Gold Mine Creek for a short distance, and continues with more views westward. After the last view the trail crosses a stream and arrives at Campsite 4 at mile 7.3. This sign for this campsite can be hard to spot when approached from this direction; It faces the opposite direction of travel. At this point, the Gahutti Trail turns to the left, the campsite trail turns right, crosses the stream, and reaches the sites shortly. These sites are smaller but nice. The hike continues to cross the main park road at mile 7.9. The trail continues, intersects the red blazed connector trail to the Old Fort Loop Trail, passes the Cool Springs Overlook, and ends back at the trailhead parking lot. To reach Fort Mountain State Park from Ellijay travel Hwy 52 west about 20 miles to the park's entrance on the right. At the park, the Visitors Center is to the right near the entrance, and the parking lot for the trailhead at Cool Springs Overlook, is near the end of the main park road on the right. |
| Old Fort Loop Trail |
| This short hike in Fort Mountain State Park, of one mile, more with side trips, is worth the visit for the old stone wall and the views. This hike connects with, and can be worked into, the Gahutti Backcountry hike. From the trailhead, follow the yellow blazed trail to the right, counterclockwise. The hike first passes through forest and boulderfield to the red blazed connector trail to Cool Springs Overlook and the Gahuti Trail. The yellow blazed loop continues below the mountain's peak, east and north, with obscured views of the Cohutta area. The hike then climbs towards the mountain's tower. After a visit to the old tower, follow the red blazed trail, back accross the loop trail, to a nice western view above Chatsworth. The domed courthouse, on its squared green can easily be indentified from here. Returning from this overlook, take a right turn onto another red blazed trail to join back up with the yellow blazed loop trail. The hike then leads shortly to the blue blazed wall trail on the left. This trail follows the old wall halfway to a couple of plaques explaining theories regarding the wall. The blue blazed trail then continues allong the wall to its end at a trail sign with a double blaze. Backtracking to the yellow blazed loop trail, turn left to decend back to the trailhead parking lot. To reach Fort Mountain State Park from Ellijay travel Hwy 52 west about 20 miles to the park's entrance on the right. At the park, the Visitors Center is to the right near the entrance, and the parking lot for the trailhead, is at the end of the main park road. The trailhead is on the right. |
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Group Hikes & Local Trails Gear Rental Photo Gallery Contact Us Visitor Information 583 Highland Crossing, Suite 230, East Ellijay, Georgia 30540 706-698-HIKE (4453) info@hikenorthgeorgia.com |
