AT Day Hikes: Blood Mountain

What makes a great AT Day Hike? Easy access, good trail, great vistas and that little bit of special, well in Georgia there is one place on the AT that fits the bill. This place is quite possible the best and it may be single greatest place in Georgia, Blood Mountain.

Blood Mountain.

 A course I am not the only person who thinks this, it is the single most popular hiking spot on the AT in the Peach State. There are a number of reasons for that; the most obvious is it is the highest point on the AT in Georgia at 4,461 feet. It’s history, by most accounts the mountain got its name from a battle fought between the Cherokees and the Creeks. Legend has it that the mountain ran red with blood. A course Blood  also has some of the best 360 degree vistas in the southeast, these are some of the many reasons for its popularity, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

The historical marker at Neel Gap.

The first thing I mention is easy access being a key to a great day hike and Blood Mountain has that. However, there is something that needs to be remembered when day hiking here. You can’t park at the Mountain Crossing at Walasi-Yi Center. For those who don’t know the northbound AT as it comes off of Blood Mountain crosses US 19 at Neel Gap (the official name for the gap, the old name is Walasi-Yi, which means frog place in Cherokee). One of the unique things here is that the AT literally cuts through the outfitters store and hostel, Mountain Crossing.

Mountain Crossing.

The first building on the site dates for the turn of the 20^th Century built by a logging company. After that it was used as tea room and lodging house. In the 1930’s the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) built the main stone building that became the Walasi-Yi Inn. Besides an inn it has been a restaurant and gift shop. Today the outdoor outfitters, gift shop and hostel is owned by the State of Georgia and leased to concessionaires.

George Noble Plaque.

What makes it so unique is this is the only place where the AT cuts through a building in its 2,200 mile journey. It makes a good start to any day hike (or finish). There is a nice vista on the right side deck and a number of historical markers, including the second George Noble plaque (the first is at Springer Mountain and the third is at Unicoi Gap) and a great place to pick up a souvenir or two.

Day Hikers beware!

With that said, day hikers cannot park here. If you do your car will be towed and that makes for a bad day hike.

However, ample parking is available 0.3 miles west on US 19 at the Byron Reese Memorial, I will say it is a nice parking area. After you pass the information kiosk, one of the signs you will notice is for the Blood Mountain Wilderness Area. For those who don’t know a wilderness area is a land where human activities are restricted to scientific study and non-mechanized recreation (like hiking). 

Parking at Byron Reese Memorial.

To reach the AT from here one must hike up the Byron Reese Approach Trail. When I first hiked from here in April there was a creek crossing (and a place to get water) near the start of the trail, however in October this stream had all but dried up, so the water here is seasonal.  This blue blazed trail (all AT approach trails are blue blazed) travels seven-tenths of a mile to Flatrock Gap. The trail itself has some elevation and a few switchbacks, but it is not too challenging, my wife Deb handled it with no problems

It is at Flatrock Gap that one has a choice. The first is the direct path up the AT to Blood Mountain. This route has a 1,800 foot elevation gain . The second choice one can take is via the Freeman Trail to Bird Gap and then take the AT north to the Blood Mountain summit. When I first hiked the mountain back in April it was with Deb. Because of mileage, it is about three miles round trip and the Freeman/AT loop is 4.4 miles, we decided to go up the AT to Blood. Now I took the Freeman Trail route back in October, so I can make a judgment on which way is best.

Entering Blood Mtn. Wilderness.

Let’s start with the trail up the AT to Blood’s summit.  If you have ever hiked in the North Georgia

Deb headed up stone stairs.

Mountains the one thing you can count on is rocks, and Blood Mountain has plenty of them. One of the AT’s famous features on Blood Mountain are it’s the stone steps. I will give the Georgia Appalachian Trail Club (GATC) credit these do help the climb, because it is somewhat steep. However, it is not a straight climb, because there are switchbacks a lot of switchbacks. These help on the accent and equally on the decent.

Another place I would like to give the GATC some love is blazing a spot on

Newly blazed.

the trail that was confusing to say the least; it is about half-mile up from Flatrock Gap (about a mile from the summit on the way down). The trail comes to an area, which can best be described as a rock field. At this spot there are two trails, one is the AT and the other dead ends at a cliff face. Now if I was the only person to get turned around at this spot I would just chalk it down to bad map skills and stupide. But, I met at least three other groups on this day, in April, that also was confused at the spot. When I got home I emailed the GATC that this area needed to be blazed better and guess what…when I went through that spot in October there was some fresh new blazes that helped to stay on the AT. I am not saying my email got them into action, but it got done…thanks again GATC!

After the first tough climb the AT flattens out a bit were it passes a nice view and you will also notice three boulders before the trail heads up Blood’s famous steep rocky slopes. You have to imagine if you were a SOBO (south bound thru-hiker) that this would not be a welcomed site since it is one of the last true obstacles between someone and the finish-line at Springer.

Deb doesn't look happy.

Yonah Mountain.

I know it was that way for Deb; going up the rock face almost got the best of her. I probable didn’t help matters by telling her at each steep rock slope “we are almost there.” I was told by one hiker that we met in April that the difficulty is magnified in bad weather. He said one he was up there once in an ice storm it is was almost impassible. One of the best vistas on Blood Mountain is just below the summit.  One can see Yonah & Buzzard Mountains from here, it is one nice view. This spot coming or going is a nice place to just sit and enjoy and is a nice reward for the hike up.

Before I talk about the summit I mentioned there is a second way to the top of Blood Mountain. Back at Flatrock gap instead of going right and following the white blaze one goes straight on the blue

The trailhead for the Freeman.

blaze of the Freeman Trail. It is a 1.8 mile path that winds around Blood Mountain. You will find rocks, that is a given, but the trail can be described as easy.

At Bird Gap one goes right on the AT, if you go left a couple a hundred yards you will find a side trail that goes half-mile to Woods Hole Shelter. I would be remiss in not commenting on one of the nice (or not so nice) features of Neel Gap and Blood Mountain…wind. On the day in October I went hiking was the first really cold day of the fall. Actually it might not have been half bad if not for the cold breeze. It was whipping when I got to Neel Gap, but it wasn’t too bad on the south

AT at Bird Gap.

side of the mountain, but when I got to Bird Gap oh my it was howling. In reality that was the toughest part of the hike going north on the AT. A rocky trail here is to be expected, and it had elevation, but most of the trail was switchbacks, but nothing like going up the south trail.

There is also a trail intersection a little over a mile from Bird Gap at Slaughter Gap. The gap gets its name from nearby Slaughter Mountain and both from the same battle that gave Blood its moniker. It can be slightly confusing, depending on what book or map you depend on. First the book Exploring the Appalachian Trail: Hikes in the Southern

Sign for Slaughter Gap Trail.

Appalachians has three trails converging at the same spot. Author Doris Grove says the Lake Winfield Scott Trail, Duncan Ridge Trail and the trail that leads to a set of campsites split from the AT here. While the Georgia-North Carolina AT Guide says the trail to Lake Winfield Scott Recreation Area is the Slaughter Creek Trail but does say that the trail to the campsites is a tenth-of-a-mile down the trail, but no mention of the Duncan Ridge Trail. While the AT map, that comes with the guide, doesn't show the Slaughter Creek Trail
junction, but does have the one for the Duncan Ridge Trail, but the

campsite is some ways south of it. Finally the National Geographic map has two separate trail splits, but no junction for the campsites...so which is right.

Duncan Ridge Trail junction.

Which way too go?

I really like Doris Grove’s book but the trails don’t junction together and the actual trail sign on the AT says Slaughter Creek Trail, not Lake Winfield Scott Trail. The Georgia-North Carolina AT Guide gets it wrong and so does its map. The closest to getting it right is the National Geographic map, because it gets the main trails right, but doesn’t show the campsites. So what is it, the first trail junction you come to is the Slaughter Creek Trail which goes 2.7 miles to Lake Winfield Scott. Then just up the trail is the junction to the Duncan Ridge Trail (it is a 35 mile trail that

Camping ahead.

connects with the Coosa Backcountry Trail) and also here is the trail to the campsites. One thing that might be confusing is on the other side of the Duncan Ridge Trail sign is one for Slaughter Creek
Trail, which points right (AT south) and up. This could be one of the sources for the confusion this area seems to have. For thru-hikers or any other campers this spot has sites for eight tents. There is water at Slaughter Creek, but there is a campfire ban from the Slaughter Creek Trail sign to Neel Gap.

Southwest vista.

Now meanwhile back on the AT, it is at this point that one will encounter the only steep part on this section of the trail as you scale the summit. However, the wind was still the roughest part of the climb. Even though it is longer (about 1.5 miles) my advice is to take the extra time and go to the summit of Blood Mountain via the Freeman.

This brings us to why one hikes to Blood Mountain, the amazing summit. Unlike, some summits where there might be a small vista, at Blood you’re taken back by how large the area is. There are a number of spots to taken in incredible view. On the day I was there in October all sides was awe inspiring but in one of the open spots one could see Sawnee Mountain and just over the top of it the man-made peaks of Atlanta were

Sawnee Mtn. & Atlanta.

visible, 70 miles, in the distance.

However, the heart of the summit is the old shelter. When one comes up the northbound AT you will pass the privy and then you see the iconic shelter and that is when you know you have made it. The old shelter is one of the most iconic on the entire AT. The two-room stone building was constructed by the CCC (I sometimes wonder if anything would have ever have been built without the CCC) in 1934. It would be refurbished by the GATC in 1981 and National Register of Historic Places . It has two rooms the front one has a stone floor and the second has one of cement. It is a welcomed respite for hikers to spend the night or to get out of a thunderstorm. But, be warned you may have to share the space because the shelter is rumored to have a healthy mice population.

Blood Mtn. Shelter.

again in 2012. In January of 2013 it was listed on the

Since we are on the subject of shelter, there are a number of places to camp on the summit. Now remember there is no water source and there is that pesky campfire band, but if you look around one will see plenty of fire rings including one outside of the Blood Mountain Shelter. However, there is a reason for the campfire ban you could say that the mountain is a victim of its own beauty. As I said earlier, this is the most visited spot on the AT in Georgia and   So, the U.S. ForestService (USFS) put in the ban to allow overused areas a chance to return to its natural state. Remember when on the summit the Leave No Trace policy is the best policy and honor the no campfire ban.   

Campfire at Blood Mtn.

actually it is the most visited place on the trail south of Clingmans Dome.

Anyway, while the shelter is one of the cool things you will find near the summit, the view is the real star at the shelter area. To the west one can look and see Vogel State Park and further out in the distance one get a clear view of Georgia’s highest peak, Brasstown Bald. The observation deck can clearly be seen and one can even make out the flat area of the parking lot.

Brasstown Bald Observation Deck.

While the west side vista is just over from the shelter (which can be seen from Vogel Knob at the nearby state park), one has to climb to get to the south facing view. There are a number of spots to climb up, but once you are there it was more than worth the effort.  The mountains any thru-hiker must traverse are visible to the southwest including Big Cedar Mountain. It is

Brasstown Bald.

just one of many places on Blood Mountain that one can sit and soak in the view. From here you are about level with the roof of the shelter. I guess I should add that it is a sloping cliff face, so if it was wet or icy it could be dangerous (that is one of the reasons Deb didn’t want to climb up there).

The actually summit is just north of the shelter in a clearing surround by pines & white oaks. While there is not much of a view, which I would say is by the tree cover is nonexistent in summer but if you are into geo-markers the one for Blood Mountain can be found here.  I will admit I do like finding these.

U.S. Geological Marker.

Blood Mtn. Summit.

The hike down, while tricky in spots is not as tough as coming up the same way. This is one place were NOBO (northbound AT hikers) have an advantage. I know when going down in October I ran into a group and three in the party where struggling up the southbound part of the AT. I would say when I met them they were a quarter-mile from Flatrock Gap and they ask me “does it get easier” and I could lie to them I had to tell them no. I know one thing Deb definitely like the hike back down better than going up.

There are places easier to get to the top of, like Brasstown Bald or remote like Springer Mountain, but for my money Blood Mountain is nearest to my heart, yes I love Blood Mountain. So, if you haven’t been I say go for it. The mountain is a little rugged, but more than worth the effort. Also, if you want different view of Blood head to Vogel State Park and check out the shot of the mountain from across Lake Trahlyta, it is nice.

Blood Mountain. from Vogel.