Well since I made a trip to Hog Pen and Tesnatee Gaps this
past week I thought it would be a good time to do my Top 5 Appalachian Trail
(AT) major gaps in Georgia.
There are six gaps in Georgia where the AT crosses paved highways;
these are what I refer to as the major gaps. These six are Woody Gap, Neel Gap,
Tesnatee Gap, Hog Pen Gap, Unicoi Gap and Dicks Creek Gap. The roads that cross
these gaps are either U.S. or Georgia Highways. There are other gaps that cross
roads, but these are Forest Service Roads which are gravel and can vary in condition. I will
rank these by which ones I like the best. As always this Top 5’s are
subjective. There will be links to more detailed trips to these gaps by just
clicking the gap name.
Honorable Mention: Neel Gap (3,108 ft) - This one might surprise people because it is probably the most famous.
Anyone who has any knowledge of the AT knows that this is the only place that
the trail cuts through a building. This building is a coarse Mountain Crossing at Walasi-Yi (which is the original name of the gap and means frog place in
Cherokee). The building was built in the 1930’s by the Civilian Conservation Corp and now serves as an outdoor outfitters and hostel. Trust me it is a cool
place, but Neel Gap’s greatest asset is why it is honorable mention. Because
the store has a small parking lot and let’s say you want to day hike to Blood
Mountain you can’t park at the store but must park at the Byron Reese Memorial
1/3 mile west on US 19. You could walk up the road to Neel Gap, but it is
easier just to take the Byron Reese Trail 0.7 miles to Flatrock Gap. So, a lot
of people who hike to Blood Mountain never hike into Neel Gap and must stop by car
on the way in or out. I love Neel Gap, but because of this I made it an
honorable mention. Oh, it is also home of the second George Noble Plaque.
Number 5: Unicoi Gap (2,942 ft) - I have stopped here twice and there is
no question that it has the largest parking area of any of these gaps…it is
huge! While there is never a problem about finding a parking space it does give
it an overly spacious feel. From where the trail crosses GA 75 it is a good distance
across this lot before you reach the trail as it heads north up Rocky Mountain.
I hate to say it but it is a little run down. A U.S. Forest Service Information
Marker has seen better days. However, it does have one cool item on display and
that is the third George Noble plaque (the first is at Springer Mountain). I
like Unicoi Gap, but it is number five.
Number 4: Tesnatee Gap (3,138 ft) - This one has a soft spot in my heart;
I just hiked from here Friday. It is not flashy; there is a sign for the gap,
with elevation, that can be almost hidden in summer. There is no George Noble
Plaque or AT rock here the only monument is to Richard B. Russell, whose name
is on the scenic highway (GA 348) that passes through the gap. No picnic table
or bathrooms. What it has is easy access to the AT, it is also a trailhead for
the Logan Turnpike Trail, and while not as big as Unicoi Gap it has adequate
parking. It greatest asset is it sets only a mile from one of the best views on
the Georgia AT, Cowrock Mountain.
Number 3: Dicks Creek Gap (2,675 ft) - This is the final AT road crossing in Georgia and the last of the major gaps I visited, and it is nice.
It features one of the three AT rocks, besides that it has a water source and picnic
tables. Also it has good and easy access to the AT which crosses U.S. 76. It
biggest flaw might be since it is the “last stop” this makes it popular for
people trying to catch a ride to Hiawassee to resupply, so the 12 to 14 parking spaces
can fill up quick, especially during thru-hiking season. 
Number 2: Hog Pen Gap (3,485 ft) - Situated about ½ mile above Tesnatee
Gap on GA 348, there is a lot to like about this gap. The parking area is
large, while AT Parking site says between 10-to-12, but I believe it will hold
more. Oh, there is a second parking area less than 200 yards headed down toward
Tesnatee Gap that will hold 6-to-8 cars. Like Unicoi Gap the crossing to pick the AT up from one side of the road to the other is around 100 yards, but unlike Unicoi,
the trail is clearly marked at Hog Pen. Also this gap is home to the second of the
three AT rocks and also has one of the elevation signs (which had a hornets nest on
it when I visited last week). Oh, and it is one of Pete's favorite places on the AT.
Number 1: Woody Gap (3,173 ft) - What can I say, I love Woody Gap. It is
large with parking on both sides of the road for about 40 vehicles. While all
these gaps have information boards Woody Gap has three. One on each side of GA
60 where the trail passes and a third on the north (on the right if headed up
from Dahlonega) side that has information about the AT. Right over from the AT
Information display is the third AT rock. Like Dicks Creek Gap, Woody also has
picnic tables but it has something that none of the other gaps have and that is
a vault toilet. For me as gaps go there are none any better than Woody.
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