Tales From The Wood Booger: The Wood Booger Top 5: AT Vistas

Recently I have visited a number of the wonderful vistas on the Appalachian Trail (AT) in Georgia, so I thought why not a Top 5 list on what my favorites are. So with that said here are my Top 5 AT Vistas in Georgia.

There are some really great vistas all along the AT here in the Peach State. I have visited some of these a number of times in different season and others just once. In this list I will combine some of the vistas if they are all part of the same mountain, like the four on Big Cedar Mountain. Another thing that will be different is I will have a couple of photos under each entry to show the vistas. One day I will do a Top 5 on the best mountain vistas in Georgia.

Honorable Mention: Springer Mountain. This west facing vista while a good one, let’s be honest it is not in the same league as some of the others on this list. The most prominent peaks visible are Fort Mountain and Grassy Mountain. What makes this vista special is that it is the starting line for heading north on a thru-hike or for the finish line for those coming south. Here one will find two plaques, one notes this is the Southern Terminus of the AT. The second is the more famous George Noble Plaque. It and the first (or last) white blaze make up part of the outcrop of the west facing vista. It is for these reasons that make Springer such and iconic and special place and gets it an Honorable Mention.

Springer Mountain Vista.

The Southern Terminus Plaque.

The more famous George Noble Plaque & the 1st White Blaze.

George Noble Plaque, White Blaze & Vista.

Number 5: Vistas of Big Cedar Mountain. This is a personal favorite of Deb’s and I love it too. Heck I was just up there last week. On Big Cedar Mountain there are four outcrops that afford a gorgeous east facing view. The most famous of these vistas is Preaching Rock (others call it Preacher’s Rock). It is a very large rock face which is just a mile from Woody Gap. From it one can see Cowrock Mountain, Tray Mountain and Yonah Mountain just to name a few. Because of the large area, somewhat short (and not the most difficult hike) and beautiful view it is extremely popular spot. When I came back to it Tuesday there were eight people here. There is another outcrop on the mountain. It lies about ½ miles further north on the AT where a blue blazed trail leads to this fabulous view. While the rock face is not quite as big, it features a great east vista and best of all there is hardly ever anyone else there. I have been here on four occasions and have only met one other person. There is a fire ring so it is also a nice camping spot. While these two are the main event, on the way up Big Cedar Mountain there are two more small outcrops. The first one a little over half way up the mountain is the better of the two. To get the best view one has to climb up the rock. The second is a better winter view. Both will wet your appetite for the main two up top.

Vista from the 1st Outcrop...

...2nd...

...Preaching Rock...

...Big Cedar Vista.

Number 4: Wolf Laurel Top. I didn’t get to find out how great a vista this is until my second trip back in March. When I hiked out to Wolf Laurel Top in June of 2013 it was banked in by clouds, which means I could see anything. So, when I decided to finish a section of the AT (which I document here) the hike took me over Wolf Laurel. First I discovered that I missed a whole lot on my first visit. This west-south view is incredible. The second thing I discovered is that the vista is made up of three spots. The first is on the way up and is a north facing vista with the most prominent mountain being Georgia’s highest Brasstown Bald. The other two are on top and the first has a southeast view which includes a good look at its neighbor, Cowrock Mountain. The final vista is on the summit and is the south-west panorama which offers views of a number of mountains including Springer Mountain. There is also plenty of room to camp which a lot of hikers do. Its location 2.3 miles from the closest highway means it is only popular with hikers, which Pete likes.

Brasstown Bald from the 1st outcrop...

...2nd...

...& summit.

Number 3: Tray Mountain. This was one of the last major Georgia AT vistas I visited. I had read a lot of good press about Tray Mountain and let me say it lived up to expectations. Like Big Cedar Mountain one will find an outcrop on the way up that affords a northeast vista with a great view of Rabun Bald. Once one gets to the top one will find a wonderful view in three directions. The first is the south panorama that features a fine look at Yonah Mountain and in the distance Sawnee Mountain. Then there is a northwest view and with it the easiest mountain in Georgia to find Brasstown Bald. Finally there the best might be the north view which looks all the way into North Carolina and the Smoky Mountains. One thing you will notice at the summit is it is small. The day I was there three other people were at the summit and I will tell you that it felt a little crowded. It is a pointy rock face, which some has described as like a razorback. Another odd feature on the summit is there are three US Geological Markers. While I said there were people at Tray Mountain, it is not the easiest summit to get to. I hiked five miles one way to the summit from Andrews Cove Campground. It is even farther from Unicoi Gap. One can drive to Indian Grave Gap for a five-mile out-and-back hike. From Tray Gap it is a one-mile climb of about 1,000 feet up to the summit. The only thing about the driving up is it’s on Forest Service Roads that has a creek ford. From what I have read it is pretty rough, particularly for Indian Grave Gap to Tray Gap.

Outcrop on the way up Tray Mountain.

The south vista, including Yonah Mountain...

...Brasstown Bald northwest...

...looking north.

Number 2: Cowrock Mountain. I just have to say, I love Cowrock. This mountain is on the same ridge-line as Wolf Laurel Top, so the first time I went here was that June hike a year-and-half ago. Unlike Wolf Laurel Top, I did get to enjoy its view because on my way back on that hike the clouds started to part when I reached it (when I first passed this way it was fogged in like Wolf Laurel Top) and it was love at first site. As great as the view was I only got to see part of it. Like Wolf Laurel Top it is made up of three sections. The first is the large rock outcrop of Cowrock proper. This east-to-south panorama is amazing, it features Tray, Wildcat and Yonah Mountains. There is plenty of room just to set and rest and enjoy a snack or whatever. However, on my visit in March I found that if you walk right past a big rock there is a west facing spot with a great winter view of Levelland, Blood and Slaughter Mountains. The third spot, which I also discovered in March, is over the summit of Cowrock Mountain and has its own name, Green Cliff Top. I lumped it in with the Cowrock vistas because it is less than a half-mile and is technically on Cowrock Mountain. Anyway, this is a southwest vista that includes views of Mount Oglethorpe, Sawnee Mountain and on really clear days Atlanta. While a popular spot for hikers, it is not as crowded as it could be. I have been there before and was alone the whole time. What makes this surprising is that this spot is just one-mile from Tesnatee Gap. The hike is a little tougher than the one up Big Cedar Mountain, but Tesnatee Gap is not as popular as Woody Gap, so this remains a somewhat hidden jewel. As much as I love Cowrock it is number two.

The Main Cowrock Mountain panorama...

...off to the right & the view of Levelland, Blood & Slaughter Mountains.

Green Cliff Top on Cowrock vista...

...& Sawnee Mountain and Atlanta.

Number 1: Blood Mountain. Were you expecting somewhere else? There is a reason Blood Mountain is the most popular spot on the Georgia AT, it has its greatest view. Since it is the highest point on the AT in Georgia this is to be expected. There are no less than eight different outcrops that make up the Blood Mountain vista. The first is on the way up and serves as a warm-up because if you are hiking up southbound, like I did the first time; you will need one. The next vista is the first on the summit area proper. Whether you’re going up or down this outcrop might be the best. It has a southeast-to-west panorama. Yonah, Black and Big Cedar Mountains are just to name a few of the peaks that are visible. Oh, and on the day I went up there last October I could easily spot Sawnee Mountain and even Atlanta, 73 miles, in the distance. This outcrop is very large; the next one is also good size and its main view is southwest. Number four is one, on the other side of the summit, and features an east vista that includes number two on this list Cowrock. The fifth is down (or up) from this one and also has a east view that includes Tray Mountain. The sixth is on a path to a small out crop near the summit. The finally two are at the famous Blood Mountain Shelter area. I talked about it here, and it was built by the CCC in 1930's. If you are coming up for the northbound AT the seventh would be to your left and is a northeast view. While this spot is good year around it is best with less leaf cover. The main attraction here is a great look at Brasstown Bald. For the final vista one has to climb up some rocks to what is known as Picnic Rock. From here is a panorama looking southwest. Big Cedar and Black Mountains are two of many visible peaks here. This is the most popular spot on Blood Mountain and there is always someone there. While this mountain is popular, unlike Big Cedar Mountain, it is not the easiest to reach. If coming from Neel Gap one must park at the Byron Reese Memorial and hike up the trail of the same name to Flatrock Gap where you connect with the AT for a hard, steep climb up this rocky mountain. This path is a little over two miles one-way. The second way takes one around the mountain. At Flatrock Gap just go straight on the Freeman Trail for a 1.8 mile trip around Blood Mountain. At Bird Gap one heads north on the AT for another 1.2 miles which makes this a six-mile loop hike. The third way up is from Lake Winfield Scott where one can take the Jarrard Gap or Slaughter Creek Trails up to the AT and then on to the summit. However one does this hike it is 8+ miles. With that said a trip up to Blood Mountain (which I have done three times and all three ways I described) is well worth the trip. I will say Blood Mountain is my favorite place in Georgia and that is why it is number one!