December 13, 2020…read more Approximately 8 miles north of Elijah, GA on highway 76 shortly before entering the town of Cherry Log, you'll turn right onto Rock Creek Connector which takes you to a regular looking two lane road called Rock Creek Rd. Almost immediately upon making the right hand turn on Rock Creek road is the sign "Rich Mountain Wildlife Management Area" and my cell reception (meteo PCS) dropped again. Following Rock Creek Road eventually turns into a crushed gravel road with a stream running next to it and past several farms including a small horse farm. This was my third time to this area in the past month, and thankfully my final time. My goal was to summit Tickanately Bald, a peak that was nearly 4000 ft tall and nestled 0.7 miles south of Rich Mountain. This time I went up FS295 to the end and hiked the rest of the way. The 4000 ft challenge led by the Appalachian Trail Club has less than 10 members who have ever climbed all 32 peaks. And there is a good reason why. You might think...hey, these peaks aren't Mt Everest. What's the big deal? You wouldn't be wrong, however, plan accordingly, if you want to attempt it. Be warned: this activity is not without risk. Climbing walls of vegetation only to encounter brambles that want to cut you, is definitely not everyone's cup of tea. In many cases, there is no good footing. Especially after a rain. Stream crossings or hopping is a skill and balancing yourself across rocks to ford a small spring also is an art form, especially if your heart is pounding out of your chest from climbing 1000 ft. And finally, it's very easy to get yourself turned around. If your phone dies, runs out of battery, or you simply smash it while slipping on a patch of leaves covering a slick rock, well you are SOL, especially without cell phone service to call for help. And better have a back up plan. Don't go out there without a secondary GPS device. Pack water, pack a snack. Put something on your windshield in writing notifying people you are out for a walk and expect to be back. Give someone a clue where you are going too. Weather can change quickly, and the terrain difficult to navigate. While these mountains aren't huge, they are still fairly remote compared to the usual urban park you may have encountered. Plan ahead an be safe! Suffice it to say, I had fantastic weather. (Winter is the best season to get out and conquer your Georgia 4K peaks! And Limited Vegetation). I brought my phone and my GPS watch and a bottle of water and although the distance to the peak was 2.5 miles I gave myself 6-7 miles and plenty of daylight to climb this peak by leaving at noon. FS295 is approximately 4 miles from the beginning of Rock Creek Road and begins steadily up for 2 miles right at the Hunter Checkin Station. It's fairly navigable and I managed it in my Prius at 4-6 mph! There are a couple of nice choice camping spots along the way. At the top, I parked and ran 1.2 miles down to Little Rock Creek. From there I picked a line and started hiking up, and pretty much kept this up for 1300 ft or 1.5 miles till I reached the top of Rich Mt where there is an old chimney from an old house that once was. There is no benchmark (the geodesic marker often installed by the US Forest Service to denote the high point) to be found anywhere on Rich Mountain, unfortunately. There is an old unmaintained trail to the West (facing south) which leads you directly to Tickanately. Unfortunately, I went down the wrong side of Rich Mountain and had to adjust. Translation...climb back up to the top of Tickanately, then stumbled upon the path which I took back to Rich, before descending the same 1300 ft I had climbed----this time it was weeeeehaww and nimbly bounding down hill till I got back to Little Rock Creek. The total elevation gain was 2400 ft in 2.5 hours and my glutes got worked big time. The feeling of accomplishment was overwhelming. Seven 4K peaks done and 25 to go!

Super fun! Easy walk! Kid and pet friendly! We walked our 2 dogs and had no issues! The bridge…read moreobviously swings so be careful holding your phone on the bridge taking photos! Great place to skip rocks!

On our recent trip to Blue Ridge, we decided to check out the Toccoa River Swinging Bridge. I am…read moreglad we did as it was quite scenic. We pulled in not knowing what to expect. You take a turn off the main highway and you have a few mile drive up the dirt road to get to the actual bridge. I did do this in a front wheel drive car, but a 4 wheel drive truck would be recommended if the conditions were wet or less than ideal. The road is pretty skinny at points and there is definitely not room for two vehicles even though this is not a one way, so one must drive cautiously. Once there, there isn't really any designated parking. You just park wherever you can. The bridge is quite scenic. It looks more stable than it actually is. It sways quite a bit when people are crossing and it isn't quite wide enough for two people to pass without hugging one side, but the view and hikes surrounding the river make it worth it. We spent a few hours here enjoying nature and then headed back. Awesome spot worth checking out.

I occasionally afford myself the luxury of visiting places without really knowing what to expect…read more This park just wasn't that clear to me in its purpose, but it became more so after arrival, with a visitor center focused on Native American history and identifying this as a Cherokee Nation headquarters. A spread of recreated buildings outside offers opportunities for perusal. The most aesthetically distinctive site is a large spring of the sort that seem more common in Kentucky than Tennessee, which evinces a robust blue color and empties into a clear stream. The spring itself is off-limits, but the stream is open for wading. All of these sites are within sight of the initial entrance, but a trek uphill reveals picnic areas, an amphitheater, and a couple of mile trail through the woods. Between the different elements of the park, it was easy to spend a couple of hours there, and best of all, it's free, though the gift shop warrants examination.

Extremely nice! Not a bad price either You can bring your own food which is nice. A great way to…read morehave a family day

Cool 90' waterfall near the TN end of Cherohala Skyway. After a 2 year long closure, BRF just…read moreopened 3 weeks ago (May 30,2025). It had a great setting with strong cascades after much rain in the Cherokee National Forest. Since August, 2023 much of the roads, parking and the original 1933 Bridge were updated and new observation decks from the Bridge make it enjoyable even for the mobility challenged. The base of the falls and swimming holes can be accessed. I dipped my toes in and the water was warmer than expected on a hot humid (80s) day. There are 2 access roads along the Cherohala Skyway and are easy to miss. River Road is easier and seems to show up on GPS. Turkey run is NOT marked, newly paved but had a big fallen tree blocking much of the road. Parking is limited, about 15 parking spots and a steady stream of cars waiting on a weekDay afternoon. It's worth a stop but be prepared for the crowds and limited parking. No restrooms nor anything else. Leave No Trace!

Definitely put this on your list of places to see! It's a fairly short but scenic drive from…read moreTellico Plains, albeit on a very narrow road for two way traffic. Once you get there, you can park right beside the falls and see it from the bridge or hike down the rocks to the bottom and get even closer. There's also a nice short 1/8 mile hike to get to the top which offers an excellent view as well.

Government needs to refresh this for the new generation. I've visited for 30 plus yearsread more

Found in the Chattahoochee National Forest is the Cohutta Overlook. We paid this hidden in plain…read moresite overlook a visit while driving into the city of Ellijay from Fort Mountain State Park. Being a shade under 5 miles from Fort Mountain along GA-2/GA-52, i'm hesitant to say you can't miss this area because you can. Only a sign and a road going into a wooded area are all that alerts you. I'd advise you to turn on in. This lone road has parking spots along it, and loops around back out to GA-2/GA-52. Very close to the entrance of this road is a very small dirt trail, marked by a small wooden sign listed as "overlook", that goes up. Yea it can be sketchy looking, but if you head on up the trail, you'll be met with a stone circular clearing that gives you a nice view. On a clear day, it's beautiful, and while I wasn't here at night, I can only imagine that stargazing here at night must be out of this world. The actual trail is barely a quarter of a mile and is more a nature walk than any sort of a hike. There are a few wooden/stone stairs, but practically anyone can make it to the top. Very little foot traffic here, as my girlfriend and I had the place to ourselves for several minutes, which was nice. There is no physical address, but there are coordinates entered (34.785218, -84.626853). Nice little find that you probably weren't looking for. Hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

The views from the top of Bell Mountain are spectacular! The drive up the mountain is not for the…read moreweak either. My husband and I took some great photos, but at the very top deck I could barely stand still due to all of the gnats flying around!! (Nov 1)

Definitely worth checking out! It's a great view, and it's super convenient that you can drive to…read moreit. We had a rental minivan that made it alright (although we stopped in the parking lot right before the really big danger sign and hiked the last little bit). If you had an SUV you could be completely confident driving all the way. The roadway seemed to be well maintained and the signage was clear!

We were in Blue Ridge visiting an exhibit at the Blue Ridge Arts Association and stopped by The…read moreLilly Pad right after. It was our kiddos' first time fishing and they had a great time. It's catch and release we only caught one, but it was still a fun experience and a great memory for the kids. Staff was great, especially Nikki. I love that you pay once and can come back all day!

A little smaller than it appeared online. Our kids enjoyed the gem mining but the medium bucket…read moreonly took 2 kids about 15-20 minutes. A great set up and a good amount of gems but just not much dirt.

We had an amazing time!…read more Thank you to Ben and Blaze for making this a memorable adventure.

What a beautiful place! The unofficial start to the Appalachian trail! Super cool. The visitor…read morecenter is large with a cafe, live animals on display, and history of the trail along with a board full of buttons to listen to various animal calls. There are restrooms right next to the visitor center. There are two playgrounds on the other side of the visitor center with loads of picnic tables to sit at! Parks are in full shade. The official archway for the trail is directly behind the visitor center so be sure to catch your picture there! The big stocked pond was nice! Loads of dead fish floating and garbage which wasn't the best but not overwhelmingly horrible just could use some clean up. The trail leading up to the base of the falls is steep but well paved and maintained with a couple of seating areas along the way to catch your breath. We somewhat cheated and skipped the steps after we saw the base we turned around, drove up the street across from the visitor center and stopped midway up the falls to see another view half way up the falls on a bridge (check in the woods when you walk to this bridge there is a truck stuck in the woods and a tree is literally growing around it!) then we got back in the car and drove to the top! We may have skipped the stairs but we felt we truly got to enjoy the experience with the 3 little ones 5 and under haha. The top most viewing platform, not the bridge over top, was closed for construction when we went mid April. The lodge at the stop is strikingly beautiful!

Perfect spot to sit in cool water and even sit at the waterfall. When you arrive take the trail to…read moreyour left do not go over the river to the right. You will walk maybe 0.5 of a mile if that and you will find Sea Creek Falls. I do not have an exact address and the creek is pretty off grid making it hard to find. But if you just google Sea Creek Falls you will be able to find it. This place is perfect for little kids and families as well as couples wanting to enjoy the nature. I recommend water shoes for the water/falls area and bug spray for the walking portion of the trail. This is a hidden gem and well worth the stop.

Beautiful area to walk and enjoy the scenery. We came with my grandma, who cannot walk long…read moredistances. She has a wheelchair and I was happy to see the paths around us were all paved, so we were able to push her along them easily. We didn't venture onto any paths with elevation; the main path we chose followed the river and there were lots of areas to walk down to get a close up view or even wade if inclined. The path was shady also which was nice. I loved seeing the waterfall by the river right by the parking lot. This was a great time and I'd definitely return to explore some more paths or take a longer trek.

This was by far one of the best hikes we've done in the area. A quick drive from Mineral Bluff and…read moreunlike many of the hikes we've done in this area the drive up to the parking area was easy and able to be accessed in any vehicle. The hike was a bit challenging in some areas but truly worth every step!