Having gone hiking at Table Rock State Park, Shae and I left South Carolina and continued our 50 state road trip by moving on to Georgia.
Our first stop was Blairsville in North Georgia for three nights. We stayed at this property we found on Airbnb for $43 per night (bargain!) as it was close to many hiking trails.
After doing some research online, we decided to head to Chattahoochee National Forest to take the 4.3 mile round trip hike to the summit of Blood Mountain. This is the highest point on the Appalachian Trail within Georgia and supposedly had great views (they weren’t kidding.)
We arrived at the parking lot late morning. There were 24 parking spaces, but only a couple of them were taken. We visited on a Monday at the beginning of February though, so I’d imagine there’d be few – if any – available spaces on a weekend in the summer.
Before you start hiking, you’ll probably want to head down the embankment to the left of the parking lot. There’s a stream that flows beneath a stone bridge which is a beautiful welcome to the area. Truffles in particular was very keen on checking it out.
Walking up the parking lot, we headed to the start of the Byron Reece trailhead. There’s a noticeboard with all kinds of information, including a map of the area’s trails.
I’ve circled in red the route we took. The Byron Reece trailhead (blue) is a short 0.7 mile trail that connects with both the Appalachian Trail (white) and Freeman Trail (also blue). It’s very clear when you reach that point as you’ll see later; it’s the Appalachian Trail you’ll want to take as following that route for 1.45 miles leads you to Blood Mountain’s summit.
The start of the Byron Reece trailhead is graced with a stream, so Truffles stopped for a quick sip before continuing.
We were extremely fortunate with the weather the day we visited. Although it was chilly out (the top temperature in Blairsville that day was 48°, but it was cooler than that heading up Blood Mountain), the sun was out and we had clear blue skies.
The trail headed up through the trees, most of which were still missing their leaves.
The terrain gradually got steeper, but Truffles – the intrepid hiker that she is – led the way as always.
After 0.7 miles, we came to the end of the Byron Reece trailhead. Continuing straight ahead was the Freeman Trail, while the Appalachian Trail cut across to the left and right.
To continue up to Blood Mountain, you need to take the Appalachian Trail to the right and follow the white blazes marked on the trees and rocks.
I mentioned earlier that we had good weather the day we hiked to the top of Blood Mountain. Well, it cooled off the higher we went, so much so that everything was covered in frost.
The tree branches were glittering white…
…their trunks were dusted with it…
…the twigs had a layer of frost thicker than they were…
…and even pine needles were covered in it.
We apparently visited at the right time though, as we got to experience our first frostfall. I’ve no idea if frostfall is even a word, but it’s the best description of what happened.
The sun was presumably melting the frost and so it started falling off the trees. We stood there for a few minutes enjoying this, hearing nothing other than the frost raining down on us.
I don’t think Truffles fully appreciated the moment, as she was ready to continue hiking.
As we continued making our way up the trail, we started getting a glimpse of what the views might be like from the top.
If you ever hike to the summit of Blood Mountain, beware! The trail seemingly heads off to the right, crossing over a downed tree.
It doesn’t.
We followed another lady who went along that trail, only to discover that it’s not really a trail. Well, it might be, but it won’t take you where you want to go.
Instead, turn left to keep going up along this route. There was a tree with a white blaze signifying the correct route, but we’d missed it when we’d first arrived at this juncture. The tree’s white blaze was faded which, when combined with the white frost and white lichen, had helped camouflage it.
Anyway, we were back on the correct trail which started getting steeper and more rugged. There were occasional moments of relief though where the trail flattened out somewhat.
We eventually arrived at a rocky outcrop that yielded some lovely views of the area.
That’s not the end of the hike though. Continue following the white blazes along the rocky path.
That’ll lead you to another rocky outcrop with even more beautiful views of the surrounding area.
Although you’ll probably wish it was by this point, that’s still not the end of the hike. Keep following the trail along…
…although you might want to stop for a drink…
…and admire the view along the way.
Eventually you’ll spot a stone cabin which provides shelter for overnight hikers along the Appalachian Trail.
It’s an incredibly rustic shelter; although there are windows, they don’t have any panes of glass. The temperature inside was therefore the same temperature as outside.
There’s no running water or restroom either, with the only amenity being a fireplace inside.
On one of the window shelves is a plastic tub containing a book for you to sign if you want. If you visit, you’ll be able to find our entry from February 5, 2018.
Right next to the shelter is the summit of Blood Mountain. To reach the top, head up the stone “steps”…
…being careful of ice if you’re visiting in the winter.
When you reach the summit, simply sit back and enjoy the stunning views.
It was beautiful in winter, but I’d imagine it looks even nicer in the fall.
After stopping for lunch with a view, we headed back down the mountain, making good time as we went.
As we neared the end of the trail, Shae spotted a pile of dirt pouring out from a hollow tree trunk. Upon closer inspection, we realized that it was discarded acorn shells – we’d discovered the leftovers of a squirrel’s sustenance during the winter months.
It was the perfect end to a wonderful hike.
Final Thoughts
Shae and I (and Truffles!) loved hiking Blood Mountain. It was a moderate/strenuous 4.3 mile round trip hike, but the views made our efforts worthwhile.
In fact, it was one of our favorite and most memorable hiking experiences, so we’d highly recommend visiting the Blairsville (or Helen) area and going on a hike to Blood Mountain’s summit. You won’t regret it!
Leave a Reply