North Georgia’s BRASSTOWN BALD
Rising above the Southern Appalachians in North Georgia, Brasstown Bald, at 4,784 feet, is the highest point in Georgia. It is the tallest in a spine of mountains known as Wolfpen Ridge. On a clear day, from the summit, it is possible to see the skyscrapers of Atlanta, an unobstructed 360 degree view of four states, and all the surrounding mountains. Rabun Bald, Georgia’s second highest peak is northeast. Blood Mountain is to the southwest and the Cohutta Mountains are due west. Nearly thirteen thousand acres were designated by Congress as the Brasstown Wilderness, located within the Chattahoochee National Forest. Brasstown Bald is composed chiefly of soapstone, dunite and olivine.
The Cherokee Indians settled in the area around Brasstown Bald. They called the mountain Enota. Two Cherokee legends were passed down to explain how the mountain got its name. One Cherokee legend tells of a great flood that swept over the land many, many moons ago. Everyone that inhabited the land died except for a few Cherokee families that sought refuge in a giant canoe. As the water rose higher and higher, the canoe ran aground on Brasstown Bald. Having no wild game to hunt and no place to plant vegetation, the Great Spirit killed all the trees on top of the mountain so the survivors could plant their crops. The other legend describes a horrible, sharp-clawed winged beast that would swoop down, steal the Cherokee children and eat them. The Cherokees cleared the forests to capture the monster and prayed to their Great Spirit. It killed the beast, restored the children and has kept the mountaintop clear of trees ever since. White settlers began to invade the area after the Gold Rush of 1828. Within a few years, the Cherokee were forcibly removed by the US Army and marched west to Oklahoma on the infamous “Trail of Tears.”
Brasstown Bald resides in a unique wilderness environment. Below the peak on the northeast slope is a northern hardwood “cloud forest,” the only one in Georgia. This environmentally sensitive ecosystem features old-man’s beard lichen covering huge old birch trees. The area is usually dripping wet from cloud condensation. Mosses flourish and you will also find amazing displays of wildflowers. In early spring, silverbell, buttercups, cinquefoil, bluets, violets, pussytoes and trillium bloom abundantly along the trail. A field of boulders is nearby, but be careful if you climb on them. The rocks are extremely slippery. Rhododendron and mountain laurel thrive in the cold, thin soil. Trees are a mix of hardwoods and pines. As the elevation increases, the trees get smaller. There are twisted gnarly branches of red and white oak which create an unusual dwarf forest. All in all, Brasstown Bald is an interesting horticultural sight. The most popular time to visit is the third week of October when all those hardwoods create a magnificent canvas of reds, oranges and golds. But, it is glorious in the spring and summer as well, with wildflowers and lush greens.
There are two ways to get to the summit where the Visitors Center and the tower are located. There is a shuttle from the parking lot which charges a fee, or there is a 500 foot hiking trail. The trail is paved, but very steep and difficult for most out-of-shape hikers. However you get to the top, you will be rewarded with wondrous 
panoramic views. Be sure to bring a lightweight jacket because it is much cooler at the higher elevation. The Visitors Center has a great museum with presentations on forestry and the natural and cultural history of the North Georgia Mountains. That may sound a bit boring, but it’s not. The Mountaintop Theater features continuous video programs. Wait until you meet two Animatrons—one representing a female forest ranger, the other, the venerable Arthur Woody. Woody is a well-known local conservationist from the early 1900’s. He grew up in the sleepy town of Suches, listening to stories told by his father who described the surrounding area before the lumber companies stripped the land bare. Woody dreamed of his beloved mountains covered with dense forests and wildlife roaming free. He also dreamed of a tower located on the highest peak from which he could view it all. During the Great Depression, the opportunity arose to have his tower built. The Civilian Conservation Corps was formed to provide work and wages to unemployed men. They moved into North Georgia and Arthur Woody presented the CCC with a rough sketch of his tower. The men used and improved an old logging road up to the peak of Brasstown Bald, built a camp and used local materials to construct the viewing station/tower. The project was completed during the summer of 1935. The current stone structure, which was built in 1965, sits near the location of the original tower. Besides the tower on Brasstown Bald, Arthur Woody is known for his conservation plans to stock streams with trout and to rebuild the deer population that was almost non-existent at the turn of the century. Today, at the Brasstown Bald museum, you can meet a very lifelike Arthur Woody as he hosts an exhibit entitled “Man and the Mountain.”
In the parking area at the base there are 15 picnic tables, snack food concessions, access to four hiking trails (ranging from ½ to 6 miles in length), and a log cabin bookstore/gift shop. Each one is fascinating. The Wagon Train Trail passes through the cloud forest and has astounding views. The Track Rock Archeological Site Trail leads you to ancient carvings that have resisted translation. The mysterious inscriptions were there before the Cherokee arrived. Jack’s Knob Trail joins the Appalachian Trail in Chattahoochee Gap near the source of the Chattahoochee River. The Arkaquah Trail is perhaps the most strenuous, descending 2,500 feet, and should only be attempted by experienced hikers. All the trails will gift you with the majestic beauty of the mountains—the happy wildflowers in the spring and summer and the amazingly colorful display of leaves in the fall.
Brasstown Bald is quite popular with astro-photographers and astronomers. Because it is the tallest mountain in Georgia and pitch black at the summit, the heavens are remarkably visible. In March, 1997, amateur photographer John Latesta climbed the mountain at 2:00AM and took this photograph of the comet Hale-Bopp.
Brasstown Bald is open daily from Memorial Day through October and on weekends in early spring and late fall (depending on the weather.) To get there from Blue Ridge, take Hwy 515 east to Blairsville. From Blairsville, take US 19/129 south for 8 miles. Turn left (east) onto GA180. Go 9 miles to GA 180 Spur and turn left (north). Go 3 miles to the Brasstown Bald parking lot.