Tag Archives: Georgia Mountains

Arabia Mountain, DeKalb County

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Near the trailhead at Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Center

Arabia Mountain, like its neighbors, Panola Mountain and Stone Mountain, is one of several prominent monadnocks/plutons in Georgia. Monadnocks are roughly defined as isolated rock hills or small mountains rising prominently from a more gently sloping perimeter. Historically, they have all been mined for their raw material. While Stone Mountain and Panola Mountain are composed of granite, Arabia Mountain is composed of gneiss. This is the view as one begins the short hike to the summit at the Klondike Road trailhead within the Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Center. There is some confusion as to the name of the summit, as Bradley Peak (954′) and Arabia Mountain (940′) tend to be connected, and some sources note that the actual summit of Arabia Mountain is located near an old quarry, beyond Bradley Peak. Very few maps identify Bradley Peak or Bradley Mountain at all, but it’s a big debate, apparently. Since signage and Department of the Interior identify the site as Arabia Mountain, I’m deferring to those sources in this context.

Cairn marking the trail at Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Center

The parking lot is often full at the Nature Center, so it’s probably best to go on a weekday. The trail is clearly marked with these stone cairns.

Woolly Groundsel (Packera cana)

Several unusual wildflower and native plant species thrive on the mountain. While its fall-blooming yellow daisies may be one of its most iconic symbols, Arabia Mountain is also home to these spring-blooming beauties, tentatively identified as Woolly Groundsel (Packera cana).

Crossvine (Bignonia capreolata)

Crossvine (Bignonia capreolata) is one of the most colorful and spectacular bloomers at Arabia Mountain.

Small’s Stonecrop, aka Diamorpha (Sedum smallii)

Springtime brings patches of endangered red plants around the solution pits that dot the landscape of Arabia Mountain.

Historically, they have been known as Diamorpha smallii, or simply Diamorpha, but are now classified as Sedum smallii. During their very brief bloom time, they are covered with tiny white flowers.

The flowers are a great aspect of the mountain, but Arabia’s charm lies in its rocky, other-worldly topography.

Nearly every solution pit and pool, whether filled with water or not, is host to a wide variety of vegetation.

The slope itself, from the Nature Preserve access point, has a low rise and is therefore an enjoyable walk for most people.

Fringe tree (Chionanthus virginicus) near the summit

Finding this fringe tree near the summit was a surprise. It was quite windblown, as my hike with friends on Saturday was dominated by non-stop 40+mph gusts.

Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area

Morganton Highway, Fannin County

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Georgia Highway 60, also known as the Morganton Highway, winds its way through some of the most beautiful countryside in the state, passing places like Wilscot and Suches, much of it in the Chattahoochee National Forest, before it connects with US 19 and runs into Dahlonega. There are some high spots along the highway, and some beautiful valleys like this one near Morganton. I think it’s one of the most scenic drives in the state.

Blue Ridge Landscape, Dawson County

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This is a standard winter view of the Blue Ridge Mountains, made from the top of Amicalola Falls a few years ago. I’m out on a limb on the county, so to speak, since Lumpkin County is nearby and my depth perception isn’t the best. Either way, I hope you enjoy.

Taylorsville Road, Polk County

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This view was made from the bridge at the Deaton Springs Pumping Station, near the Polk-Bartow County line. It’s a beautiful drive between Aragon and Taylorsville and roughly follows Euharlee Creek. The visible 800-foot peak in the image, unnamed to my knowledge, might just be a foothill to folks in the area but it’s a mountain from my South Georgia perspective.

Yonah Mountain, White County

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Yonah Mountain [3166′], better known as Mount Yonah, is the great natural landmark of the Sautee-Nacoochee Valley. Located between Cleveland and Helen, it is seen here from its eastern slope. Yonah means bear in Cherokee. It is located within the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest.

Chattahoochee River, Helen

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At Helen, not far from its source, the Chattahoochee is one of Georgia’s most natural and beautiful rivers.

Helen to Hardman Heritage Trail

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The Helen to Hardman Heritage Trail is one of the nicest walking/hiking trails in Northeast Georgia, following the Chattahoochee River from the edge of downtown Helen to the Hardman Farm State Historic Site.

Much of the prime riverside property was donated to the Trust for Public Land in 2007 by Ted Turner and his foundations, insuring forever its protection from development. The one mile trail (2 miles round trip) is also ADA accessible.

Lush vegetation and pristine river views can be found all along the paved trail. We also found a few bear scratches, so be careful on the trail.

In Helen, access the trail from the parking lot just below the Helen Tubing & Water Park off Edelweiss Strasse.

Nacoochee Mound, White County

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This gazebo-topped mound at the edge of the Nacoochee Valley near Helen is one of the most iconic and most-photographed locations in Georgia. But much of what you know about it may not be true. For starters, it isn’t the original mound, but a reconstruction completed after an archaeological excavation. There were at least a dozen such mounds in the Nacoochee Valley at one time, but as the land was converted to agricultural use, all but this one were destroyed. Traditionally, it was believed that this was a relic of the Cherokee, and a Georgia historical marker at the site still makes this case, but research now invalidates this. The confusion can likely be attributed to the long held myth of star-crossed lovers Sautee, a Chickasaw warrior, and Nacoochee, a Cherokee chieftain’s daughter. Supposedly, they fell in love after a chance meeting and sought refuge on adjacent Mt. Yonah. When Nacoochee’s father became aware of the relationship, he ordered Sautee thrown from the mountaintop while his terrified daughter was forced to watch. She then jumped to her death and locked hands with the dying Sautee at the bottom of the mountain. The legend maintained that they were buried together in the mound.  Great story, but almost certainly a myth. Instead it is believed to have been used by a South Appalachian Mississippian tribe, between 800-1600 AD/CE.

The Victorian gazebo was placed atop the mound by James Hall Nichols after he purchased the property, probably circa 1870. By no means does a gazebo belong on a burial site of this nature, but ironically, Nichols’s interest in its proximity to the house he was building and the view it afforded likely saved it from the fate of the other mounds in the Nacoochee Valley. A 1915 excavation revealed that there were 75 burials in the mound, confirming the connection to the Mississippian culture. It’s also referred to at the Sautee-Nacoochee Mound.

Nacoochee Valley Historic District, National Register of Historic Places

Chenocetah Mountain Fire Tower, 1937, Cornelia

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This fire tower was built atop Chenocetah Mountain (1830′) by the WPA Resettlement Administration for use by rangers in the Chattahoochee National Forest. The 54′ granite tower was dedicated on 7 June 1938. Later, a plaque was added to the tower in memory of three forest workers who died in World War II: William A. Crossland, Robert C. Fuller, and Edward W. Simpson. Use of the tower was discontinued in 1975 and its fate was unsure, but the Georgia Forest Service began restaffing it during fire season in 1989. It is a favorite landmark of travelers to Habersham County.

National Register of Historic Places

CCC Fire Tower, 1935, Fort Mountain

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In 2014-2015, the iconic stone fire lookout tower constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps camp 468 (SP-6) was restored by the state as part of the interpretive plan at Fort Mountain State Park. The tower was used until the early 1960s when it was replaced by a steel tower on a nearby mountain. In 1971, the cupola burned and the tower fell into disrepair.

National Register of Historic Places