Any GA people here? Need some recomendations.

Tankerwolf

Tankerwolf

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Jun 1, 2009
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Not sure if this is the best place for this but seemed fitting.

Can anybody recommend some good primitive camping/hikes in GA? Some what near Atlanta (2-3 hours). I really enjoy getting out and practicing bushcrafty(read playing with sharp things and starting fires) type stuff but hate that all the places I know are full of people. Pine mountain, Chattahoochee bend, and Amicololla(?) falls are all way too crowded. Fun hikes but crowded. I'm thinking more along the lines of if I see some one it's a surprise.

Still a bunch of places I haven't tried yet but just figured I would ask if anybody had a recommendation to try first. Thanks in advance.
 
Might be a bit out of your range but the Mountain Bridge Wilderness in upper South Carolina can be pretty desolate. A little closer might be the Cohutta Wilderness. Most remote wilderness areas frown on fire building. The national fire danger ratings are pretty high this time of year.
 
Just looked in to that one. Looks pretty good thank you guys. Can't wait to try it out.
 
I would look for books on trails in GA. I have the waterfalls books for TN and AL and they are useful in finding new places to explore. Cohutta would be my recommendation off the top of my head.
 
Go to Raven Cliff Falls and drive that Forest Service that goes past the parking lot and keep going if you don't have a car that is too low to the ground. A couple creek crossings, a switchback to tight to make the turn you have to go past and turn around to keep going up the mountain and then 45 minutes later you will be at one of the more remote places you can drive in the north Georgia mountains. The road is that long one-way.
 
Definitely look at the Chattahoochee NF/ Cohutta area. Lot's of options for good trails, off trail hikes and quiet camping spots. I'm in NW Georgia and we have some decent spots, but nothing like what that area has to offer.
 
Hemlock Falls trail near Moccasin Creek State Park up in Rabun Co. at the top of Lake Burton. Went there as a little kid with my Grandparent, hiked it in my youth, and proposed to my wife on it.

I hate to give away one of my favorite places, but sadly I've been going less & less over the years. Once you get past the initial 2 miles you will hardly see anyone. Most times the only hikers you will see are staying at the RV park and won't get past the 1st waterfall. Getting to the 2nd waterfall is a bit tricky, but some will make the effort. Past that, heading up to the AT, hardly anyone goes. Be advised though, the trail is not well marked & the maps for it suck. It took 3 trips back in the early '90s for me & a friend to figure out where it connected to the AT. Quite a few stream crossings so expect to get wet.

And FYI, the Lake Burton Fish Hatchery is right next to the RV park. Twice a year they release trout into the lake and allow fly-fishing off the nearby stream.
 
Panther creek is a great area. A couple mile hike out to a nice waterfall and plenty of places to camp. It's about 45min north of Gainesville, up 985.
 
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