GEORGIA

GEORGIA

BEST AREAS FOR WILDERNESS CAMPING

CHATTAHOOCHEE NATIONAL FOREST

740,000 acres. Chattahoochee National Forest is located along the northern border of Georgia, in the southernmost reaches of the Appalachian Mountains. It’s a wild and beautiful region with terrain which is often quite rugged.

The highest elevation is 4,784-foot Brasstown Bald. There are three designated wilderness areas, consisting of the 37,000-acre Cohutta Wilderness, plus small portions of two other wilderness areas which extend into nearby North Carolina and South Carolina.

Chattahoochee has several major rivers, many creeks and waterfalls, and a few lakes, with mixed forests of pine, hemlock, and hardwoods, as well as rhododendron and mountain laurel. Black bear, deer, wild boar, and fox are among the wildlife.

Activities: Backpacking and hiking are possible on a number of backpacking and hiking trails, including 75 miles of the Appalachian Trail and 50 miles of the Benton MacKaye Trail (see entries page 136), 37 miles of the Bartram National Recreation Trail, and the 31-mile Duncan Ridge National Recreation Trail. Difficulty ranges from easy to strenuous.

There are also trails for horseback riding, and mountain biking is allowed on some trails outside of wilderness areas. Canoeing and rafting are available on the Chattooga National Wild and Scenic River and a few other rivers. Fishing is possible, and hunting is permitted in season, i Camping Regulations: Camping and campfires are allowed throughout the National Forest, except where posted otherwise. No permits are necessary. It’s suggested that campers choose sites

that are at least 100 feet from streams and trails.

For Further Information: Chattahoochee National Forest, 508 Oak Street N.W. Gainesville, GA 30501; (404)536-0541.