Leaf peeping season: Georgia mountains ready for fall color
Leaf Watch feature on Georgia DNR website goes live Oct. 1
By Jim Hendricks
ATLANTA — Leaf-peeping season is coming up next month, particularly in the north Georgia mountains. For those planning a trip to see a splash of autumn color, Georgia’s state parks offer some premium vantage points, as well as some useful planning tools.
Travelers are already making inquiries.
“People are starting to call and ask already,” Kim Hatcher with the Department of Natural Resources said in a recent phone interview. “The peak time is usually middle to late October, sometimes even into early November. It’s really hard to know” when the scarlets, golds and oranges of autumn will be at their height.
The Georgia State Park System has a couple of ways for helping visitors with that planning, including one to which visitors can contribute.
The Leaf Watch feature on the State Park System’s website, www.gastateparks.org, will go live on the homepage Oct. 1, but visitors who want an early peep at it can go to www.gastateparks.org/leafwatch.
Meanwhile, park system officials also are turning to social media for tips on viewing.
“This year, we would like to invite the public and our park rangers to share their pictures on Facebook so that people can see real-time what it looks like and get updates,” Hatcher said. “Park rangers can say which trails are the best trails at that time. Plus, I think it’ll engage our visitors more because sometimes it’s our visitors who have taken the best photos.
“That was the best way we could think of to get people to share their pictures.”
She said some photos from previous seasons have been posted on the DNR state parks Facebook page.
While most of the fall scenery is a few hours north, Hatcher said proximity is still an advantage for Georgians, noting that a number of visitors drive up from Florida.
As important as when to go is where to go. There are several popular parks with spectacular views that aren’t well known to the public.
Vogtle, Amicalola Falls and Unicoi are the best known.
“They’re the ones that always seem to be mentioned in articles,” Hatcher said.
Fort Mountain State Park at Chatsworth, she said, “is really beautiful, but it doesn’t get the press coverage that some of the other parks do.” Cloudland State Park near Chattanooga also has some gorgeous views.
One state park that tends to fly under the radar despite its high stature is at Clayton.
“Black Rock Mountain doesn’t get mentioned a lot either, but it’s the highest state park,” Hatcher said. “The poplars (on Black Rock) are bright yellow. They actually have stands of poplars in parts of north Georgia.”
Many visitors view that and other color from state park cabins. Hatcher said the system has been fortunate that in recent years many cabins have been renovated and additional facilities have been added, such as campsites and yurt villages. The most recent opened close to the hiking trail two years ago at Cloudland State Park, which also has beautiful views while being one of the lesser known park venues.
The yurts are known for what has become known as “glamping” (glamour camping). Made of wood and canvas, the DNR says yurts feature a deck, picnic table and grill/fire ring outside. Inside are furniture to sleep six, electrical outlets, large windows and locking doors. A water spigot is located outside, and a bathhouse with flushing toilets is within walking distance. Visitors bring sleeping bags or linens, cooking utensils, a cooler and food.
“We have a real wide variety of accommodations,” Hatcher said, adding that the park service is now operating the campsite facilities at Tallulah Gorge.
But cabins can get scarce, especially at the more popular parks.
“We remind people that if you have not made your reservation now, go ahead and make it for next year,” Hatcher said. “We take reservations 13 months in advance and cabins at places like Vogtle really do fill up as soon as they’re released. Camping, of course, doesn’t book as far in advance. But, definitely, do not go to a park with the intention of staying overnight without making reservations.”
THE TOP 10
Amicalola Falls State Park, Dawsonville: The Southeast’s tallest cascading waterfall. A short, flat path leads to a boardwalk offering the most spectacular views. There’s also an easy-to-reach overlook at the top. For a tougher challenge, start from the bottom of the falls and hike up the steep staircase. GeorgiaStateParks.org/AmicalolaFalls
Black Rock Mountain State Park, Clayton: At an altitude of 3,640 feet, Black Rock Mountain is Georgia’s highest state park. (Brasstown Bald is the state’s highest peak.) Roadside overlooks and the summit Visitor Center offer sweeping views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The 2.2-mile Tennessee Rock Trail is a good choice for a short, moderate hike. An all-day challenge is the 7.2-mile James E. Edmonds Backcountry Trail. GeorgiaStateParks.org/BlackRockMountain
Cloudland Canyon State Park, Near Chattanooga: Easy-to-reach rim has overlooks and challenging trails. A favorite hike is a long, steep staircase to the bottom of the canyon, where there are two waterfalls. (It’s worth the hike back up.) The 5-mile West Rim Loop is moderately difficult and offers great views of the canyon. GeorgiaStateParks.org/CloudlandCanyon
F.D. Roosevelt State Park, Pine Mountain: Park has hardwood forests and rolling mountains. The 6.7-mile Wolf Den Loop is a favorite section of the longer Pine Mountain Trail. Drive to Dowdell’s Knob to see a life-size bronze sculpture of President F.D. Roosevelt and views of the forested valley. Georgia Highway 190 is a pretty driving route. GeorgiaStateParks.org/FDRoosevelt
Fort Mountain State Park, Chatsworth: Park is best known for a mysterious rock wall along the mountain top, plus a variety of trails. Easiest walk is a 1.2-mile loop around the park’s green lake. A challenging, all-day hike is the 8-mile Gahuti Trail. Mountain bikers have more than 14 miles to explore. Highway 52 has beautiful mountain scenery and overlooks. GeorgiaStateParks.org/FortMountain
Moccasin Creek State Park, Lake Burton: Georgia’s smallest state park sits on the lake shore. Guests can choose from the 2-mile Hemlock Falls Trail or 1-mile Non-Game Trail with a wildlife observation tower. Highway 197 is a particularly pretty road, passing Mark of the Potter and other popular attractions. GeorgiaStateParks.org/MoccasinCreek
Smithgall Woods State Park, Helen: Protecting more than 6,000 acres around Dukes Creek, a perfect spot for fly-fishing and fall color. Day visitors can picnic near the creek, and overnight guests can hike a private trail to Dukes Creek Falls. A 1.6-mile loop climbs to Laurel Ridge and provides a view of Mt. Yonah once most leaves are off the trees. Smithgall Woods has some of the park system’s most sought-after cabins and is near wineries and Helen’s Oktoberfest. GeorgiaStateParks.org/SmithgallWoods
Tallulah Gorge State Park, near Clayton: One of the most spectacular canyons in the Southeast, park has easy and difficult trails. Hike along the rim to several overlooks with waterfall views. With a permit from the park office, trek to the bottom. During November, watch expert kayakers on the biannual “whitewater release.” Park’s film has heart-racing footage of kayakers and news clips from Karl Wallenda’s famous tightrope walk across the gorge. GeorgiaStateParks.org/TallulahGorge
Unicoi State Park, Helen: New ziplines take visitors high above the forest canopy for a unique view of leaves. For a steep hike, take the 4.8-mile Smith Creek Trail to Anna Ruby Falls. Unicoi offers a lodge and restaurant. GeorgiaStateParks.org/Unicoi
Vogel State Park, Blairsville: The 4-mile Bear Hair Gap Trail makes a nice day trip for experienced hikers, offering great mountain color and a birds-eye view of the park’s lake. An easier walk is the Lake Loop to a small waterfall. The twisting roads around Vogel, particularly Wolf Pen Gap Road, offer some of north Georgia’s prettiest fall scenery. GeorgiaStateParks.org/Vogel
Related Articles
‘Sounds Like a Mutiny.’ Secret Recording Exposes Claims of Toxic Leadership After a Marine’s Suicide
This week’s War Horse story follows the systemic failures before and after the death of Cpl. Drew Mobley who was the third in two years at Marine Corps Base Quantico to die by suicide.
Southwest Georgia artists recognized at packed opening of exhibition
The annual juried exhibition, one of the region’s largest showcases of visual art, features approximately 46 artists and nearly 90 works spanning painting, sculpture, ceramics, photography and mixed media.
Powerful performances drive Theatre Albany’s ‘The Color Purple’
From the street, strands of purple ribbon wind around the white columns of the historic theater, hinting at the story waiting beyond its doors. Inside the foyer, a carefully curated slideshow flickers across a large screen, cycling through the faces of the cast. Some are seasoned performers. Others are stepping onto a stage for the very first time. Teachers stand alongside former students. Parents perform beside their children. People who worship in different churches, work different jobs and come from different corners of Southwest Georgia gather beneath the same lights to tell the same story.
