Ellijay, Georgia

Begin your journey from Amicalola Falls State Park. Despite the steep climb, you should park at the base of the falls and climb the steps for a great view of one of the grandest falls in the South. (For more on that hike, see: "Climb the Stairs to Amicalola Falls"). From the top of the falls, fol...

Adventurers access the falls through the state park entrance. From the parking lot, hikers follow the clearly marked signs to the base of the falls. The incline begins by the pond at the base of the falls. From the pond, follow the incline along the cascading portion of the falls to the stairs. A...

This location showcases the Ocoee river and the area used in the 1996 Olympics. This area is beautiful and has some amazing views. The drive to the whitewater center is called the Ocoee Scenic Byway and is the first national forest byway. The drive is gorgeous and features some amazing mountain v...

The Appalachian Trail is arguably the most famous thru-hike in the world.  Along its 2,181-mile journey, there are many beautiful mountain views, and Preachers Rock is definitely one of them.  A large granite slab near the summit of Big Cedar Mountain reveals mountain views that are truly the epi...

Very little elevation gain leads to an easy hike along a river right outside of the Ocoee river region. First .7 miles is very flat, then leads to some slight elevation gain but nothing too serious. This trail traverses through the lush forest for a short distance when you come across a small cre...

The Panther Top fire tower is located in the Nantahala National Forest outside of Murphy, NC. To get there you get off of US 74 then turn onto panther top rd and continue till you see the signs for the tower. Once you get there the hike is about .75 there mostly up on the way to the top of the to...

The Sawnee Mountain Preserve is easy to get to with a GPS and offers plenty of parking. To get to the Indian Seats Trail you will start down a short (.17 mile) trail that will take you to the trailhead. The Indian Seats Trail is a loop so once you reach the marked trail you can go either left or ...

The hike to Raven Cliff Falls round-trip is about 5 miles. The scenery is amazing the whole way through with beautiful cascading waterfalls and running streams filled with wildlife everywhere you look. Along the way, there are a few campsites where during the warm months you'll see many tents set...

The trail starts at "Mt. Yonah Trailhead" and is 4.4 mile round-trip with elevation of 1,500' to 3,166'. The trail stays below moderate tree coverage until around the halfway point where you will come upon a clearing known as the first LZ (landing zone). The mountain is shared with hikers by Army...

The Big Creek Greenway is a roughly 8-mile stretch of paved trail that runs from its northern Marconi Drive entrance in Alpharetta down to Old Alabama Road in Roswell. There is also an extended bit of the Greenway a little further north in Forsyth County, though these two trails do not connect. T...

North River Road is located in the Nantahala National Forest near Tellico Plains. To get to North River Campground you can either drive up the Cherohala Skyway about 6 miles then turn when you see the sign for the campground and bald river falls. Another way to get to the campsites along North Ri...