Blood Mountain Wilderness

Legends tell of the gory battles waged between Creek and Cherokee Indians atop 4,458-foot Blood Mountain, but today the site is famous for being the highest point in this Wilderness. Scenically rugged mountain peaks, rocky outcroppings, waterfalls, and numerous streams, most of which lie within the Chestatee Wildlife Management Area, surround the mountain. The vegetation is primarily second-growth upland and cove hardwoods. Deer, ruffed grouse, wild turkeys, and squirrels live here, and there are also black bears and raccoons. Small and big game bring in quite a few hunters. The Desoto Falls Scenic Area, with its waterfalls, marks the eastern boundary, and just across U.S. 129 lies Raven Cliffs Wilderness. Hikers usually travel the Appalachian Trail, which crosses the area along the crest of the Blue Ridge for 10.75 miles and eventually reaches a rock shelter on Blood Mountain. This trail, according to the USFS, is "the most heavily used portion of the AT in Georgia." Many old logging roads crisscross the area, and the Duncan Ridge National Recreation Trail crosses part of it. Encounters with black bears are common here, and all food, refuse, and toiletries must be stored in bear-resistant containers overnight or when otherwise unattended along a quarter-mile corridor of the Appalachian Trail between Jarrad Gap and Neels Gap from March 1 to June 1. Campfires and the gathering of woody material are prohibited within 300 feet of the Appalachian Trail between Neels Gap and Slaughter Creek south of Slaughter Gap. Dogs must be leashed in the portions of the Wilderness within a Wildlife Management Area.