Читать книгу Afoot & Afield: Atlanta. 108 Spectacular Outings in North-Central Georgia онлайн

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DIRECTIONS From Atlanta, take I-75 north to I-575/GA 5. Travel north on I-575/GA Highway 5 to East Ellijay, and then continue north on GA 5/US 76 to Blue Ridge. At the intersection near Walmart and The Home Depot, turn left and travel north on GA 5 for 3.7 miles. Turn left onto Old State Route 2 and drive 10.5 miles to Watson Gap. Turn right onto Forest Service Road 22 and go 3.3 miles to the parking area for the Dally Gap and Jacks River Trailhead.

FACILITIES/TRAILHEAD There are no facilities at the trailhead for Hemp Top. Double Spring Gap is the only location with water, so be sure to bring enough for a day’s trek. Camping is allowed anywhere in this wilderness area, though this stretch of the Hemp Top Trail has few wide spots for pitching a tent. Double Spring Gap is the best bet due to the water source. Black bears frequent the ridges of the Cohutta, so hang your food at night. As an added precaution, give your itinerary to a friend or ranger, especially if you hike solo.

The hike begins on the eastern side of the wilderness at the Dally Gap parking area, where you’ll find trailheads for the Hemp Top and Jacks River Trails. From the parking area, the Hemp Top Trailhead is to the right (Waypoint 1). Pass the metal gate and ascend gradually, traveling north through second-growth forest of hemlocks, pines, and hardwoods. To the right, ferns and oaks fill ravines that run deep, and at 0.6 mile an open spot in the foliage frames a distant ridge—your first clear view to this point.