Black Rock Mountain

Black Rock Mountain State Park Trail Map Ro ad Black Rock Lake Trail Creek Ridge Site #4 Ed t as lE Elev. 2241 d. tn. R rai sT F Laurel Ridge Site #3 Lookoff Mountain Site #2 Lookoff Mountain Park Boundary Marsen Knob Elev. 3205 t. sS Cr os From Black Rock Mountain: Dillard 4 mi Scaly Mtn., NC 10 mi Franklin, NC 20 mi Highlands, NC 18 mi Cherokee, NC 50 mi Gatlinburg, TN 80 mi 441 Road leading to the park. Park Boundary Park Boundary Pioneer Camping Area RV & Tent Camping Park Visitor Center Picnic Shelter Playground 2011 From Black Rock Mountain: Clayton 3 mi Chattooga River 12 mi Tallulah Gorge 15 mi Hiawassee 31 mi Helen 37 mi Atlanta 105 mi 441 Elev. 2165 Mountain City . Pkwy. ock Mtn Eastern Continental Divide Black R 441 nA ve. Elev. 3162 st We Backcountry Trail T Edmond s James E. Edmonds Camping by Permit Only ds on Ed m 3048 Down Home Lane Symbols Cottages Overlook Picnic Area Forest Management Road Gravel Road Paved Road . Rd ton lay Forest Mgmt. Rd. Foxfire Trail Foxfire Lane Foxfire Museum & Heritage Center Lookoff Mtn. Dr. Elev. 3048 Scruggs Knob Elev. 2607 Cow Lan ee e Taylor Gap Taylor's Chapel Road PARK GATE Cross St. Nantahala Overlook Private Property (Opens 7 am-10 pm) Park Boundary Ada-hi Falls Trail Trading Post & Mellinger Center Hickory Cove Walk-In Tent ve ry Co Camping Area HickoLane Norma Campbell Cove Trail Ada-hi Falls Trail / .25-mile one-way Springhouse/Ada-hi Falls Trail / .6-mile one-way Visitor Center Connector Trail / .25-mile one-way Camping by Permit Only James E. Edmonds Backcountry Trail / 7.2-mile loop Black Rock Lake Trail / .85-mile loop Park Boundary n mo ny M rma e N. G o nd Edm Fern Cove Site #1 James E. Edmonds Backcountry Trail Camping by Permit Only Cowee Overlook Blue Ridge Overlook Springhouse/Ada-hi Falls Trail Elev. 3446 Black Rock Overlook LEGEND Tr ail E as t Fo rk k Fo r Tennessee Rock Trail / 2.2-mile loop Hiking Trails rai l Norma Campbell Cove Trail / 0.1 mile nso Joh N. Taylor's Ch ape l Tennessee Rock Trail Tennessee Rock Overlook Private Property or k 3085 Black Rock Mountain Parkway • Mountain City, Georgia 30562 • Park: 706-746-2141 • Emergency: 706-746-2818 • Reservations: 1-800-864-7275 lley Cottages 1 - 10 Park Boundary 1/2 mile Camp Tsatu-gi t Fork Trail W es ds GeorgiaStateParks.org rk Va Elev. 3640 Black Rock Mtn. Rd. 1/4 mile undary fo Wolf Pioneer Eastern Continental Divide Wolffork Road To Germany Valley 0 Park Bo Since trails may be closed for maintenance or inclement weather, check with the rangers at the Park Visitor Center to ensure availability. SCALE y. y Criminal trespass charges and search & rescue costs can be charged to parties guilty of negligence or failure to get user permits. C /Old N. Main St. kw .P Mtn ck Ro ck Bla dar oun kB Par James E. Edmonds Trail (Backcountry) Lookoff Mountain (Elevation: 3162 ft.) 3200 Black Rock Mountain State Park, named for its sheer cliffs of dark-colored biotite gneiss, encompasses some of the most outstanding country in Georgia’s Blue Ridge Mountains. Located astride the Eastern Continental Divide at an altitude of 3,640 feet, Black Rock Mountain is the highest state park in Georgia. Numberous scenic overlooks provide spectacular 80-mile vistas of the Southern Appalachians, and several hiking trails lead visitors past colorful wildflowers, sparkling streams, small waterfalls and lush forests. TRAIL SAFETY & ETIQUETTE • Tell someone your itinerary and expected return time. • Be prepared for unexpected weather changes by dressing in layers and carrying rain gear. Unexpected rain and wind can lead to hypothermia. Always carry quality rain gear and turn back in bad weather. If you become wet or cold, it is important to get dry and warm as quickly as possible. • Dress in layers and avoid cotton. Luckily, today’s hikers can choose from numerous fabrics that wick moisture, dry quickly or conserve heat. Many experienced hikers wear a lightweight shirt that wicks moisture, while carrying a fleece pullover and rain jacket. • Take a map, water, snacks, first aid kit, flashlight and whistle. Three short blasts on a whistle are known as a call for help. • Do not stray from trails. If you become lost, stay in one location and wait for help. This will make it easier for rescuers to find you. Don’t count on cell phones to work in the wilderness, but if they do, be able to give details about your location. • Invest in good hiking socks such as those found at sporting goods stores. Avoid blisters by carrying “moleskin” and applying it as soon as you feel a hot spot on your feet. Available in the foot care section of drug stores, moleskin is like felt that sticks to your skin. • Pack out all trash. • Keep pets on a leash. • Do not pick flowers or disturb wildlife. • Protect the landscape by staying on trails. Do not short-cut switchbacks. This practice is dangerous and can create major erosion problems. • Stay together. Don’t allow hikers, especially children, to run ahead or lag behind. CLIMATE DATA FOR BLACK ROCK MOUNTAIN Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Avg. High 44ºF 47ºF 54ºF 63ºF 70ºF 74ºF 77ºF 75ºF 70ºF 64ºF 53ºF 45ºF Avg. Low Mean 30ºF 37ºF 32ºF 39ºF 37ºF 45ºF 45ºF 54ºF 53ºF 61ºF 59ºF 66ºF 63ºF 70ºF 62ºF 68ºF 57ºF 63ºF 47ºF 55ºF 39ºF 46ºF 31ºF 38ºF Avg. Precip. Record High 6.41 in 68ºF (2002) 6.40 in 73ºF (1996) 7.07 in 80ºF (2007) 5.14 in 84ºF (2001) 4.97 in 84ºF (1996) 7.29 in 86ºF (2011) 6.73 in 89ºF (1993) 5.91 in 88ºF (2008) 6.50 in 86ºF (2011) 4.84 in 78ºF (2007) 5.91 in 74ºF (2005) 5.55 in 70ºF (2007) Record Low -20ºF (1985) -4ºF (1991) 3ºF (1996) 16ºF (2007) 30ºF (1992) 40ºF (1985) 46ºF (1979) 48ºF (1986) 35ºF (1990) 25ºF (1989) 8ºF (1979) -4ºF (1985) Tennessee Rock Trail Black Rock Mountain (Summit Elevation: 3640 ft.) 3500 3450 3000 3400 2800 3350 2600 3300 2400 3250 0 1 2 3 4 7.2-Mile Loop Avg. Travel Time: 4 Hours Foot Travel Only Compacted Natural Soil Surface Avg. Grade: 10% Max: 25%/250LF Min. Width: 18 inches Avg. X-slope: 10% Max: 30%/200LF Backcountry Camping by Permit Only. Camping allowed on four designated campsites. See map for locations. Advance reservations required. Call 1-800-864-7275. The 7.2-mile James E. Edmonds Backcountry Trail, named in honor of one of the park’s first rangers, offers both day hiking and backcountry camping. This trail is quite steep in a number of places and is rated as “moderate to strenuous.” In laurel-filled coves, the trail follows cascading streams with small waterfalls. In the northernmost section of the park, the trail climbs to the summit of Lookoff Mountain and offers a stunning vista of Wolffork Valley and surrounding mountain ranges. Black Rock Lake Trail .85-Mile Loop Avg. Travel Time: Half Hour Foot Travel Only Compacted Natural Soil Surface / Gravel / Bark Avg. Grade: 5% Max: 10% Min. Width: 60 inches The loop around scenic Black Rock Lake, completed in 2007, is a wonderful addition to the park’s trail system. The 17-acre lake is unspoiled by development and is rimmed by forests of white pine and yellow poplar. The gently rolling .85-mile loop is rated “easy” and is perfectly suited for beginners. Wooden bridges cross Taylor Creek and Greasy Creek, the two cascading streams that feed Black Rock Lake, and an 80-foot bridge spans Cricket Cove on the lake’s southwest corner. A wheelchair-accessible pier adjacent Turtle Rock and a 160-foot wooden boardwalk allow anglers a chance to fish for bass, bream, catfish, yellow perch and rainbow trout. In addition, several tables along shady Taylor Creek offer the perfect location for a creek-side picnic. 5 6 7 0 Obstacles may include uneven surfaces, exposed rock and tree roots, fallen trees and/or limbs, steps, long steep grades, loose stones and leaf litter, X-slope softness, mud, icing or other slick conditions when wet, poisonous plants, heat and cold in season, Width insects, snakes and wild animals including bears. Grade Ada-hi Falls Trail .25-Mile Loop Avg. Travel Time: Half Hour Foot Travel Only Compacted Natural Soil Surface Avg. Grade: 25% Max: 58%/30LF Min. Width: 36 inches Avg. X-slope: 10% Max: 10%/300LF The Ada-hi Falls Trail provides a delightful but challenging walk into an outstanding example of a moist, north-slope Appalachian cove. The trail features mature hardwoods, lichen-covered rocks, a variety of ferns and wildflowers, and a dense thicket of rhododendron. At the trail’s end is the observation platform for noisy Ada-hi Falls, a small cascade typical of those found at the higher elevations throughout the Blue Ridge Mountains. NOTE: During dry weather, water flow is often reduced to a trickle. Norma Campbell Cove Trail .10-Mile Avg. Travel Time: Half Hour | Foot Travel Only Compacted Natural Soil Surface Moderate rating of difficulty. This is the park’s newest trail which is named after the late Norma Campbell, a popular park naturalist who first proposed the development of the Marie Mellinger Center. The tenth-of-amile scenic trail begins at the Center on the southern edge of the Eastern Continental Divide and descends into the upper reaches of a densely-wooded, south-facing cove. Hikers pass by huge rock outcrops framed by ferns, mayapple and trillium and will see gurgling springs that flow down the cove into Stekoa Creek, one of the principal tributaries of the federally-designated “wild and scenic” Chattooga River. Several log benches allow hikers to relax in the shade and enyoy this lush Appalachian hollow. 1 2 2.2-Mile Loop Avg. Travel Time: One and a Half Hour Foot Travel Only Compacted Natural Soil Surface Avg. Grade: 10% Max: 25%/200LF Min. Width: 18 inches Avg. X-slope: 10% Max: 25%/50LF The yellow-blazed 2.2-mile Tennessee Rock Trail, winding its way through some of the highest and lushest forests, is the park’s most popular hiking trail. Rated by experienced hikers as “easy to moderate,” the trail offers most visitors a perfect opportunity to get better acquainted with the area’s rich woodlands and vistas, that on clear days span over 80 miles into the neighboring states of both North and South Carolina, as well as Tennessee. The effects from an EF-2 tornado are clearly visible on the trail’s western edge, as hikers begin the climb to Black Rock Mountain’s summit. While the damage to the forest is saddening to an extent, downed trees have enhanced vistas at several points along the trail and opened the thick woods for new growth. Tennessee Rock Trail Interpretive Information Hikers wanting to learn more about the special forest ecology of the Southern Appalachians may wish to purchase a copy of “An Interpretive Guide to the Tennessee Rock Tail,” available for a small fee at the visitor center and campground trading post. The text in this 32-page illustrated booklet corresponds to 25 numbered posts located along the trail. In addition to information about the park’s natural history, the trail guide features interesting facts about early pioneer and North American life, as well as facinating information about Appalachian geology, geography and climate. The guide serves as an excellent introduction to Black Rock Mountain State Park and the surrounding mountain region. Hikers using the guide will quickly learn that there’s a lot more to be found along the trail than just trees. For instance, hikers will discover an Appalachian boulderfield, an actual remnant of the great ice age which ended more than 10,000 years ago. Hikers will also walk a quarter-mile area along the Blue Ridge Mountain backbone, following the Eastern Continental Divide. This great ridge separates rainfall flowing eastward toward the Savannah River and the Atlantic Ocean from rainfall trending westward toward the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico. And when the weather is clear, hikers on the Tennessee Rock Trail can see Georgia’s Brasstown Bald and Clingman’s Dome in Tennessee.