Georgia Natural Wonder #89 - Black Rock Mountain State Park. 772

[Top Row Dawg]

Georgia Natural Wonder #89 - Black Rock Mountain State Park

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.



"Revel in the diverse eco-systems along rugged terrain or breathe fresh air from mountain top vistas overlooking pristine Appalachian forests at Black Rock Mountain, uniquely positioned on the Eastern Continental Divide and reaching altitudes of 3,640 feet as the highest State Park in Georgia."



Roadside overlooks provide spectacular 80-mile vistas, and four hiking trails lead visitors past wildflowers, streams, small waterfalls and lush forests. Visitors enjoy the summit visitor center for its views, gift shop and picnic tables.



Mountaintop cottages surround a small playground, while campsites are nestled under rhododendron and gnarled oaks. Tent campers will appreciate the walk-in sites that allow extra privacy.



The park’s small lake is popular with anglers and circled by an easy walking trail. At an altitude of 3,640 feet, Black Rock Mountain is often cooler than other Georgia parks and may close during icy weather. RVers should be comfortable driving on steep, winding roads.



There are two marvelous overlooks as you drive up the mountain.


My photos.



Here are some photos from the net of those two overlooks.





Then there is the namesake for the State Park, the big exposed Black Rock cliff that gives the park its name.




As seen from downtown Clayton.


Looking over Clayton.


View South Rabun County.


Don’t go past the fence.


The Black Rock of Black Rock Mountain.


Hendrix sneaks in the corner of the photo as we head back up to the park HQ.

But the best feature of the park is the Tennessee Rock Overlook. Now I always cheated because the park road goes right by this peak trail. There was always a place to park alongside the road. Now on line I have found this description of the full hike, sounds like quite a hump. Do a drive by of the peak to see if the easy route is available.


Wife glad we took easy route.

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.



The Tennessee Rock Trail departs from the park’s main trailhead area, sharing a parking area and trailhead with the neighboring Edmonds Backcountry Trail. The hike climbs elevation from the trailhead, veering left to trek the Tennesee Rock Trail westbound. The trail soon reaches an intersection, veering right to hike the Tennessee Rock Trail loop in a counterclockwise direction. (While there’s not much difference in direction when you’re hiking the loop, we love saving the main climb – and outstanding views – for the end of the hike.)



This section of the Tennessee Rock Trail is exceptionally beautiful in late Spring, when wildflowers and fern blanket the forest floor, shaded by towering trees above. The forest is covered in bright, spring-green hues as young fern unfurl, stretching to reach the dappled sunlight overhead. Trillium bloom in the tens of thousands here on the mountain’s lower elevations, easily spotted by their distinctive petals and leafs in a pattern of three.



The trail reaches a side loop trail at .6 mile, hiking the short loop to a boulder-covered slope covered in vibrant green moss. The side loop re-joins the Tennesee Rock Trail, hiking westbound and descending elevation.



At .85 mile, the trail begins a steady, unwavering climb to the mountain’s summit. The deciduous forest gives way to pine, the trail covered in pine needles as it climbs. Tall grasses line the sides of the trail. The hike reaches an intersection at 1.2 miles, where a gravel road turns to the right; the Tennessee Rock Trail veers left, continuing its climb to the summit. The trail rises through a lush, green forest filled with fallen trees, the remnants of a 2011 tornado. Between-the-trees views extend on the right at 1.4 miles as the Tennessee Rock Trail nears the summit.



The hike reaches the summit of Black Rock Mountain, marked with a large engraved stone, at 1.55 miles. At the tree-covered summit, views are sporadic between the trees – but not to worry, the hike’s best view is near.



The trail rolls elevation from the mountaintop before climbing wood stairs, reaching the Tennessee Rock overlook at 1.75 miles.


Boulders on climb

Views of the rolling southern Appalachian Mountains stretch to the north, extending toward the summits of Albert Mountain and Pickens Nose Mountain in nearby North Carolina. Blue sky meets hazy blue mountains and vibrant green forest in a view that’s nothing short of spectacular.



There are some other trails in here.

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.


These falls were more of a cliff side water seep when I visited.

Wait a minute, much better image on the net.



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 0.85-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.



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. Backcountry Camping by Permit Only. Camping allowed on four designated campsites. See map for exact locations. Advance reservations required. Call 1-800-864-7275.



The Norma Campbell Cove Trail 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 0.10-mile 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 enjoy this lush Appalachian hollow.


Marie Mellinger Center. She was quite a gal.

OK tomorrow a summary of the top 100, perhaps a reshuffle as we condense some history and natural wonders. A tweak might show we are actually only on GNW #85 if we combine the actual wonders and history. More on that tomorrow as today’s GNW gals need some overnight tweaking.