Georgia Natural Wonder #13 - Tray Mountain. 659

[Top Row Dawg]

Georgia Natural Wonder #13 - Tray Mountain

Tray Mountain, with an elevation of 4,430 feet, is the seventh-highest peak in Georgia. The boundary line between White and Towns counties bisects the mountain, but leaves the summit in Towns County. Habersham County lies on a lower part of the mountain, but not on the summit. Tray Mountain is within the borders of the Chattahoochee National Forest and is part of the Tray Mountain Wilderness. The mountain is referred to by some as the grandstand for viewing the Nantahala Mountains in North Carolina and the rest of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Georgia. The Appalachian Trail crosses the peak.


Snow on Tray Mountain

For the shortest route, take GA 75 north from Helen 11 miles (2 miles north of Unicoi Gap). There were signs there a week ago for High Shoals. Turn right onto FS 283. You ford a creek within 300 yards, At 1.3 miles on FS 283 you come to the High Shoals trailhead to a trail down to two sets of exceptional falls. High Shoals Scenic Area is comprised of 170 acres with waterfalls, luxuriant banks of rhododendron and laurel, and sparkling mountain streams. The only way to see the two major waterfalls, Blue Hole Falls and High Shoals Falls, is to hike the steep, moderately difficult, 1.2-mile trail. The trail, marked by blue blazes, is in good condition, but reaching the trailhead can be difficult. The road may be rough, and fording the stream may cause trouble, but I did it in an Impala years ago. When the road is frozen or very muddy, only a four-wheel-drive vehicle can negotiate it.



The trail descends from 2,880 feet to 2,560 feet with two switchbacks through a predominantly hardwood forest. The dirt trail winds down through the thick forest for a little while, the views are stunning as the light shines through just parts of the trees and the tree roots cover parts of the path way making it a place for cool pictures. After reaching the bottom, there’s a campground. The trail follows High Shoals Creek downstream, crosses the water on a wooden bridge, then descends steeply more than 300 feet as the creek cascades downward in a series of five waterfalls. If you keep walking along the trail there is another trail that leads off to the left.


This is my photo of Blue Hole Falls years ago. A big old log across the face.

The first path that is leading off to the left takes you to Blue Hole Falls, about a mile from the starting point of the trail, and it doesn't take you long at all to get there from the point where the paths split. Blue Hole Falls is the first waterfall along the trail, the water is amazingly clear and during the warm months its a great place for people to come and swim. The first deck overlooks Blue Hole, a pool more than 20 feet deep created by the churning of the water and rock falling from 30 feet above.


More recent, log is gone.

If you keep walking along the main trail, you'll get to the other trail that leads you down to High Shoals Falls. This is a little farther walk than the walk to Blue Hole Falls but it is completely worth it. High Shoals Falls is a much larger water fall cascading down large rocks.



The grander High Shoals Falls, tumbles more than 100 feet over jagged rocks, splashing and spraying water into the air.



This is my Cub Scout trip years ago. I remember it being hard to get whole fall in photo.




One site says - This is a great trail for anyone! Dogs are allowed on this trail and if they love swimming in the water, this is a great place to bring them! Another site says - Because of several deaths, viewing platforms have been built.



After that I see on a kayaking site, "Blue Hole Falls is a great drop now that the tree is gone. High Shoals is a killer".



Oh come on people for real? Not HOTD recommended.



After hiking to the falls and back proceed in a southerly direction still on FS 238 for about 3.7 miles ( 4 miles total from GA 75). Turn east at the junction with FS 79 and go 2 miles to arrive at the intersection of FS 698 and the AT crossing.



It is an exhilarating experience to hike the .9 mile portion of the Appalachian Trail that climbs 600 feet to the summit of Tray Mountain. At 0.6 miles, when the trail switches to the right, you’ll come to a rocky overlook on the left. This one is worth stopping to check out. The view from here is the Hiawassee River Basin and the Nantahala National Forest of North Carolina. It was really overcast the day we went, so the view was hazy, but still stunning.





My kids on a cloudy day.





Continue up the trail after the overlook and shortly you will reach the rocky summit of Tray Mountain. The ridges at Tray Gap and upward bear red oak ridge forest; near the summit, the oaks become dwarfed and gnarled.



There are patches of lily of the valley and other interesting plants on the way. Near the top, there is a veritable garden of purple, or Catawba, rhododendron which—unlike the common or rosebay—blooms in spring rather than summer. It surrounds rock outcrops on which grow patches of high-altitude spike moss.



The wind-swept trees hugging the mountain’s high elevation disperse at the peak, offering views of sweeping vistas on both sides of the trail.



My kids at top years ago.



Just below the top of Tray on the north side is one of the best-developed boulder fields in North Georgia.


Wait kids on that dangerous boulder while I crawl 50 feet away to take this fuzzy picture.

It is hazardous walking, but one can drop down through it to a spot that is a secret jewel. Just down the AT, north from the top a few hundred yards, there is a side trail to the south. You walk through the dwarf forest pushing limbs out of the way, spider webs in your face. You are cussing TRD, and then you come to the overlook.



An exceptional overlook of the southern part of the Tray Mountain area and the headwaters of the Soque River.



Large slabs of granite angle skyward at the summit, providing outstanding overlooks of the surrounding forest valley and the distant peaks of the Blue Ridge Mountains and Chattahoochee National Forest.



The mountain’s views are particularly impressive during the crisp fall and winter months. Sunny and haze free is the best though.



If you are spending a week in Helen, make this a day trip to hike the falls and traverse the mountain top. Lot going on in this Tray Mountain Wilderness, endless dirt roads if you have a good forest service map. Drives in the winter are rewarded with better leafless vistas.



Adding these GNW gals is fun, especially when I can connect them to the site. Hard search for one more to add near by should have just for girls with Tray's.

Some poster replied to my original post how he heard there was a side trail not far off Tray Mt Rd where there is a high, steep waterfall I remember as Cabin Creek Falls or Rice Cabin Creek Falls. There is/was a small stone cabin back from the top of the falls. Do you know if this is still accessible? The creek was small enough at the top to jump across, then widened at a 30-40 degree angle then dropped straight down & you could not see the bottom from the closest safe view spot. Its been so long and memory is fading but back in the 80s my Dad said he heard that it was closed to the public due to multiple deaths. Thanks.

I do not know of the place but I hope to hike the Georgia section of the AT before I get too old. I will scope it out.