Chattahoochee National Forest
Clayton GA 30525
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At 4,696 feet, Rabun Bald is the second-highest peak in Georgia; only the 4,784-foot Brasstown Bald is higher. An observation tower on the summit provides hikers with what many people believe is the most spectacular view from any one point in the Georgia mountains. Into the Georgia and South Carolina Piedmont, views on clear days extend for more than 100 miles. In other directions, the views of the Blue Ridge, Nantahala, Cowee, and Great Smoky mountains are outstanding.

Rabun Bald’s main ridgeline is the Eastern Continental Divide, dividing waters draining northward into the Tennessee / Mississippi Gulf system from those draining southward into the Atlantic Ocean. Most of Rabun Bald’s streams are located on the mountain’s southeast flank and drain via Warwoman Creek to the Chattooga River, then to the Savannah River, and finally to the Atlantic.

The Rabun Bald area rates among Georgia’s leading botanical sites; spring wildflowers are exceptional. Near the summit is a zone of dwarf oak heath (mainly scarlet oak and purple rhododendron). Look for the striking red berries of mountain ash. In some places, there is a thick ground cover of blueberries. Together with the Chattooga River to the southeast and the Cowee Mountains to the North, the region is a prime habitat for deer, black bear, wild boar, and, reportedly, even mountain lion.

Tagged with: Mountains in Georgia