Order of Visit: High Point #10
Date Visited: April 15, 2019
Route Taken: Drive to Visitor Center parking lot and hiked up the Summit Trail to the observation tower (1.2 miles round-trip).
Type of Terrain: The Summit Trail is steep, but paved. Those who don’t want to hike up it can take the shuttle, which is included with your entrance fee.
Elevation: 4,784 feet
Ancestral Lands: Cherokee, Yuchi
What’s in a name?
Brasstown Bald is just further proof that Americans are not good a languages. We tend to mispronounce or misinterpret just about everything, and then forge ahead with our mistakes.
When English-speaking settlers showed up in northern Georgia, the Cherokee people were already living along the Hiawassee River. The new arrivals asked the natives about the name of their village, but quickly confused the Cherokee word itse’yĭ (meaning ‘new green place’) for ûňtsaiyĭ (meaning ‘brass’).
Rather than asking themselves why in the world the Cherokee would name something in Georgia after a shiny metal made of copper and zinc (instead of the vast forests of green that surrounded them), the settlers just went along with the mistranslation. The new arrivals began calling their Anglo settlement “Brasstown” and referred to the bare mountaintop above them as “Brasstown Bald.”
Had the English-speakers asked a follow-up question or two they might realized their mistake from the start. Or even learned the true name of nearby the mountain.
According to Cherokee lore, a great flood swept over the land killing everyone except a few Cherokee families who sought refuge in a giant canoe. The canoe ran aground at the summit of a forested mountain called Enotah. There was no wild game for the survivors to hunt and nowhere to grow crops among the trees, so the Great Spirit killed all the trees to help them with a place to plant food until the floodwaters subsided.
With this knowledge, we too might have called this unique Appalachian mountain Enotah.
Trip Summary
My like our quest to visit Sassafras Mountain, SC, checking this high point off our bucket list took two tries. We aborted our initial attempt in November 2018 when freezing temperatures and bad weather chased us south.
We eventually made it back in April 2019, but soon learned there are only two hiking options that connect the summit to the major roads below.
- The Wagon Trail trail is 6.0 miles (one-way) from the town of Young Harris just north of Brasstown Bald.
- The Arkaquah Trail is 5.5 miles (one-way) from the Track Rock Gap Petroglyph site located to the west of Brasstown Bald.
Truth be told, we just weren’t up for adding 4-5 hours of hiking to our 2.5 hour round-trip drive to get there from Lake Lanier, GA. So we opted to drive up instead. It was a good thing too because the road up to Brasstown Bald is STEEP!!
After turning off the Unicoi Turnpike (Hwy 17), the road was nothing by windy S-turns as we ventured uphill. We passed numerous brave cyclists making their way to the summit, and I have to give them serious credit, as I was constantly downshifting to 2nd gear just to get the car to the top.
When we finally arrived to the entrance, there was a booth and volunteer collecting the entrance fee. However, since Brasstown Bald is managed by the U.S. Forest Service (and we have an annual National Park Pass), they kindly waived the entrance fee.
From there we could choose to hike the paved trail 0.6 miles to the top or take the shuttle that runs between the parking lot and the summit.
Since we didn’t do either of the more strenuous hikes from below, we definitely opted to trek up the paved “Summit Trail.” This path was quite steep and reminded me of our trip to Clingman’s Dome, TN.
Once we arrived at the top, we could see a round observation deck and the adjacent lookout tower. We were permitted to roam around the deck to check out the 360 degree views. But, the upper tower was closed to the public.
After taking in the sweeping views, we went back downstairs to look at the small museum.
One of the interesting exhibits involves a mannequin dressed up as Arthur Woody – the famous early 20th century conservationist and forest ranger in North Georgia. And when you push a button, you hear quite a bit of his history in first person narrative.
Appalachian Trail hikers will recognize Ranger Woody’s name, as several places in North Georgia are named in his honor – including Woody Gap (at mile 20.3 on the trail) near his hometown of Suches, Georgia.
Another curious exhibit is a real locomotive engine used in logging the Georgia mountains. Youngsters and train enthusiasts can sit in the driver’s compartment while watching a video about the U.S. Forest Service’s local work in the area.
As we finished up our visit and started to make our way back down the car, I noticed a park bench just outside the museum. There was a plaque on it, from the Highpointers Foundation. It was a nice reminder that there’s plenty of other folks out there equally interested in this hobby. And it was a nice way to commemorate our 10th state high point!
Details
When to Visit: Open most of the year. However, the Chattahoochie-Oconee National Forest experiences dramatic weather during the winter months. The gates from Hwy 180 to Brasstown Bald close during inclement weather.
Getting There: Brasstown Bald is located in northeast Georgia approximately 100 miles north of Atlanta. The closest town to grab a bite to eat is Hiawassee, located just 3.5 miles south of the North Carolina-Goergia border.
Entrance Fees/Permits: $5 entrance fee per person (over age 16). Entrance is free if you have a National Park Pass.
Parking: There’s a large parking lot below the Visitor’s Center and museum. From there you can either take the shuttle or hike 0.6 miles up the steep, paved “Summit Trail.”
Shuttle: A shuttle runs between the parking lot and the summit every 5-10 minutes. If you pay the standard $5 entrance fee, the shuttle is included in your admission fee. If you get free admission with your NPS pass, the shuttle costs $2.
Accessibility: Good for all ages and abilities.
Bonus: At the summit, you’ll find an observation tower and museum. There’s also a theater with a short 15-minute film about the dramatic New England-like weather and changing seasons at Brasstown Bald, which plays at the top and bottom of the hour.
Resources:
- Overview of Brasstown Bald (Summit Post)
- Brasstown Bald Visitor’s Center (GA Tourism Website)
- Brasstown Bald (USDA website)
