Chattahoochee National Forest - Preaching Rock - Member Hike

Hike Name:	Chattahoochee National Forest - Preaching Rock
Country:	United States
State:	Georgia
Nearby Town:	Suches
Rating:
Directions:	PARKING: (Woody Gap, GA 60) - From Suches, GA take GA 60 1.6 miles south to Woody Gap. There are parking areas on both sides of the road and a large Forest Service sign that marks the gap. Park in the western lot for access to Ramrock Mountain. (If you are headed south from Suches, this is the lot on your right. If you are headed north from Dahlonega, the lot is on your left.) The National Forest Service recently instituted a $2 parking fee for this lot. Simply follow the directions and fill out the form in the self-service station near the trailhead. There is no backcountry permit required for this hike.
Total Hike Distance:	3.00 miles
Hike Difficulty:	Easy to Moderate
Permit Required:	No
Hike Type:	In & Out, Backtrack Hike
Hike Starts/Ends:	GA 60
Trails Used:	Appalachian Trail
Backcountry Campsites:	Yes
Backcountry Water Sources:	None
Management:	U.S. Forest Service
Contact Information:	Chattahoochee National Forest, Toccoa Ranger District National Forest Service 990 E. Main Street, Suite #1 Blue Ridge, GA 30513 (706) 632-3031
Best Season:	Fall
Users:	Hikers, Dogs
Road Conditions:	Primary Paved Roads, Secondary Paved Roads
Hike Summary:	The Chattahoochee National Forest is one of two National Forests in the State of Georgia, and it takes its name from the Chattahoochee River whose headwaters begin in the North Georgia mountains. The River and the area were given the name by the English settlers who heard it from the Indians that once lived here. The Chattahoochee National Forest was created when the Forest Service purchased 31,000 acres in Fannin, Gilmer, Lumpkin and Union Counties from the Gennett family in 1911 for $7.00 per acre. In the beginning, the Chattahoochee was part of the Nantahala and Cherokee National Forests in North Carolina and Tennessee, but eventually the Forest Service made additional land purchases and expanded the Chattahoochee to its current size of nearly 750,000 acres. The Blood Mountain Wilderness area received its designation in 1991, and it is a sub-section of the Chattahoochee National Forest. The wilderness area is bordered to the northwest by Georgia Highway 60 and the Blue Ridge mountain range, and to the northeast by Georgia Highway 19/129 and Neels Gap. Major trails in this area include the Appalachian Trail, Freeman Trail, the Dockery Lake/Miller Gap Trail, the Coosa Backcountry Trail, the Duncan Ridge Trail, The Bare Hair Trail, and the Slaughter Creek Trail. The hike to Preaching Rock at 3,737 feet (or Big Cedar Mountain as it is sometimes called) is a short and easy hike along the Appalachian Trail. We day hiked this section and continued past Preaching Rock to another overlook a half mile up the trail. There are excellent views from both locations to the southeast.