Brasstown Bald (07 May 2003)

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[Ed: Imported from Americas Roof ‘Summit Trip Reports’ forum]

[By: Mark Stauter on May 9 2003 at 3:49 PM]

[Link: http://www.network54.com/Forum/198362/message/1052509747/Brasstown+Bald+%2807+May+2003%29]

I summited Brasstown Bald on Wednesday afternoon, 7 May 2003. I drove up from Atlanta on US-19 and GA-180 and found the area to be more natural and less commercially developed than I had supposed. It is within the Chattahoochee National Forest.

The road to the parking lot/visitors center (GA-180 SPUR) is quite steep, and motorists are advised to detach any trailers and leave them at the turn-off area to the SPUR route.

The vast parking lot at the visitors center was nearly deserted on a cool overcast day. At this time of the year the tourist accomodations at Brasstown Bald are closed on weekdays and payment of the $3.00 parking fee (Federal park and recreation passes are accepted) is on the honor system. If I had looked around a little more I would have seen that maintenance workers had left the gate open on the summit road (a bus is available to take visitors to the summit during tourist season), and I could have driven the half mile to the top. But the trail from the parking lot, although fairly steep (about a 400-foot vertical gain in about half a mile), it is blacktopped and pleasant enough.

At the summit all the buildings were closed, and some maintenance workers were repairing walkways, etc., in anticipation of the tourist season. And, between the parking lot and the summit I climbed above the cloud ceiling, so there was no view whatsoever. Oh well, sometimes we can’t choose what days are available to do these things. Considering the flooding in the area I was probably fortunate to have reached the site at all. I met one other tourist the whole time I was there (about an hour), and saw four or five maintenance workers. Maybe there is a register inside the souvenir shop/commissary at the summit, but I didn’t see anything outside on the “patio.”

I then continued on to Blairsville and took US-76, for the most part a very good road, over to Dalton, Ga., and I-75. This was my fifteenth state highpoint.

Mark Stauter
Rolla, Mo.

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