Pine Mountain and Coopers Furnace (New Longer Route including Secret Trail)

Let’s hike Pine Mountain near Cartersville.  This hike packs a lot into its 9 miles including some very interesting trail and some spectacular views from the summit of Pine Mountain.  Other highlights include Coopers Furnace and views of the Lake Allatoona Dam.  Our pace will be moderate and we will take our time on the climbs, making sure we are all together at the top.  

This is a solid D4 hike with nearly 2000 feet of elevation gain so it is not recommended for beginner hikers.  You should have D4 or solid D3 experience.  The Trip Leader reserves the right to move participants to the waitlist if necessary.  

We will start by attacking the West Loop first, doing the loop in a clockwise direction.  We will reach the David Archer overlook at the summit of Pine Mountain at an elevation of nearly 1600 feet.  The view of Lake Allatoona and the nearby mountains in the background is spectacular.  After a short break to enjoy the views, we will take a secret trail down to the Etowah River, stopping to see some ruins of a former mining operation along the way.  

After passing the ruins of Coopers Furnace, we will head up to the overlook above Allatoona Dam. We will stop briefly at the Army Corps of Engineers Visitors Center before heading out the Laurel Ridge trail.  We will divert down the Coopers Furnace trail before taking a little used trail to connect us back to the East Loop of Pine Mountain.   Another climb brings us to the summit of Pine Mountain before we descend one last time on the West Loop, reaching our cars,  

Plan on packing a lunch or snacks as we will plan on taking a break along the way, possibly at the summit of Pine Mountain. 

This is a Bartow County park so parking is free.     

• Take I-75 north towards Cartersville
• Take exit 288, Main Street Cartersville
• At top of ramp, turn right onto Main Street
• Proceed approximately 100 yards to end of road and turn right onto Komatsu Drive
• In approximately 100 yards, the parking lot and trailhead for the West Loop is located on your left.
• Make sure you park in the parking lot itself as parking along the road and driveway to the parking lot is prohibited.