Blood Mountain via Byron Reece, Slaughter Creek and Freeman Trails

This fun hike adds a new twist to exploring Blood Mountain, one of Georgia's most iconic experiences. We'll go up, down and around the mountain to enjoy a variety of both well-known and lesser-seen sites.

At 4,458 feet elevation Blood Mountain is Georgia’s sixth tallest mountain and the highest point on the Georgia section of the Appalachian Trail. This rugged wilderness offers spectacular views of the surrounding mountains from several large rock outcroppings. Our route will also take us past spring-fed mountain creeks and through beautiful forests. 

We'll start with a short uphill climb on the Byron Reece Trail to its junction with the Appalachian Trail and Freeman Trail. Turning southbound onto the AT, we will ascend Blood Mountain, stopping to enjoy some beautiful overlooks along the way. At the summit we'll pause to admire the old rock cabin and experience epic long-range views from atop nearby boulders. Continuing along the AT, we will pass the intersection with the Duncan Ridge Trail and then turn onto Slaughter Creek Trail. This will give us good views of the creek as we descend to a small campsite area before heading back up to the AT. We'll then continue a short distance until we reach the Woods Hole spur trail, where we'll take a short detour to visit the only log shelter on the Georgia AT - and enjoy a lunch/ snack break. We'll then find our way to the AT/Freeman Trail junction and wind around Blood Mountain on Freeman until we arrive back at Byron Reece and head down to the trailhead where we started. Total distance will be about 8.8 miles, with approximately 2,300 feet elevation gain. 

This is a challenging D4 mountain trek. You'll need to have recent D4 or equivalent hiking experience and be comfortable moving at a moderate pace of 2.5 mph.

We'll begin at the Byron Reece Memorial trailhead parking lot on US-19 just north of Mountain Crossing. Parking space is limited, so please arrive at least 10 minutes early to ensure that you have time to park. Here is a link to the location on Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Byron+Reece+trailhead+parking/