Best Views Around - Rabun Bald and Whiteside Mtn

Come join us for a hike to two of the most impressive views in the Southeast - Rabun Bald and Whiteside Mountain.

Rabun Bald is Georgia's second highest peak, rising to an impressive 4,696 ft. Atop Rabun Bald is an old stone firetower base, which now has a large wooden observation platform on it. The observation tower provides unobstructed magnificent 360 degree views of the surrounding area - including many of the well known mountains in Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. We will be taking the "Lazy-A" approach to the top, which is a 1.5 mile (3 r/t) hike with about 1,200 feet of ascent. After spending about 30 minutes on top to absorb the beauty, we will hike down and then take about a 35 minute drive to Whiteside Mountain.

Whiteside Mountain standing at nearly 5,000 ft (4,930) boasts the highest cliffs, over 700 ft, in Eastern North America. We will hike a loop trail which provides numerous overlooks perched atop the spectacular cliffs. There is a side trail, which usually involves a bit of mild scrambling, that we will take to Devil's Courthouse. The overlook at Devil's Courthouse provides amazing views of the "bowl" which is the headwaters for the famous Wild and Scenic Chattooga River. The total hike distance will be about 3.2 miles with approximately 1,000 feet of ascent.

The total of both portions of the hike will be about 6.3 miles with 2,200 feet of ascent.

After returning back to the vehicles, if time permits, we may make a short excursion to Dry Falls, a very short distance west of Highlands. It is known as Dry Falls, because it is possible to walk behind the waterfall and stay dry... well, relatively dry.

We plan to stop for dinner in Clayton on the way home. If you do not wish to stop, please make your plans known at the carpool, so that you can potentially ride with another doing the same, or else you may need to drive your own vehicle.

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