Summary:
Georgia’s most southerly mountain is a long forested ridge of quartzite, complete with rock outcrops, clear streams and waterfalls.

Leaving the picnic area parking lot at the WJSP TV tower, pass through a small clearing and into the forest. The trail proper begins at the registration box, about 25 yards into the woods. The loop begins and ends here. It can be walked in either direction, but it is described here counter-clockwise, continuing ahead past the registration box and returning on the trail to the left.

The Wolfden Loop Trail follows the eastern end of the Pine Mountain Trail, a 23-mile path that runs the length of the Park. Blue blazes are painted approximately every quarter mile. Wooden signs mark points of interest and junctions or important changes in the trail. Mile markers are in descending order, because distances on the Pine Mountain Trail are measured from west to east.

The trail begins a slight descent into the moist bottomlands of the forest. An old beaver pond soon becomes visible through short stands of cane and saplings. Rising and falling gently with the forest ridges, the trail soon enters a small boulder field. In spring look for clusters of wildflowers, such as bird foot violet and bluets, among the rocks. Black and chestnut oaks along with hickory and short-leaf pines dominate the surrounding slopes. Sightings of wild turkey and white tail deer are frequent. Bobcats, the elusive gray fox and coyote are also common. Listen for the calls of the mourning dove and red-tailed hawk, and the hammering of the red-cockaded woodpecker.

The rocky trail slopes down into shaded valley coves. Soon, you come to the first of many crossings of the shallow Wolfden Branch. Most crossings can be made on well-placed stones. Use caution, as the stones can be both slippery and unstable! On a hot summer day, you may choose to splash on through. In the cooler months however, a slip on an icy or mossy rock could make for a very uncomfortable hike.

The trail winds and weaves among rhododendron thickets, Piedmont azalea, and huckleberry. Mountain laurel is here too. The forests along the creeks are made up of sweet gum, maple and long-leaf pines. Here, the trail can be particularly muddy, especially after rain. On cold winter days, you’re likely to see ice along the creek banks and on the rocks. The trail climbs in and out of the cool, damp bottomlands onto the drier, sunnier ridges. None of the climbs are excessively tiring, and switchbacks make up the longer ascents. The rewards are the impressive rocky ledges on the ridges and the cascades and waterfalls along the creeks.

Before long the trail climbs onto the higher ridges and stays there for nearly the remainder of its length. Only as you close the loop will you pass through the bottomlands again. Once on the ridges, the trail follows the gentle ups and downs of the Appalachian Mountain foothills, through a mature hardwood and pine forest. Look for ‘Ferney’, an ancient and huge pine near a bend in the creek.

There are three primitive campsites along the trail. Shortly after the last of these, Sassafras Hill, the trail crosses Hwy 190 then re-enters the woods. Here the Pine Mountain Trail bends off to the right. You continue straight ahead on Wolfden Loop Trail. The final segment of the loop is marked with white blazes.

The trail follows a narrow ledge on a steep and forested slope. This section offers some of the most dramatic views, particularly in winter. Looking out through the trees, you can see the abruptness of the mountain ridges as they rise from the surrounding flat lands. Soon, you cross Hwy 190 again, and clos

Directions: From Columbus, take I-185 then US 27 north. About 5 miles south of the town of Pine Mountain, bear right onto Hwy 190, which runs through the Park. Continue east on the 190, past the Park office, to the junction with Hwy 85W. Turn left towards Warm Springs, the closest town to the trailhead.

Trailhead: Picnic area at the WJSP TV Tower on Hwy 85W, just after the junction with Hwy 190 (an alternate trailhead is on Hwy 190 at mile marker 18).

Length: 6.7 miles / 10.7 km

Trail Type: Loop

Elevation Change: 400 ft / 122 m

Duration: 4 hours

Trail Condition: Well maintained and marked with blazes every 0.25 mile.

Features: Forest, boulder fields, rock ledges, streams and waterfalls, wildlife, views (particularly in winter).

Climate: Year-round trail. Best seasons are fall, winter and spring. Summers are very hot and humid.

Accommodation: Cabins and camping inside the Park, plus primitive camping along the trail. Motels in Warm Springs and Pine Mountain.

Trail Notes: Maps available at the Park office on Hwy 190. Register at the trailhead - this allows Park managers and the Pine Mountain Trail Association to accurately gauge use of the trail. Weekdays are generally quiet and are the best time to visit; spring, fall and summer weekends can be busy.

Summary:
Often referred to as Georgia’s Grand Canyon, Providence Canyon offers hikers a unique setting of strikingly-colored gullies.

Beginning at the interpretive center, the white blazed trail descends a network of switchbacks from the somewhat dry and well-drained uplands to the shaded creek beds of the canyon floors. Standing at the trailhead, you have a hint of what’s in store. Looking over the forest of white and southern red oak, loblolly pine, dogwood, and hawthorn, it is difficult to know if the land rises up from the canyons or if the canyons sink into the land. The wide and well-maintained footpath winds through spring displays of wildflowers. When you arrive at the first creek-bed, you’re at the canyon floor.

The real treat of this hike is not necessarily the blazed path, but the exploration possibilities that lie within each of the canyons. There are 9 designated canyons, identified by the map available at the interpretive center. The canyon floors are actually shallow creeks of flat, hard-packed sand and clay, and can be quite muddy after wet weather. The rangers will inform you of the conditions before you start your hike.

Leaving the trail and walking into the canyons is a journey into the geological past of the region. Standing on the canyon floor and gazing up at the walls gives dimension to the scale of the erosion. The colorful streaks of clay and minerals each represent a period in time. Even the creek-bed can be a myriad of color and patterns as the clays and sands mix in the water. Rhododendron and alder thickets predominate. Look for the tracks of white tail deer, fox, raccoon and opossum. If you hear a rustling in the leaf litter of the forest and canyon floors, look carefully. It’s probably the nine banded armadillo. Wild turkeys may dart in front of you. On warm afternoons, you’re likely to see hawks and vultures soaring on updrafts, and hear the calls of pileated woodpeckers. At dawn and dusk, the distant yipping of coyotes can be heard.

While the canyon floors are not marked as part of the trail, and are therefore not included in the mileage total, they are relatively short in distance and easily followed. While difficult to do, it is possible to become lost. Check in with the rangers at the interpretive center, get a map, and let them know you plan to explore. Use common sense and you’ll be fine.

Rising and falling from the cool canyon floors to the warmer, sunlit and forested ridges, the trail undulates gently. At last, you begin a longer ascent through the forest, topping out at the southern rim of the largest canyon group. There are spectacular views into the canyons from several overlooks. Flirting with the canyon rim, the remainder of the trail follows level ground on the return to the interpretive center.

This trail shows that not all great hiking experiences are to be had in the mountains. Geologically unique from all other trails in the state, this one is well worth the trip. Where else in Georgia would an armadillo encounter be considered normal?

Backpacking Trail
Also starting at the interpretive center and sharing the Canyon Loop for a time is a 7 mile trail through the Park’s backcountry. The red-blazed loop follows the canyon rim, then heads through forest and small open areas on the west side of the Park before returning along Canyon Creek.

Directions: From the city of Columbus, take US 280 south for 12 miles, US 27 south for 19 miles to Lumpkin, then Hwy 39C west for 7 miles to the Park entrance.

Trailhead: Park interpretive center.

Length: 3 miles / 4.8 km

Trail Type: Loop

Elevation Change: 320 ft / 98 m

Duration: 2 hours

Trail Condition: Excellent condition - well maintained and clearly marked with white blazes.

Features: Canyons, mixed hardwood and pine forests, streams, wildlife.

Climate: All year trail, with mild winters and hot summers. The canyon floors are best hiked during dry weather.

Accommodation: Motels in Lumpkin and Columbus. Primitive backcountry camping only inside the Park.

Trail Notes: Weekdays are quiet and the best time to visit. Maps are available at the interpretive center, staffed by helpful and knowledgeable rangers.

Summary:
Descend from the rim into a world of quartzite rock, high bluffs and waterfalls.

It is just a short walk from the back of the Interpretive Center to the North Rim Trail. Turn left for the 0.25 mile walk along an easy, wide track through the trees to the first overlook. This is considered the best southern view into the gorge, with Oceana Falls just below you and Bridal Veil Falls at the far end of the gorge.

Retrace your steps, passing the turn-off to the Interpretive Center, and continue on to overlooks 2 and 3, with views of two more waterfalls, L’Eau d’Or and Tempesta. From here it is a gentle climb towards the dam, which you can see from overlook 4. Traffic noise increases as you approach overlook 5. Continue on the tarmac road; just before you pass under the US 441 road-bridge, head right up the dirt steps to follow the sidewalk across the bridge and join the paved South Rim Trail (rebuilt in 1998 after the original trail was destroyed by a tornado four years earlier).

Continue along the trail to overlooks 6 and 7, with views of Hawthorne Pool and Tempesta Falls, and pass the stepped Hurricane Falls Trail, your route out of the canyon. Just after this, the South Rim Trail forks left to overlooks 8, 9 and 10; forking right is the service road, heading under power lines, that you need to take to access the Sliding Rock Trail. It is worth going to the end of South Rim Trail (it is not far) to take in the final three overlook, with views of 96-foot Hurricane Falls (the highest in the gorge) and rock bluffs.

Continue to the end of the service road and through a private parking area to Sliding Rock Trail (sometimes called South Wallenda Trail). From the edge of the gorge, this steep, 45-degree angled trail descends to the bottom of the gorge. Cross the Tallulah River above Bridal Veil Falls and boulder-hop your way back along the gorge floor with the river to your left, a distance of about 1 mile but time-consuming as there is no trail.

You will need to re-cross the river to ascend out of the gorge, but do not do this by Oceana Falls. Instead, cross just below Hurricane Falls, where there is a six-foot jump between the boulders. If you don’t think you can make it, take your shoes off to wade through the water - the quartzite rocks are extremely slippery to negotiate if your boots are wet.

Ascend the gorge via the 600 steps of Hurricane Falls Trail. It is now simply a case of re-tracing your steps along the South and North Rim Trails back to the Interpretive Center.

Directions: From I-85, take US 441 north into Tallulah Falls. Pass the lake (formed by the damming of Tallulah River) and the Park entrance is signed right on Jane Hurt Yarn Road. Continue along this road to the car park at the Jane Hurt Yarn Interpretive Center.

Trailhead: Behind the Interpretive Center.

Length: 5.5 miles / 8.8 km

Trail Type: Out and back

Elevation Change: N/A

Duration: 3.5 hours

Trail Condition: Easy, well-maintained trail around the rim. Steep into the gorge. No trail along the gorge floor, just a rugged route over boulders and through the river.

Features: Gorge, waterfalls and river.

Climate: Pleasant temperatures spring to autumn. Year-round trail, but gorge floor permits not issued in icy conditions.

Accommodation: Tent and RV sites inside the Park. Lodging to the north in Clayton or south in Toccoa.

Trail Notes: Only 100 hikers are allowed each day into the gorge - obtain a free permit from the Interpretive Center, along with a trail map. The gorge floor is closed to hikers on most weekends in April, May, September and November, and selected dates in October, when water is released for aesthetic purposes and whitewater kayakers.

Summary:
Descend into a dramatic gorge for close-up views of two beautiful waterfalls.

In just 0.2 mile, you reach the junction with West Rim Loop Trail, which heads sharp left down some wooden steps. You continue straight on to the waterfalls. As you descend along the clear path, look out for the first waterfall in the gorge below. Soon the trail divides: left to the first waterfall in 0.1 mile, right to the second waterfall in 0.3 mile.

First waterfall: Steps and a rocky trail lead to the base of a beautiful waterfall plunging over the sheer sandstone rock-face, forming a pool enclosed by rocks.

Second waterfall: Many steps and a boardwalk lead to the gorge floor, with lovely views over the Cloudland Canyon (also known as Sitton Gulch) and great leaf colors even late in the year. At the bottom, it would only be a short scramble to the creek, but fences keep you from wandering off the trail. The waterfall plunges over the high sandstone cliffs directly ahead, another very beautiful scene, but again you are forced to remain behind a barrier and cannot go any further onto the rocks.

It is a steady climb out of the gorge, retracing your steps past the first waterfall spur, to the trail junction. Here you can head onto the West Rim Loop Trail for more views over the edge of the gorge.

Directions: I-59 exit 11, then Hwy 136 east for about 8 miles to the Park entrance.

Trailhead: Continue along the Park road from the office to the parking area by the Gorge Overlook.

Length: 2 miles / 3.2 km

Trail Type: Out and back

Elevation Change: -500 ft / -152 m
Ascent on rerturn.

Duration: 1 hours

Trail Condition: Well-maintained and easy to follow, blue blazes. Large number of steps and boardwalk.

Features: Waterfalls, sandstone cliffs, gorge, fall leaf color.

Climate: Year-round trail. Pleasant temperatures spring to autumn.

Accommodation: Large cottages (7-night minimum stay in summer), tent and RV sites inside the Park. Motels off the Interstate near Trenton.

Trail Notes: Trail map available from the Park office (open 8am-5pm).

Summary:
Climb to the top of Black Rock Mountain and on to a panoramic view of wooded mountains in three States.

From the parking area, it is a short climb up steps to the start of the loop. Bear right to follow the loop anti-clockwise, and continue climbing through the trees for a short time before the trail levels. Cross a small spring at marker post 4, reduced to a trickle of water by autumn. The trail is easy, with just a gently undulating gradient. After a level section, pass a short spur on the left (this leads to a boulder field and fragile botanical area at marker post 7).

20 minutes into the hike, at marker post 10, the trail makes a sharp left. The wide, level path continues through the forest (passing posts 10-13), which is now predominantly pine. It then narrows a little and starts climbing. After a steady climb, fork left at the sign and continue climbing up the hill, making your way to the summit of Black Rock Mountain. Just before post 14, the climb gets steeper as you switchback up the hillside and crest the ridge.

Now the trail bears left, and the climb is more gradual as you make your way along the tree-lined ridge. Soon you reach the forested 3,640-ft summit (40 minutes in). Continue making your way along the ridge on the gently undulating trail. Some wooden steps lead up to a more rugged section (posts 20-22), with lichen-covered boulders and rock outcrops lining the trail. From Tennessee Rock, an outcrop on your left, the view stretches over Wolffork and Germany Valleys and the Southern Appalachians. Depending on visibility, you may be able to see Clingmans Dome in Tennessee, as well as the wooded peaks of Georgia and North Carolina.

Rhododendrons crowd the path as you descend from Tennessee Rock. The trail passes close to the road before heading back into the trees. Descend through the forest to complete the loop, and bear right back down the steps to the parking area.

If you want to continue hiking, you can take the longer John Edmonds Trail, a backcountry forested loop that shares the same trailhead. Together, these two trails have a total distance of 9.4 miles.

Directions: From Clayton, take US 441 north for about 3 miles to Mountain City, then turn left onto Black Rock Mountain Parkway. It is clearly signed.

Trailhead: Parking area on the right of the Parkway, before you reach the visitor center.

Length: 2.2 miles / 3.5 km

Trail Type: Loop

Elevation Change: 360 ft / 110 m

Duration: 1 hours

Trail Condition: Well-maintained and signed, easy to follow. Yellow blazes.

Features: Hardwood forest, scenic viewpoint, beautiful leaf colors in October.

Climate: Pleasant temperatures spring to autumn. Snow in winter at higher elevations.

Accommodation: Cottages (7-night minimum stay in summer), tent and RV sites inside the Park. Lodging in Clayton.

Trail Notes: Trail map available at visitor center (open daily, 8am-5pm). An interpretive guide is also available, pointing out flora and fauna at numbered marker posts along the trail.