55 Brasstown Bald Facts To Know For Your Next Outdoor Trip

Brasstown Bald is the state of Georgia's highest point.

Enotah is the Cherokee name for the mountain, which is located in northeast Georgia. The English name is a mistranslation of the Cherokee designation for a neighboring old Cherokee village by early English settlers.

The location is on upper Brasstown Creek, which feeds the Hiwassee River. The peak of Brasstown Bald mountain is split between towns and union counties, with the county line separating the two.

Brasstown Bald is a section of the Blue Ridge Mountains of the Appalachian Mountains. They lie inside the Chattahoochee National Forest's Blue Ridge Ranger District.

The Blue Ridge Mountains are known as one of the oldest mountain ranges in the United States, dating back over a billion years. The Cherokees who lived in the mountains referred to them as 'God's Great Blue Hills'.

At 1458 m (4,784 ft), Brasstown Bald is Georgia's highest peak. Under the northeast peak, a 'cloud forest' resides in Brasstown Bald. It is called a cloud forest as the ground is constantly saturated by the moisture of the clouds.

After reading interesting facts about the state which is home to the legend of the great flood and a famous stone monument, also check facts about birds in Georgia and poisonous snakes in Georgia.

Fun Facts About Brasstown Bald

Brasstown Bald is one of the finest spots in Georgia for astrophotographers since it has the scarcest amount of 'atmospheric turbulence.' The majority of the Brasstown Bald is made up of soapstone and dunite.

A terrifying, sharp-clawed, winged beast attempted to take and consume Indian children, according to Cherokee mythology about the bald mountains. To trap the monster, it is said that the Cherokees stripped the woods and appealed to their Great Spirit, who destroyed the monster and returned the youngsters, and this has kept the mountaintops clear of trees ever since.

Once you start at the parking lot towards the Brasstown Bald visitor center, there is a steep, paved 5 mi (8 km) trail. A shuttle bus transports guests from the parking lot to the visitor center for a charge on weekends in April and May, then continuously from Memorial Day to the end of October.

Facts About Brasstown's Location

The Brasstown Bald is located within the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests, and is Georgia's highest point, reaching 1458 m (4,784 ft) above sea level and is not too far away from Blairsville, and Helen. Additionally, the road to the top is steep and paved. The road is named Georgia State Route 180 Spur.

Picnic areas with spectacular views, stores with locally made goods, three trailheads, and a natural science and history museum at the mountaintop can be found around Brasstown Bald. There is also an observation deck with a 360° scenic backdrop area, from which you can see four states and, if fortunate, the Atlanta skyline can be seen too.

The Wagon Train Trail, which runs from the parking area to the peak, is worth trekking. The old wagon train route runs east then north into the magnificent cloud forest of northern hardwoods just at the north side of the mountain, next to the visitor’s center.

Due to the constant wetness from cloud condensation, the large, old yellow birches are draped with old man's beard lichen. Mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia), rosebay rhododendron, and purple rhododendron are the most common shrubs around the parking lot. The trees get shorter as you climb higher up the mountainside

Facts About Brasstown's History

The Brasstown Wilderness was established in 1986 on 11,823 acres (4785 hectares) of the Chattahoochee National Forest by Congress.

A total of 1,152 acres (466 hectares) have been purchased since then. The bald is only 0.75 acres (0.3 hectares) and is not part of the wilderness region. Though outside in the wilderness, there are paved pathways, a visitor center, and other conveniences.

Brasstown Bald and the ridges rising to it are surrounded by a tight ring of ultrabasic rocks which are soapstone, dunite, and olivine. Many northern plant and animal species, notably the red-back vole, have their southernmost habitat here. The north face is covered with a northern hardwood 'cloud forest' of massive, old birches.

Facts About Brasstown's Highest Peak

Brasstown Bald is 1458 m (4,784 ft) above sea level, with its peak towering 0.5 mi (0.8 km) above the lowlands below. The observation tower provides a spectacular perspective of the mountains' magnificent landscapes, which span four states, making it a busy tourist destination in the North Georgia mountains.

Rhododendron and mountain laurel are two of the few species that can thrive in these arid, cold conditions. The wildflower blooms are especially spectacular in the north-facing coves and along the east side of Wolfpen Ridge, one of Georgia's longest and tallest mountains.

Brasstown Bald got its name from a mix-up of the Cherokee terms Itse'yĭ , which means 'fresh green spot', and Ûňtsaiyĭ, which means 'brass'.

As you ascend, you enter a dwarfed red and white oak woodland with aged, twisted, and limby trees. Distinctive mountaintop species such as dwarf willow and red-berried mountain ash grow at the top.

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