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| Rabun Bald, November 17, 2010 |
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| Rhododendron 'wookie' tunnel, last part of hike |
Rabun Bald is the second highest mountain in Georgia (4696 ft.), behind only Brasstown Bald (4784 ft.). I hiked to the top today, from Beegum Gap, at the end of Kelsey Mountain Road in Sky Valley, GA.
The hike is about a mile and a half. At the trailhead parking lot, take the trail on the left, not the jeep track on the right. They both go to same place, but the trail is nicer.
The first mile has a fairly gentle gradient. Then, you come to where the jeep track joins back up with the hiking trail, with an open area where folks have camped (fire pit). From here, the last half mile of the trail continues (no more jeep track) up a steeper slope with six switchbacks, before you get to the top. At the summit is an observation tower.
The summit is nearly three thousand feet higher than Lake Burton, so you can count on it being much cooler and usually windier. The temperature should be 10 to 15 degrees lower than at the lake. At the summit, you're nearly as high as Denver, so you might be breathing harder, too.
From our cottage, either take the scenic route to the trailhead, through the Persimmon valley, to Dillard, or take the faster route through Clayton (both routes are available on this Google Maps link.)
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