SOTA Guide - Bald Mtn - 10 points, W4G/HC-003
Drive Guide - Bald Mountain from ATLANTA
- Duration: 2:15
- Google Maps After you reach Bald Mtn, the Google map site directions to Grassy Mtn were useless in 2013.
- URL from Atlanta (33.917, -84.3378) to Bald Mountain to Grassy Mtn: http://goo.gl/maps/LNlI3
- Seasonal/Limited Access:
- March 1 - December 31 (per http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/conf/recreation/hiking/recarea/?recid=10465&actid=104), and there are gates.
- Directions to Bald Mtn Trailhead:
- [See driving directions in my Grassy Mtn guide. The drive to Bald Mtn is 95% of the drive to Grassy Mtn.]
- Food: (See Grassy Mtn)
Drive Guide - Bald Mountain from Cowpen Mountain
- Right/straight/south out of parking (NOT left/east) on USFS-64 and go 4.1
- Straight through “Conasauga T” (NOT left) onto USFS-67 and go 3.5
- Park at the driveway to the group camping area (on left); trailhead is across the road
Drive Guide - Bald Mountain TO Atlanta
- Head east on FS-68, toward the “Conasauga T” and go 3.5
- R at “Conasauga T” to stay on FS-68 (straight becomes FS-64) and go 3.2
- Sharp L on FS-90 (becomes Wilderness Trail) and go 1.5
- L on Gates Chapel Rd and go 5.4
- L on GA-52 and follow GA-52 for 6 miles.
- R onto bridge and go 0.1
- R on GA-515/GA-575
Trail Guide
- Duration: 0:30 up, 0:15 down; 0.5 miles
- Navigation
- Follow the trail 0.5 miles. Starts northeast, then east, then northeast again.
- The trail is basically straight up the mountain, with no descent. It goes up, but it is probably the easiest of the Georgia 10-pointers, given the modest slope and short distance. The actual summit is off the trail about 75’ and is covered with evergreens, but the trail passes through the activation zone.
- In summer, the trail and the summit are overgrown with greenery. Bluejeans are advised, due to thorns crowing the trail.
- Trailhead altitude: 3621’ @ Trailhead @ 34.86117, -84.63482
- Summit altitude: 4005’
- GPS tracks/waypoints:
- Trailhead: 34.86117, -84.63482
- Summit: 34.86450, -84.62830
Summit Guide
- Hang antenna from tree: Yes.
- Space to guy mast: Challenging in spring/summer, due to underbrush.
- Cell coverage: Verizon SMS, AT&T SMS (intermittent), and APRS – all worked.
- Note that there are flush toilets at the picnic area at Lake Conasauga. You have to pay $2 to park there, and don’t forget that the picnic area isn’t open for the full March-December season that the road is open.
Plan-B Candidates