SOTA Guide - Burnt Mountain, W4G/HC-010

Can’t get there yet. It is on private property. I scouted the location on November 9, 2013, and there were prominent “No Trespassing” signs at both ends of the old Monument Road. In 2018, I emailed with a Peakbagger summiteer, who says the sign is down at one end, but the summit is definitely still on private property and should not be accessed without permission.

There are two roads marked “Monument Road” on Google Maps:

• This one is real. It is paved, it is drivable, it is public, and it is not gated. I’ll refer to this as “new Monument Road.”
• This one is off limits. It is gated at both ends, it is abandoned, and it is on private property. I’ll refer to this as “old Monument Road.” Here’s a topo: https://tinyurl.com/burnt-mtn-trek.

The signs at the ends of old Monument Road have no information regarding who to contact. Mountain Conservation Trust (MCT) holds a conservation easement on the property, to prevent development. MCT was very helpful, but they do not own the property and cannot grant permission to hike it. Old Monument Road is owned by Tate Mountain Associates, which owns a gated community nearby. (Uh oh. Gated communities don’t generally like hikers.) The summit itself is owned by the Georgia Board of Regents. MCT referred my request via email to Tate and the Regents on August 28, 2018. If I get a reply, I’ll summarize it here.

I had thought about following the power line, if the road was un-travelable. Don’t do it. The No Trespassing signs were pretty clear, and there are additional No Trespassing signs along Georgia Highway 136 too.

While I was moping around one of the gates, a couple of men came walking down the road. They explained that they had permission from the owner. I asked how to reach the owner. They were pretty vague. “The something-or-other Land Trust owns it. Check with the Pickens County Tax Assessor’s office. That’s where I got the contact name.”

I’ll update this post if I find anything more.

Drive Guide - Burnt Mountain

• Duration:
• Google Maps URL from Ashford Dunwoody Rd and I-285 at 33.917, -84.3378: https://tinyurl.com/burnt-mtn-drive-1
• Final Drive: https://tinyurl.com/burnt-mtn-final-drive
• Seasonal/Limited Access: All weather, all season. Paved roads.
• Directions:
  • I-285 west
  • GA-400 North and go 38 miles
  • L on GA-53 west and go 6.6
  • R facing old county courthouse onto Shoal Creek Rd, shortly passing new Dawson County Government Center on L. Go 2.6
  • Continue (bear L) onto GA-136 and go 8.7
  • L on GA-136 and go 6.4
  • L on Monument Rd and go 0.4.
  • Old Monument Rd is sharp R; gravel parking strip on L.
• Food
  • Last McDonalds: Corner of GA-400 and GA-53.
  • Penultimate McDonalds: Somewhere in Cumming.

Trail Guide

• Duration: 60 minutes up; 60 minutes down

• Navigation:

  • Map at https://tinyurl.com/burnt-mtn-trek

  • Follow old Monument Road 0.8. Turn L at steel gate on L. Follow step dirt road 0.5 to summit.

  • Old Monument Road is paved, and it looks like it once had a double yellow stripe down the middle. According to Peakbagger, you can walk 0.8 along old Monument Road, “turn left past a steel gate on the left and continue 0.5 miles up an abandoned driveway.” The abandoned driveway is a short, steep climb of about 150’.

  • The route isn’t exactly on the ridge, but it pretty much follows the ridge from new Monument Road to the summit; occasionally, the ridge may be 100-200 feet to your side. If the road/driveway is gone, just follow the ridge. It should be an easy walk from the gate, if you can just get permission.

• Trailhead altitude: 3134 @ 34.5359, -84.3449

• Summit altitude: 3290 @ 34.5347, -84.3615

Summit Guide

• Hang antenna from tree: ?
• Space to guy mast: ?
• Cell coverage: ?
• Unique features:
  • Peakbagger says, “… you’ll find impressive stone ruins of the old Connahaynee Lodge. It was built in 1930 and burned down in 1947.”