Blood Mountain Wilderness, Protected wilderness area in Chattahoochee National Forest, Georgia, United States.
Blood Mountain Wilderness is a protected wilderness area in the Blue Ridge Mountains of northern Georgia, covering two counties and containing several peaks, waterfalls, and streams. Its highest point, Blood Mountain, rises to about 4,500 feet (1,372 meters), making it the tallest peak along the Appalachian Trail in Georgia.
Congress designated this area as protected wilderness in 1991 under the National Wilderness Preservation System, which put a permanent stop to any development of the land. Before that, the region had long been part of the Chattahoochee National Forest, managed for timber and recreation.
The name of this area comes from battles fought between the Creek and Cherokee peoples over this land. Along the Appalachian Trail, an old stone shelter still stands and offers walkers a place to rest during bad weather.
Bear-resistant food containers are required from March through June when camping near the Appalachian Trail, so check the rules before packing. The trails here can be steep and rocky, so solid footwear and enough water are worth bringing regardless of the season.
Blood Mountain is the first major high point that northbound Appalachian Trail hikers reach after leaving Springer Mountain, which gives it a special place in the minds of long-distance walkers. The stone shelter on the summit was built in the 1930s by young volunteers of the Civilian Conservation Corps and is one of the oldest structures still standing on the trail.
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