HIGHLIGHTS: Rich Mountain
Wilderness was dedicated in 1986 by the U.S. government and currently
encompasses over 10,000 acres of terrain. The Chattahoochee National
Forest Service manages the property which is named after 4,050' Rich Mountain
and where remnants of white settlements can still be seen just north of the
summit. The sites date back to around 1910 and post-date some Indian camps
that existed along the high ridgelines. In the valley, the well-known
Cartecay River slices through the forest where a drainage of the Rich Mountain
Wilderness produced the largest gold nugget ever found in Georgia.
The Stanley Gap
Trail is a challenging hike that runs from Deep Gap to Stanley Gap in the Rich
Mountain Wilderness of the Chattahoochee National Forest. The route can be
hiked in either direction, but it is a long and steady 1000+ foot climb to the
top of Rocky Mountain (3,244 feet) regardless of the direction you chose.
There are decent winter views in all directions from the summit, and a short
section of the Benton MacKaye Trail shares the route with the Stanley Gap Trail
south of the Rocky Mountain.
