WHITLEY GAP SHELTER
Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests
1755 Cleveland Highway
Gainesville, GA 30501
770 297-3000
The Chattahoochee National Forest is one of two National Forests in the State of Georgia, and it takes its name from the Chattahoochee River whose headwaters begin in the North Georgia mountains. The River and the area were given the name by the English settlers who heard it from the Indians that once lived here. The Chattahoochee National Forest was created when the Forest Service purchased 31,000 acres in Fannin, Gilmer, Lumpkin and Union Counties from the Gennett family in 1911 for $7.00 per acre. In the beginning, the Chattahoochee was part of the Nantahala and Cherokee National Forests in North Carolina and Tennessee, but eventually the Forest Service made additional land purchases and expanded the Chattahoochee to its current size of nearly 750,000 acres.
The walk to Whitley Gap Shelter is an in-and-out, backtrack hike that can be done as either a day or overnight hike. The hike starts at Hogpen Gap and follows the Appalachian Trail southbound up 200 feet over 0.2 miles. At the ridgeline, there is a sign for Whitley Gap Shelter which is 1.2 miles off the A.T. on a blue-blazed side trail. Turn left on to the trail and follow the spine of Wildcat Mountain which has some great views to the west toward Cow Rock Mountain and Wolf Laurel Top. The shelter sits in a hollow with a steep decent over the last 0.3 miles. It sleeps 6-8 and has a picnic table, privy, bear cables, and a spring in the area.
- click to see video from this backpacking trip: BirdShooter’s Thanks For The Trail Magic, Clouds Over Wolf Laurel Top (password required)
- click for more video from this hike: Clouds Over Cowrock Mountain, Sunset With 30 Pack & Mattress, The Late Night Campfire Song (password required)
- click to see a photo journal from this hike near Hogpen Gap: March 23, 2012
- click to see photos from this overnight backpacking trip to Whitley Gap: March 23, 2012 (password required)
- click to view a trip report from this hike on the Appalachian Trail near Helen, GA: March 23, 2012 (password required)
- click to view the Whitley Gap Shelter area map, Wolf Laurel Top to Unicoi Gap profile map, Wolf Laurel Top to Chattahoochee Gap trail map (password required)
- click for a Wildcat Mountain trail and profile map (password required)
- click for Georgia Appalachian Trail overview map, Georgia Appalachian Trail profile map (password required)
- click for a movie of a hike to Wildcat Mountain and Whitley Gap in 2015 (password required)
- click to see some other hikes to Wildcat Mountain
- click to YourHikes for more information on this backpacking trip near Hogpen Gap
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