BIRCH CREEK
Cohutta Wilderness Area
National Forest Service
401 Old Ellijay Road
Chatsworth, GA 30705
(706) 695-6736
This is a short section of the Conasauga River Trail that you can follow 1.7 miles down from Betty Gap to the junction of Popular Springs Branch, Birch Creek, and the Conasauga River Trail. The point where these streams intersect is interesting but there are limited flat areas for camping here if you are a backpacker.
If you are day hiking, it is ~800 feet down to the junction of these streams and you will likely be hiking back out the way you came in. The alternative is to complete an ambitious 13 mile loop that follows the Conasuaga River to the Panther Creek Trail, then continues clockwise to skirt Cowpen and Betty Mountain before returning to Betty Gap.
The fire that burned here in 2016 is still evident on the Conasauga River Trail, but don’t underestimate the terrain in this area. It can be very challenging – at any time of the year.
- click to watch an exhausted Roger after his climb to Betty Gap, see frost on the trees as we leave the trailhead at Birch Creek, A Hard Earned Beer
- click to see photos from this hike at the Cohutta Wilderness Area: December 31, 2017
- click to read a trip report from this hike starting at Betty Gap: December 31, 2017
- click to view a trail map of this hike near the Cohutta Wilderness Area
- click to go to the Hikes discussion forum
- click for links to other outdoor books and magazines
- click to add your hike, trip report, or feedback for this destination
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