Tennessee Rock

Georgia’s highest state park encompasses some of the most outstanding scenery in Georgia’s Blue Ridge Mountains. Roadside overlooks provide spectacular 80-mile vistas, and four hiking trails lead visitors past wildflowers, streams, small waterfalls and lush forests. Visitors enjoy the summit visitor center for its views, gift shop and picnic tables.  Black Rock Mountain State Park is named for the sheer cliffs of dark-colored rock which are found occasionally in Georgia’s Blue Ridge Mountains. The park is located on both sides of the Eastern Continental Divide at an altitude of 3,640 feet, and Black Rock Mountain is the highest state park in the State of Georgia. Hikers will enjoy dramatic views of the Southern Appalachians, and several hiking trails lead visitors past cascading streams and waterfalls in the park.

This hike along The Tennessee Rock Trail leaves the parking lot and passes a picnic area before the path disappears into a forested habitat. Winding toward the southwest, the trail gently ascends and descends along the northwestern side of Black Rock Mountain where there are excellent views down toward Clayton, Georgia. After about a mile, The Tennessee Rock Trail begins a hairpin turn as the path loops back to the northeast. It then begins a 200-foot ascent up to the summit of Black Rock Mountain Parkway, which in the winter months has excellent views of the surrounding mountains. From the summit, the trail descends gradually on the ridge of Black Rock Mountain, hugs the parkway, and winds around a small knob on the way back to the parking area.