Coosa Bald (via Wildcat Gap)
Vogel State Park
7485 Vogel State Park Road
Blairsville, GA 30512
(706) 745-2628
Coosa Bald (4,271 feet) is one of the ten highest peaks in Georgia and it is accessible via the Coosa Backcountry and Duncan Ridge Trails which start near Vogel State Park. The summit hardly qualifies as a bald these days and Mother Nature has mostly taken back this once open area. So if you want some views – go before the leaves bud on the trees, and you’ll likely have the place to yourself.
On this hike, we took Duncan Ridge Road to Wildcat Gap (3,780 feet) and hiked nearly 500 feet to Coosa Bald. There is no water at the summit and campsites are limited – especially in the summer months. Yet this is one of the high points of the Duncan Ridge Trail and it is worth a look especially in the Spring/Fall. To reach the trailhead, a high clearnece AWD or 4WD vehicle is recommended – although during dry weather you may get lucky.
- click to watch a video from the summit of Coosa Bald: April 20, 2013
- click to see a photo journal of this backpacking trip on the Coosa Backpacking Trail: April 20, 2013
- click to see photos from this area near Wildcat Gap: April 20, 2013 (password required)
- click to view a trip report from this hike on the Duncan Ridge Trail: April 20, 2013 (password required)
- click for a Trails Illustrated map of this area in the Chattahoochee National Forest
- click for a topo and profile map for this hike to Coosa Bald from GA 180 (password required)
- click for a topographical and profile map of the Coosa Backcountry Trail
- click for a park map of the hiking and backpacking trails at the nearby Vogel State Park
- click for a topographical map of the trails in Vogel State Park
- click for a topographical map of campsites in the Blood Mountain Wilderness
- click for another hike to Coosa Bald in December 1997 and December 2020
- click for hikes on the nearby Bear Hair Gap and Trahlyta Lake Trails at Vogel State Park
- click to access the guidebook Best Hikes With Dogs Georgia And South Carolina which has details on this destination
- click for other Georgia hiking and backpacking books