Coosa Bald (via Wildcat Gap)

Vogel State Park is one of Georgia’s oldest and most popular facilities in the Georgia Parks system.  The park is located at the base of Blood Mountain in the Chattahoochee National Forest and is one of the first two parks designated by the State of Georgia and founded in 1931.  Much of the park was constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the 1930s.  For a nice pleasant hike, consider the Bear Hair Gap Trail which is a gentle four mile loop hike that is popular with day hikers in Vogel State Park. For a more strenuous day hike or a challenging overnight backpacking trip, then consider the Coosa Backcountry Trail which crosses Coosa Bald at 4,271 feet.

Coosa Bald 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 clearance AWD or 4WD vehicle is recommended – although during dry weather you may get lucky.