Big Cedar is a short hike from the Woody Gap parking lot on the AT. While we were on our way up we passed a large group of scouts coming down. The most iconic feature on this hike is Preacher’s Rock. Some really incredible views from here. The actual summit is very wooded and not much to see. I thought I had some pics, but they must be on Lynn’s phone.
Our thinking was to hike Big Cedar first, then walk down the road toward Suches about an 1/8th of a mile and take the gated road on the left to Black Mountain Summit. My thinking was, road hike last, should be really easy…Wrong! We were not as fresh after doing Big Cedar and it was afternoon in July in North GA. The road had little to no shade from the mid-day sun and with the exception of one, maybe two turns in the road, it was straight up. Poor Annie, our black miniature Schnauzer. She was so hot going up the mountain. Whenever we would stop to catch our breath she would quickly dart into the tall weeds on the side of the road and lie down flat. She made it to the top and enjoyed a long rest. You can get a sense of how big a summit this is by observing it as you approach Woody Gap coming from Dahlonega on 60 going toward Suches. The summit has a very prominent feature, an old forestry service tower, which now serves as a radio tower. You can see this to the left of 60 a good mile or so as you approach Woody Gap. It is really up there. The pics I took are pretty good, but the ones of the view from the top were nowhere near as good as what I actually saw. The views from the summit are truly stunning. There is a very well maintained area at the very top with a shaded and mowed grass area. This was the perfect spot to operate from and grab some lunch. If you’re not into radio and just wanted a great hike and a place away from all of the crowds, this would be the spot.
Thanks for reading. enjoy the pics here: Big Cedar & Black Mtn.
KC4WZB 