The only thing we love better than a strenuous hike is an afternoon nap in our hammock in the middle of one of North Georgia’s dozens of trails. Actually, who are we kidding? We infinitely prefer the hammock option 9 times out of 10. So we thought what better way to celebrate hammock life than to have our readers share some of their favorite places to hammock in North Georgia. Below are The 11 Best Places To Hammock In North Georgia as shared by our followers.
A huge thank you to our photo contributions for this article. They come from some very fine photographers in our growing Instagram community. We would like to specifically thank Katie Malcolm, Arielle Gospodarec, Clayton Westmoreland, Jordan Mahan, Patrick McInnes, Dillan Glass, Charles Smith, Taylor Wilkins, Nisha Gajjar, Rebecca Pearson, and Luis Fabian Prato for participating in our contest and for generously sharing their photos with us. If you like their contribution below, be sure to go and give them a follow on Instagram!
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Yonah Mountain. Mount Yonah. Whatever you call it (technically it’s Yonah Mountain), the views are stunning. On a clear day you can see for miles. On a cloudy or hazy day you can still see for miles. The summit looks out towards the west with nothing but open air in front of you. It’s not the easiest hike at almost 5 miles round trip and there are parts that are definitely pretty strenuous but the pay off is a wide open view. DIRECTIONS
Fort Yargo State Park is almost right in the middle between Athens and Atlanta making it an excellent day trip. It is primarily a state park so you are going to find all of the things you would expect . . . camp sites, picnic shelters, boat ramps, beach pavilions, tennis courts, and even a miniature golf course. That typically screams crowds to us but with a 260 acre lake in the state park, there are plenty of places – and trees – to string up a hammock and enjoy the water. DIRECTIONS
Hemlock Falls is off of Lake Burton in Rabun County. The trail follows Moccasin Creek and an old railroad bed that clocks in at just under two miles. Because of it’s short distance it is a great all ages hike and on the easier side. This trail is typically quieter than most, especially in the non-summer (i.e. non-lake traffic) months making it the perfect spot to kill an afternoon in the Spring or Fall. DIRECTIONS
We are biased about Raven Cliffs. We have said it multiple times and in multiple places, Raven Cliffs is our favorite North Georgia recreation area. The trail follows along Dodd Creek as you approach Raven Cliff Falls meaning there are dozens of spots to find a quiet stand of trees, string your hammock up right on the water, and experience relative quiet from those hiking the trail above you. DIRECTIONS
The full Emery Creek Trail is over 13 miles long so it is definitely not for the faint of heart. The good news is that there are dozens of trail crossings that actually cross the creek so plenty of spots to splash around and cool off. And if you enjoy hammocking over, around, or near water, this is probably your best bet on our list. DIRECTIONS
Cloudland Canyon is another State Park so there are a few trails to choose from at this location. But the one you want to take is the 2 mile round trip Waterfall Trail. This is probably the most beautiful and scenic final location, but it also probably the busiest spot for day hikers who might not enjoy you hogging the views. So as always, be considerate. If you time it right, you can have the whole Waterfalls Trail to yourself. But it is probably better to plan on snagging a spot off to the side and out of the way because with views like this, you don’t want to miss this spot. DIRECTIONS
This is the most diverse and engaging spot on our list as the bottom of the gorge is constantly changing from week to week and season to season. Sometimes the bottom of the trail is flooded out from the dam above so kayakers can run the gorge. The hike down isn’t easy. It descends over 1000 feet and you have to take a few hundred stairs to get there. You also have to have a permit to get to the bottom and they only give out 100 a day. But once you make it . . . deep, cold, green pools and cascading falls. Ideal ambiance for a nap in a hammock. DIRECTIONS
It’s hard to believe that this spot is inside the perimeter, but East Palisades is located right between 400 and I-75 in northwest Fulton County making it a great place to pop into for a few hours if you live in the “big city”. One of the most scenic spots is the “bamboo forest”. The trail runs alongside Long Island Creek, a tributary of the Chattahoochee so there are some nice overlooks on the river as well to string up the hammock. You can even see downtown in a few places. DIRECTIONS
Springer Mountain is most famous for being the starting point of the 2,200 mile Appalachian Trail that runs all the way to Maine. During AT season, the trail is overwhelmed with hundreds of hikers beginning the long trek but the rest of year the only traffic is day hikers from nearby Ellijay and Dahlonega. The trail itself is fairly easy and towards the summit there are some spots to string up the hammock that let you overlook the Cartecay River watershed. Springer Mountain is a great day hike and an even better for hammock naps. DIRECTIONS
Indian Seats at Sawnee Mountain rises up out of seemingly nowhere in Forsyth. A 4 mile round trip hike climbs 600 feet on the hike to 2000 feet in elevation at the summit. The hike passes old, abandoned gold mines which shows off the legacy of gold in the North Georgia mountains. But the summit is where it’s truly at as you can see for miles. On most days you will be able to see up into the Blue Ridge mountains and specifically Springer Mountain, Blood Mountain and Yonah Mountain from an almost 360 degree summit view. This is definitely where you want to string up your hammock. DIRECTIONS
Another one of North Georgia’s state parks, Vogel State Park also doubles as one of the oldest. Vogel is on one of our favorite driving loops in North Georgia (Mountain Crossings and Neel Gap on 19, back to Suches on 180, then 60 back to 19). All of Georgia’s state parks have a variety of trails to choose from and Vogel is no different. However, like Fort Yago State Park, we recommend you post up somewhere near the lake for the most relaxing views. DIRECTIONS