Located 30 minutes north of Tallulah Falls, near Mountain City Georgia, Black Rock Mountain State Park soars 3,640 feet over the surrounding valley. It is the highest elevation park in Georgia, offering stunning panoramic views of Georgia’s Blue Ridge Mountains.
Black Rock Mountain is easily accessible, but it is easy to overlook the entrance. A small brown state park sign in the midst of fast food restaurants and gas stations points travelers down a winding mountain back road. Instantly we were in a thick lush forest.
I shifted my Honda CRV into lower gear as we zigzagged up the mountain, each bend an break displaying a phenomenal view of the valley below and surrounding mountain range. After a ten minute uphill climb we reached the summit.
By the time we reached the peak, the earlier thunderstorm we encountered at Tallulah Gorge had cleared into a crystal blue sky.
“This view is heavenly,” I commented to my mom as we enjoyed the scenic vista.
While atop the mountain, we dared to step into the gift shop with our masks on and sanitizer in hand. The staff was extremely helpful and we were able to safely purchase mementos of our trip, including a tee-shirt with a painting of Black Rock Mountain.
Returning to our car, we drove to the neighboring cottages and campgrounds, which are fabulous! The cottages are rustic and provide birds eye mountain views. I definitely want to rent a cottage next trip and relax staring off into the mountains.
As we returned down the mountain, my mom noticed a sign for Black Rock Lake…always ready for adventure, we detoured down a gravel road muddied by rain and navigated to quiet lake.
Black Rock Lake is a popular spot for anglers and is ideal for a relaxing loop hike. Unfortunately heavy rains from earlier in the week (Tropical Storm/Hurricane Isaias) left the trail pure mud…so unfortunately our hike didn’t go very far…
Black Rock Mountain State Park is unassuming, but it is one of the favorite spots I’ve visited this year. The views are stunning and it was not crowded. I highly recommend.
Also, in the area, history buffs can tour the Fox Fire Museum. Located on eight acres just outside of the park, the museums has 20 historic structures from 1820 to 1940 that tells the story the land and people who lived here.
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