Cherokee County Highpoint Trip Report
Pine Log Mtn (2,331 ft)
Date: January 15, 2005
Authors: The Oesers and Mike Beavers
The main gate to the Pine Log Mountain State Wildlife Management Area is only open on weekends in
January (as we read on the sign last summer). The signs state that the area is private land leased to GA for
hunting and that the gate is open in January for small game and boar hunting.
From I-75, exit 293 at the junction with GA411, go northeast 3.1 miles to the city of White and turn right
onto Stamp Creek Road. Drive east 3.8 miles and turn left onto the gravel road into the WMA.
(Any other month than January will require parking at this point, which would add 3.1 miles each way.)
Drive north on the gravel road 2.1 miles, then turn left onto another gravel road which immediately crosses a creek.
Follow this road 1 mile to the wide parking area, where there is a damaged gate next to the road.
Hike northeast along the poorly maintained road for 1.1 miles and turn left onto a dirt road at about
(34° 17' 54" N, 84° 39' 38" W).
Follow this main dirt road north and east 0.5 mile to its crest at
(34° 18' 04' N, 84° 39' 22" W).
At this point, the woods and brush are not very thick and there are some pines on the north side
which are easy to negotiate. We used a waypoint of (34° 18' 25" N, 84° 39' 17" W) at elevation 1800 feet
to guide us but it turned out that this route is likely an old overgrown logging road,
with thick brush on each side and sometimes old piles of timber.
This route is a medium bushwhack, while other areas in the woods seem to be a tough bushwhack.
We cleared the thick trees/brush at around 1600-1700 feet and from there to the ridge was nice
open woods with large trees. We followed the GPS to the Bartow county highpoint liner at 2060+ feet
located at (34° 18' 35" N, 84° 39' 14" W), about 2 miles from the parking area.
There are some rocks sticking up in the area and some flagging (likely Kevin Williamson's)
near two of them that seems to be where my GPS wanted me to go.
We hiked west down the ridge about 250 feet just to make sure of Bartow county, then took a
break at the highpoint.
For Cherokee county, the top of Pine Log Mountain, the best route is to follow an ATV trail along the ridge
to the top of Bear Mountain, where a gravel road is found that leads northeast 1 mile to the summit of Pine
Log Mountain. The benchmark is still intact, directly under the old fire tower. A few other towers now
decorate this area and a tall radio tower is on the summit of Bear Mountain. We contoured around Bear
Mountain on the way in but found it easier to stick with the road and ATV trail on the way back.
Total distance hike is about 7.5 miles round trip with a cumulative elevation gain of 1600 feet.