Pickens County High Point Trip Report
Mt Oglethorpe (3,288 ft)
Burnt Mountain (3,280+ ft)
Date: April 16, 2000
Author: Fred Lobdell
There are two possibilities for the high point of Pickens County, Mt. Oglethorpe and Burnt Mountain.
Mt. Oglethorpe was originally the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail, but the trail had to be
relocated due to development in the area. The southern terminus is now on Springer Mountain, about ten
miles northeast of Mt. Oglethorpe. There used to be a statue of James Oglethorpe (founder of the colony
of Georgia) on his namesake mountain, but it has been removed for refurbishing. The intent is to erect it
somewhere else where it will be more accessible to public view.
Burnt Mountain apparently housed a lodge owned by the Tate family. The Tates are owners of the largest
marble operation in the state, and may still own Burnt Mountain.
From the intersection of GA 136 with GA 183 two or three miles south of Amicalola Falls State Park, go
west on 136 about 8.5 miles to Monument Road. (This intersection is about 1.75 miles west of the
Dawson/Pickens county line, and is just south of the west end of Sequoyah Lake.) Turn left (south) on
Monument Road and go about 0.8 miles to where a gated (and posted) dirt road ascends to a loop at the
summit of Burnt Mountain. The summit area has stone foundations and lower walls from when it was a
lodge with outbuildings, and is a walk of a little less than a half mile each way. The elevation gain is
about 175 feet.
To get to Mt. Oglethorpe, continue south on Monument Road past some new and quite expensive homes.
The paved road will give way to a good-quality gravel road about half way. Five miles from the road to
Burnt Mountain will bring you to the top of Mt. Oglethorpe. There was a gate a short way below the
summit, but it was standing open when we visited. The summit is marked by some FAA towers and an
as-yet-unfinished cabin. The crumbling concrete pedestal where Mr. Oglethorpe once stood was still
there, but as mentioned above, the statue has been removed. It is not immediately apparent where the
highest natural surface is. The bench mark is inside the fence, but there are higher areas outside the
fence. Whether any or all of them are natural surfaces is another question.