Blood Mountain Wilderness Area

This was one of the best hikes we have done in a long time. We started at what I seem to remember as the Bryce Reese Trailhead (name may be wrong), and started the hike up.
This is not an easy hike, but it is a wonderful reward when you arrive at the top
We are accustomed to hiking in Central Florida, so a elevation change of more than 50 feet can be odd.

My boyfriend and I hiked Blood Mountain on 10÷24÷15. The weather was beautiful and the fall colors were nearing the peak of the season. We did the Bryron Reece to the AT to the summit and continued on the AT to the Freeman Trail and back go the Byron Reece. It was a great loop for two beginner hikers. The climb up was challenging since we are accustomed to the flat lands and low elevation of the Florida coastline. With multiple breaks to drink water, we were fine. We saw lots of seniors and children. Our dog had a great time.

Park at Byron Reece early, when we went there were cars there from section hikers taking up a lot of spots leaving day hikers limited area to park.
The trip up the mountain can be done easily in a couple of hours. Going back down prepare for your knees to take a hit, so be fit or at least not wounded. If you’re only going for a day trip, don’t bother with a bunch of gear, just water and a camera; the extra weight will just make your life more difficult.
It’s a great view at the top, go to the very tippy top on top of the rock next to the shelter and you’ll be happy you made it. It’s steep at times but even as a beginner hiker I made it in just boots and camera gear.

Great hike! We started at the Byron Reece Trailhead and connected with the Freedom trail and up.
This hike is full of foliage! Love it. There are clear walking paths, but not paved or anything so there is more of a nature feel than the last one I went on (Sweetwater — which was also good for different reasons). The trees, rocks, and shrubs keep you covered from the sun, which is a total plus in the Georgia summer. With that said, it definitely traps in some of the Georgia humidity, which hits you the most as you ascend the mountain.
The rocks and roots on the path are things to watch out for. They are not dangerous, but can trip you up if you are not paying attention. The hike up is definitely a great work out and will get you huffing and puffing a bit. But worry not, there are places to sit or lean on some larger rocks to catch your breath if you need it. Towards the top there are several beautiful places to sit down and have a snack and enjoy the mountain range. There is even a shelter on the path at the top if the weather gets bad.
I would definitely come back! And try to go farther. We had to turn back around when we got to the shelter, because of thundering. The rocks can be slippery when wet.
I DO however also have to mention that at the top of the mountain there was strangely a large amount of flying insects. I think they were flies. They were everywhere up there!
The only beef I have is that at this trailhead there is no restroom :(BUT on the bright side, we did not see any bears despite the warning at the beginning of the trail.

The drive up here from Atlanta is worth three stars, particularly if you explore twisty roads like Hwy 60. Great trails, including the AT. Easy parking off a short loop road just north of the Mountain Crossings store, provided you come during non-​peak times. Or you can hike in from Vogtle State Park. Great view at the top of Blood Mountain.

I have been to Blood Mountain numerous times. I typically stop along Gainseville Hwy at the Walasi-​Yi Interpretive Center, AKA Mountain Crossings, to get my shop on before I head up the mountain. Mountain Crossings is half gift shop /​half hardcore Appalachian trail hiker shop right down from the main parking lot for Blood Mountain. I love going in there first to chat it up with the rugged shop guys, who give me trail advice and distances, and to make some BS purchase that I don’t really need, but have to have. They also have loads of snacks and things as well as trail maps, which are always a good thing to have with you.
Once you are ready to hike the mountain, head ¼ mile down the street to the Blood Mountain parking lot on your left. You will hike up from the lot and hit the junction of the app trail and the freeman trail. If you plan on hiking Blood Mountain and don’t plan on camping out you have two good choices. You can either turn right and immediately head up to the summit, which is about 2 miles and fairly steep… or you could head semi-​straight on the freeman trail (it is actually straight and to the right) and hike half way around the mountain and come up from the opposite side.
I think the most popular way to hike Blood Mountain is the in-​and-​out where you hike up from the parking lot, turn right on to the app trail, and head straight up to the top, then hike back down to your car once you get your fill of pretty Appalachian views. There is a couple of good vantage points at the top; one you can see from the ground, the other you sort of need to scramble up a rock. It doesn’t take near as much time for this hike and you will find that the trail is heavily trafficked by families and backpackers. Good trail etiquette says if you are going down, you should yield to the person heading up. If I’m day hiking, I always yield to the person with a pack on.
If you want to do a loop versus an in-​and-​out do the freeman trail hike, which will take about 3 ½ — 4 hours and is around 6.5 miles long; just remember to always keep right on your trails. You will follow the blue blazes of the freeman trail until it ends at a 3 way. You will then turn right and follow the white blazes. On this new trail you will have a couple of minutes of semi-​flat terrain. Another trail will hit up at about ½ mile where you will go right again heading up some homemade rock «stairs». Don’t turn off at the camp areas. This is where you begin your steep ascent to the top of the mountain where you will run in to loads more folks and hit the top of the mountain. To continue on your loop you’ll now head down the mountain, passing the cottage on your right. When you see the freeman trail you will turn left and be back at the parking lot.
I prefer the longer route because it takes longer (duh), I get more exercise, and it isn’t as heavily traveled which is great when hiking with my dog. Going along the freeman trail you will be doing a lot of rock scrambling, not terribly difficult, but your leg muscles will get tired. You will also be passing a couple of tiny creeks, perfect for dogs to get a drink. There aren’t near as many people on this trail which is another reason why I like it so much. Also, you are slowly climbing in elevation versus heading straight up the mountain so despite being longer it just seems a bit easier on the legs at the time (in reality it’s not).
Another trail tip is to always greet your fellow hiker; it’s just polite.
*Dogs are allowed on all trails, but they should be leashed at all times. Keep in mind this is the wilderness, as in a dog takes off and there aren’t any homes nearby for that dog to find shelter and to possibly find it’s way back home. You should also carry dog waste bags and pick up after your pet.*
*I feel that while Blood Mountain is steep, if you can walk two miles, you can do this hike, you just need to make sure you have plenty of water (there isn’t any on the trail) and you need to take plenty of breaks while hiking up.

Great views, trails for a beautiful day out. If you arent use to hiking take it easy it is a long trail to the top.

Here you go Blood Mountain… I give you 5 too. Please don’t think I am an easy rater. Yes yes I have been giving not less than 4 stars to all of the hiking trails I have been to. But I came to a conclusion that nature cannot be wrong. I mean real nature… not man made ones or any that any of us has messed it up or polluted it. Each trail has it own uniqueness. Blood Mountain has its own as well.
I went there with a group of hikers. We started by parking at Vogel State Park. [Address: 405 Vogel State Park Road, Blairsville, GA 30 512] Parking costs $ 5/​day. There is a visitor center with clean and warm restrooms and also they have some snacks, drinks, books, basic hiking equip., and souvenir. Open everyday, even Sunday… I went there on Sunday. You can get yourself ready from here; food, snacks, drinks and bathroom time. We started from this park and walked to Blood Mountain Trail.
The trail is a very peaceful place. I barely saw any one passing by. Very very quiet. So girls, if you are not a local and familiar with the trail, please don’t go there by yourself. It is kind of easy to get lost and with that news about a girl being kidnapped and killed by some random crazy old guy on that trail. (I don’t want to scare anyone, I know it can happen anywhere, but it is good to play safe. And there are a lot of good people and hiking groups you can join and come with them… Look online!)
The view is amazing. We got to see all kinds of trail conditions; powdery snow, slippery with all ice, rocky, walking in the water, dry, steep, very steep, flat and down hill. Each time we got into different side of the mountain, it was different. You definitely need to have a good pair of hiking shoes.
When we got to the top of the mountain, there was a cute cabin. Some hikers use it to spend a night there. Close the the cabin there was a rocky hill that you can climb up to see the view from the top, the view took our breath away… It was stunning, we had our luxury lunch (sandwich) up there. It was priceless.
On the way back we went out of our trail and took Vogel Overlook trail… It is a small loop and you can walk up to see the view of Vogel Park from the top. It takes you only 4 – 5 mins more but you will definitely enjoy the view. Also there is a camping site up there.
Blood Mountain is perfect for day hike. You can drive from Atlanta (1 – 2 hours) and spend some good time hiking on the mountain (6 – 7 hours), drive back and have some good long sleep! …8 miles on the trail went by quickly with those gorgeous views. It is also a challenging trail. Our team leader told me that if I could hike on this trail, I should be able to hike almost all the trails in GA. So try it guys! Challenge yourself!