Chattahoochee National Forest: Sourwood Trail (Blog Hike #230)

Trail: Sourwood Trail

Hike Location: Chattahoochee National Forest, Nancytown Day Use Area

Geographic Location: southeast of Cornelia, GA (34.49915, -83.48388)

Length: 3.5 miles

Difficulty: 6/10 (Moderate)

Dates Hiked: December 2007, February 2014

Overview: A moderate-length hike featuring scenic Nancytown Falls.

Area Information: http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/conf/recreation/hiking/recarea/?recid=10490&actid=50

Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=721640
Photo Highlight:

Directions to the trailhead: Between Cornelia and Baldwin, take US 441 to Business US 441.  Go east (north) on Business US 441.  Take Business US 441 1.2 miles to Wyly Street.  Take a soft right on Wyly Street.  Wyly Street becomes Dicks Hill Parkway when you leave Cornelia.  Take Wyly Street/Dicks Hill Parkway 1.9 miles to Lake Russell Road and turn right on Lake Russell Road.  Take Lake Russell Road downhill to the Nancytown Lake entrance, and turn left to enter the recreation area.  Angle right where the road going left is gated.  This road ends at a blacktop parking lot above Nancytown Dam large enough for about 8 cars; park in this lot.

The hike: For my general comments on the Lake Russell Recreation Area, see the Ladyslipper Trail entry.  Although the Sourwood Trail is the shortest of the three trails at Lake Russell, it is also the most popular because it leads to Nancytown Falls, a scenic waterfall accessible only by trail.  Also, unlike the Ladyslipper Trail, this trail is open to hikers only, thus avoiding the difficult hiking conditions that can result from horse traffic.  Adding this trail to the end of either the Ladyslipper or Lake Russell Trails makes for a dramatic finish to your day of hiking.

Trailhead: Sourwood Trail

            Begin this trail the same way as with the Ladyslipper Trail, walking down the park road, around the gate, and along Nancytown Lake.  Where the group camp leads right into the Ladyslipper Trail, continue straight another 450 feet to arrive at a wooden sign and carsonite post that mark the beginning of the Sourwood Trail, which exits the road to the left.

            The trail begins by heading up a steep sided ravine containing a small bubbling creek.  Tall loblolly pines tower 50 feet over the trail, and the pine needles they produce make for a nice cushion under foot.  After only a couple hundred feet, the trail crosses the creek on an ugly but sturdy iron bridge (actually, a large I-beam with handrails welded on).

Iron bridge

            Soon the trail curves right and begins climbing the hillside, gaining 150 feet over the next 0.2 miles.  The climb is made in a pair of steep sections.  The first of these steep sections ends in an area that appears to have been damaged by a forest fire within the past few years.  The scar lets plenty of sunlight in and offers nice views to the valley below.  The second steep section takes you back into the forest and past the hardest part of the trail.

Looking back down the hill

            At 1.2 miles, the trail crosses gravel FR 92, this section of which is called Nancytown Road.  Look for the brown carsonite stake on the other side of the road to find where the trail reenters the forest.  Another 200 feet brings you to the highest point of the hike, which is just over 1300 feet in elevation.  The forest here is a beautiful open hardwood forest dominated by various types of oaks.

            The trail dips through one ravine before descending moderately to steeply into the ravine that contains Nancytown Creek.  Once creek level is reached at 1.8 miles, the Sourwood Trail curves sharply to the right and heads downstream, but a sign indicates that a left turn will lead down a short spur trail to Nancytown Falls.  Of course, you want to see the falls, so hike the short spur trail, which ends at the base of the falls where a pair of benches built by Patrick Simmons as an Eagle Scout project in 2001 offers a nice place to rest.  The 20 foot waterfall is pleasant on both the eyes and ears as water splashes over 6 or 7 (depending on how you count) small ledges.  Take a few minutes to rest and enjoy the falls.

Nancytown Falls

            Back on the Sourwood Trail, what has thus far been a highland hike now becomes a pleasant creekside hike, as the remainder of the trail never ventures more than 100 feet from Nancytown Creek.  Pass a marshy area on the left caused by beaver activity.  After passing over a small bluff, the trail drops into a final mountain laurel choked ravine.

Marshy area

            At 2.6 miles, the trail portion of this hike ends as the trail meets gravel FR 92.  Turn right to begin the hike back to the trailhead.  As you cross Nancytown Creek on the road’s wooden bridge, look right to see another nice 10-foot waterfall just upstream from the bridge.  The forest road is lightly traveled, but you should be alert for vehicle traffic when walking along the road nonetheless.  Where FR 92 curves sharply right, angle left to continue on FR 591, which heads downhill.  At the base of this hill, you reach the wooden Sourwood Trail sign, signaling you have closed to loop.  0.4 miles of paved forest road walking is all that remains to return to the parking area and complete the hike.