Unicoi State Park: Lake, Frog Pond, and Bottoms Loop Trails (Blog Hike #441)

Trails: Lake, Frog Pond, and Bottoms Loop Trails

Hike Location: Unicoi State Park

Geographic Location: north of Helen, GA (34.72870, -83.72002)

Length: 4.5 miles

Difficulty: 5/10 (Moderate)

Dates Hiked: August 2013, September 2022

Overview: A barbell-shaped hike featuring lake and creek aquatic attractions.

Park Information: https://www.unicoilodge.com/

Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=725593

Photo Highlight:

Hike Video (for Lake Trail): 

Directions to the trailhead: From downtown Helen, take SR 17/75 north 1 mile to SR 356 and turn right on SR 356.  Drive SR 356 east 1.7 miles to the campground/Visitor Center entrance, which you reach just after crossing the dam that creates Unicoi Lake.  Turn left to enter the park.  Drive the park road 1.2 miles to the signed road to the Visitor Center.  Turn left here, drive the access road downhill, and park in the blacktop parking lot in front of the Visitor Center.

The hike: Located in White County just north of Helen, a famous resort town that recreates an alpine village, Unicoi State Park gets its name from the Unicoi Turnpike, a toll road that brought the first white settlers to the area from the north and east in the 1830’s.  The influx of settlers disrupted the lives of the Cherokee, whose legacy can still be found in the form of burial mounds scattered throughout the area.  In fact, the turnpike’s name comes from the Cherokee word unega, which translates to “white,” the Cherokee’s description of the clouds that frequently shroud these mountains.   Thus, the word Unicoi means “place of the white man.”

The industrialists left their mark in the form of abandoned gold mines and clear-cut land, the remnants of the timber industry that ruled this area in the early 1900’s.  The state park was formed in 1954 under the name White County Area State Park.  The 1050 acre park today contains the largest lodge in the Georgia state park system, excellent trout fishing in Smith Creek, a 105-site campsite, many picnic areas, and 8 miles of mountain bike trails.

            The park’s most famous hiking destination is Anna Ruby Falls, a rare double waterfall that is actually located in adjacent Chattahoochee National Forest.  The falls can be accessed from the state park via the 5-mile Smith Creek Trail, described elsewhere in this blog.  Away from the waterfall, the park also features the 3-mile Unicoi/Helen Trail that links the park with downtown Helen, the 2.5 mile Lake Trail that circumnavigates Unicoi Lake, and the 2 mile Bottoms Loop Trail that explores the ridges above Smith Creek.  This hike combines the Lake and Bottoms Loop Trails to form a barbell-shaped double loop hike.

Wooden steps from Visitor Center

            Begin at some wooden steps that descend left from the Visitor Center to intersect the Lake Trail, which goes right and left.  For no particular reason, this description will turn right here to hike counterclockwise around the lake.  True to its name, the Lake Trail stays within 30 feet of the lake for its entire distance.  Nice lake views open up to the left, and your approach might cause a couple of turtles to leave their sunning logs and plop into the water.  On the seasonally cool afternoon when I hiked this trail, my approach sent a white-tailed deer scampering uphill into the woods.  Some wooden piers give even closer lake views for hikers and anglers.

Hiking the Lake Trail

            After rounding the first peninsula, a wide spur trail exits at a sharp angle right to head for the campground you drove through on your way in.  At 0.5 miles, the trail curves left to cross Smith Creek on a wooden footbridge near where the creek enters Unicoi Lake.  Across the bridge, the trail curves left again as it passes through the state park beach area and begins its journey down the west bank of Unicoi Lake.

            The trail heads south with the lake on the left and the steep hillside rising to the right.  The forest here features a dense shrubby understory.  At 1.1 miles, you come out at a picnic shelter with restrooms that is located on SR 356.  The Lake Trail turns left here and crosses the dam that creates Unicoi Lake on the state route’s shoulder.  The shoulder here is wide, but you should take care anytime you walk along a busy road.  Always walk on the left side of the road (facing traffic) and outside the white edge lines.

Crossing dam of Unicoi Lake

            On the east side of the dam, the signed Lake Trail travels for a couple hundred feet on a gravel trail just outside SR 356’s metal guardrail.  Some poison ivy grows close to the narrow trail here, so watch your step.  1.4 miles into the hike, the Lake Trail forks.  The main Lake Trail goes left at a sharp angle, and you could turn left here to hike only the Lake Trail for a 2.5 mile hike.  To head for the Bottoms Loop, angle softly right and cross the campground road on a spur of the Lake Trail.

            The trail parallels SR 356 for another 300 feet before curving right and crossing it near the lodge entrance road.  Look for a brown park sign that marks the trail’s reentrance into the woods.  Where the Lake Trail turns right to head for the lodge, continue straight on the combined Unicoi/Helen and Bottoms Loop Trails.

Trail re-enters woods

            Very quickly the Frog Pond Trail exits left.  We will use the Frog Pond Trail to add variety to the return route, but for now continue straight on the wide gravel/dirt Bottoms Loop Trail.  The trail descends on a gradual to moderate grade with a steep hillside rising toward the lodge on the right.  At 1.8 miles, the other end of the Frog Pond Trail enters from the left.

            In quick fashion you trace the perimeter of the park’s tennis courts, cross a paved park road, and cross over a low ridge.  2.1 miles into the hike, you reach the beginning of the Bottoms Loop.  This description will hike the Bottoms Loop clockwise by turning left here and using the trail going straight as the return route.

Climbing on Bottoms Loop Trail

            The Bottoms Loop is the newest and most remote trail in the state park, and it is considerably narrower than the Unicoi/Helen Trail.  For the next 0.6 miles the Bottoms Loop weaves in and out of several small but steep ravines.  Faint remnants of old homesites can be found up here, and the forest contains some very young pine trees.

            At 2.7 miles, the trail curves right and descends into a ravine to follow a small tributary downstream to Smith Creek.  Large quantities of rhododendron often make the stream audible but not visible.  Just before reaching Smith Creek, you pass through a seasonally wet area where the trail curves right to reach its lower intersection with the Unicoi/Helen Trail.  Before turning right at this intersection to head back for the lake, you may want to hike a short distance to the left where a bridge gives a fabulous view of Smith Creek.  Also, benches here make ideal places to rest.

Smith Creek

            The last leg of the Bottoms Loop heads upstream with Smith Creek visible through the trees to the left.  A small creekside meadow breaks up the forest and gives a nice view of the lodge uphill and to the left.  After exiting the meadow, the trail climbs gradually to close the loop.  Retrace your steps uphill to the tennis courts, and turn right on the Frog Pond Trail to add some variety to the return route.

Creekside meadow

            The Frog Pond Trail climbs gradually to quickly reach its namesake pond.  I was able to detect no pond activity of the amphibian variety on my visit.  Past the pond, the narrow dirt trail passes through a wildlife opening and curves left to enter an area with some large pine trees.  Another left curve and gradual uphill climb return you to the Unicoi/Helen Trail, where you should turn right to get back to the Lake Trail.

Frog Pond

            After re-crossing both SR 356 and the campground road, continue straight on a wide double-track gravel trail as it passes around a black metal vehicle gate.  The last segment of the Lake Trail threads its way between the cabin area uphill to the right and the lake downhill to the left as it curves right around a small knob.  Soon the gravel trail exits the forest, and a sharp left turn brings you back to the base of the wooden steps at the Visitor Center.  A right turn and short walk up the steps will return you to the parking area and complete the hike.