Black Rock Mountain State Park: Black Rock Lake and Greasy Creek Falls (Blog Hike #898)

Trails: Black Rock Lake and Edmonds Backcountry Trails
Hike Location: Black Rock Mountain State Park
Geographic Location: north of Clayton, GA (34.92348, -83.40913)
Length: 1.8 miles
Difficulty: 3/10 (Easy/Moderate)
Date Hiked: September 2022
Overview: A flat loop around Black Rock Lake followed by a moderate out-and-back to Greasy Creek Falls.
Park Information: https://gastateparks.org/BlackRockMountain
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=921520
Photo Highlight:

Hike Video:

Directions to the trailhead: From the park's Visitor Center, drive back out the entrance road 2 miles to its intersection with Taylor Chapel Road.  Turn left on Taylor Chapel Rd.  Drive gravel Taylor Chapel Rd. 0.7 miles downhill to the trailhead parking area for the Black Rock Lake Trail on the left.  Turn softly left and drive down the short but steep hill to the parking area; park here.

The hike: For my introduction to Black Rock Mountain State Park, see my hike on this park's Tennessee Rock Trail, which is its most famous trail.  Although this park is most famous for being the highest state park in Georgia, even the lower elevations of Black Rock Mountain offer interesting sites to see.  Never coming within 1200 vertical feet of the mountain's summit, this hike starts with a circumnavigation of scenic Black Rock Lake on its namesake trail.  The lake loop is followed by an out-and-back on the Edmonds Trail to Greasy Creek Falls, which is a "hidden" waterfall in the sense that it does not appear on the park map.  Thus, this hike explores all of the best sites the lower elevations of Black Rock Mountain have to offer.

Trailhead for Black Rock Lake Trail

            The trail starts at the rear of the parking area; an information kiosk and sign mark the trailhead.  The entrance trail descends over some wooden waterbars to reach an intersection with the Lake Trail after only about one hundred feet.  Angle right to begin a counterclockwise journey around Black Rock Lake.

Black Rock Mountain behind Black Rock Lake

            Marked with blue plastic diamonds, the Lake Trail quickly reaches a wooden platform with a couple of picnic tables.  This platform gives a fantastic southward view across the lake with Black Rock Mountain in the background.  Due to a nearby wide spot in Taylor Chapel Road, most people choose to park and start their hike here rather than at the official trailhead, which is the one at the start of this trail description.

Black Rock Lake, dam area

            Past the platform, a short boardwalk brings you to the dam area, which offers a nice eastward view across the length of Black Rock Lake.  Next the trail curves left to begin its journey up the lake's more secluded south bank.  I did some nice wildlife viewing here that included some turtles, a pair of white ducks, some Canada geese, and even some fish in the rather clear lake water.  Some wet areas need to be negotiated, but the park has dumped some gravel to mitigate the wettest areas.  Numerous iron benches provide opportunities to sit, rest, and observe the lake.

Canada geese near Black Rock Lake

            Immediately after crossing Taylor Creek on a footbridge at 0.75 miles, you reach a trail intersection.  The Lake Trail continues to the left, and we will go that way to complete this hike eventually.  To also hike to Greasy Creek Falls, turn right on a narrow connector trail that is marked with white plastic diamonds.  After paralleling Taylor Creek for only a couple hundred feet, the connector trail ends at the Edmonds Backcountry Trail, which is marked with orange plastic diamonds.  Turn right to head south on the Edmonds Trail.

Climbing on the Edmonds Trail

            The Edmonds Trail re-crosses Taylor Creek on another footbridge and begins climbing.  For the most part the grade to Greasy Creek Falls is gradual, but some areas with exposed roots will need to be negotiated.  Large amounts of rhododendron grow in the understory, giving this forest a crowded, damp feel.

Greasy Creek Falls

            At 1.2 miles, you cross Greasy Creek on a wooden footbridge and reach the base of Greasy Creek Falls.  A 20-foot sliding-water cascade, Greasy Creek Falls will not make anyone's list of world's greatest waterfalls, but it provides a nice add-on to a hike around Black Rock Lake.  The Edmonds Trail continues for several miles past the waterfall, but it soon gets very steep, and there are no further points of interest in close proximity.  Thus, I chose to turn around and retrace my steps to the Lake Trail, where a right turn quickly closes the loop around Black Rock Lake.  Another right turn and short walk up the entrance trail return you to the trailhead to complete the hike.

Smithgall Woods State Park: Laurel Ridge Trail (Blog Hike #897)

Trail: Laurel Ridge Trail
Hike Location: Smithgall Woods State Park
Geographic Location: south of Helen, GA (34.69215, -83.76835)
Length: 1.6 miles
Difficulty: 4/10 (Moderate)
Date Hiked: September 2022
Overview: A short loop featuring a fantastic view of Mount Yonah.
Park Information: https://gastateparks.org/SmithgallWoods
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=921365
Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: 

Directions to the trailhead: From the north side of Helen, take SR 75A south 2.4 miles to the signed entrance for Smithgall Woods State Park on the left.  Turn left to enter the park, and park in the parking lot in front of the Visitor Center.

The hike: When visitors first arrive at Smithgall Woods State Park, they usually notice that this park lacks the nice campground and amenities that many of Georgia's state parks offer, but there is a good reason for that.  The State of Georgia manages Smithgall Woods as a conservation park, meaning that the park exists to preserve the land in its natural state.  As such, motorized vehicles are allowed only in the Visitor Center parking lot, and the rest of the park must be accessed on foot or bike.

            At 5664 acres, Smithgall Woods is one of Georgia's largest state parks.  The park came to be in 1994 when the state acquired the land via a gift-purchase from Charles Smithgall, a noted conservationist and businessman.  In accordance with its conservation park status, the park offers only 6 cottages, 5 picnic shelters, and a primitive campground for amenities.  Therefore, nature does indeed take centerstage here.

            For hikers, the park offers 28 miles of old roads and trails, but only one trail starts at the Visitor Center: the Laurel Ridge Trail described here.  At 1.6 miles in length, the Laurel Ridge Trail is actually the park's longest natural surface trail.  However, because vehicles are only allowed at the Visitor Center, accessing any other trail requires a road walk of at least 0.6 miles one-way.  Thus, this park's longest trail is actually its shortest hike after you factor in the road walk.  Do not despair, for the Laurel Ridge Trail is a good one that leads to a nice overlook with views of famous Mount Yonah.  If you find yourself on vacation in the Helen area, this hike makes a nice lesser-known destination once you have exhausted the area's more famous hiking destinations such as Raven Cliff Falls, Dukes Creek Falls, or Anna Ruby Falls and adjacent Unicoi State Park.

Start of Laurel Ridge Trail near Visitor Center

            From the front of the Visitor Center, walk down the gravel trail that leads east away from the park entrance and then turn left to cross a wooden footbridge.  At the next trail intersection, turn left again to begin a clockwise journey around the Laurel Ridge Trail.  The Laurel Ridge Trail is unblazed, but it is wide and easy to follow for its entire distance.  Numbered posts correspond to an excellent interpretive guide that was available for free at the Visitor Center when I came here.

Climbing through the mountain laurel

            The trail begins its gradual to moderate climb as it weaves in and out of several small ravines and crosses several small creeks on wooden footbridges.  Soon you climb above a larger ravine on the right.  Large amounts of mountain laurel dominate the understory of this second-growth forest, which was logged extensively in the 1930's and 1940's.  The interpretive guide points out a section of trail that follows an old logging road.

Hiking along the ridge

            As you approach the top of the ridge, the dense wet lowland forest is replaced by dryer oak and pine forest.  Just shy of 1 mile, you reach the highest point on this ridge and a southeast-facing viewpoint.  Towering more than 1000 feet above you, famous Mount Yonah occupies the center of this view from nearly 10 miles away.  A colorful interpretive sign identifies Mount Yonah and several lower nearby summits, and a bench beckons you to sit here and enjoy the rewards of your climb.

Mount Yonah in the distance

Box turtle

            Past the overlook, the trail stays on the ridge for a short distance before curving right to descend steeply.  A few small rock outcrops appear here, and I shared the trail with a box turtle on the seasonally cool mid-September morning that I hiked here.  The main park road (closed to vehicles) appears downhill to the left before the descent deposits you on the gravel trail near the Visitor Center.  A short walk on the gravel trail returns you to the parking lot to complete the hike.