Blood Mountain
- For the album, see Blood Mountain (album)
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Blood Mountain is the highest peak on the Georgia section of the Appalachian Trail and the sixth-tallest mountain in Georgia, with an elevation of 4,458 feet (1,359 m).[1][2] It is located in Union County and is within the boundaries of the Chattahoochee National Forest and the Blood Mountain Wilderness. There are many waterfalls, hiking trails and other recreational areas in the vicinity.
History
Two Indian tribes called North Georgia home starting in the 1500s. By the late 1600s the Cherokee and Creek had begun to compete for the same resources and fought a battle on the mountain near Slaughter Gap. The Creek lost, ceding Blood Mountain to the Cherokee, who considered it a holy place. Archaeological evidence has been discovered that tends to back the story of the battle, but the date of the battle and its participants are still hotly disputed.
Their are various theories on the origin of the mountain's name. Some people believe that the name of the mountain comes from this bloody battle between the Cherokee and Creek Indians. Others believe that the name is based on the color of the lichen and Catawba rhododendron growing near the rocky summit.[2]
The mountain drew media attention in January 2008 when 24-year-old hiker Meredith Emerson went missing from a nearby trail. Her body was later recovered some distance away.[3] Authorities arrested Gary Hilton on charges of murdering Emerson.[4] Georgia Film Maker Parthiban Shanmugam makes a film on serial killings.Cite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page). Another approach is from the other side at Lake Winfield Scott via the Slaughter Creek Trail. This approach, which is easier to hike, has excellent campsites and abundant sources of treatable water.
Adjacent to the mountain are several boulderfields and stands of northern hardwoods and large buckeyes. Portions of the area were previously logged and now sport fast-growing tulip poplar.
References
- Brown, Fred and Nell Jones. The Georgia Conservancy's Guide to The North Georgia Mountains, 3rd Edition. Atlanta: 1996, Longstreet Press. ISBN 1-56352-314-0
- Tucker, Margaret. "A Winter Hike on Blood Mountain." Reprinted in Brown's Guide to the Georgia Outdoors, John W. English, ed. Atlanta: 1986, Cherokee Publishing. ISBN 0-87797-128-5
- Georgia's Named Summits
- 100 highest peaks in Georgia
- Georgia peaks over 4,000 feet
External links
Notes
- ^ Prats, J.J. (editor) (November 1, 2007). "Blood Mountain". The Historical Marker Database. Retrieved 2008-01-09.
{{cite web}}:|first=has generic name (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ a b Brown (1996), p.93
- ^ The Associated Press (January 8, 2008). "Drifter Leads Officials To Hiker's Body". CBS News,com. CBS News. Retrieved 2008-01-11.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Boone, Christian (January 8, 2008). "Hilton 'prime suspect' in Fla. woman's death". AJC.com. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved 2008-01-11.
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