Hike southbound along the Bartram Trail to the summit of Rabun Bald, Georgia's second highest mountain. From the stone observation tower you'll be rewarded with 360-degree views of Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. This route makes for an excellent alternative to the Beegum Gap route if you're looking for something a little longer.

Parking is alongside the gravel Hale Ridge Road. There's not a lot of space, so make sure you're not blocking the road. Heading south along the Bartram Trail, cross over several creeks, most by way of wooden bridges. Pass a small waterfall at .4 miles, cascading about 15 feet down the rocks.

Over the first mile and a half, the trail is relatively level with a few ups and downs. After this, the trail begins a steady ascent of between 500 and 600 ft/mile until reaching the summit of Rabun Bald. Pass a couple campsites before reaching the intersection with the Beegum Gap connector trail at 2.6 miles. Although unmarked and unsigned, the yellow blazes will guide you to continue straight on the Bartram Trail.

The trail widens and continues it's steady ascent. Pass a gravel road on the right at 3.3 miles, following the sign for Rabun Bald. From here, the trail picks up a little more elevation, switchbacking several times up to the ridge. The path straightens out, culminating at the intersection where the Bartram Trail turns to the right.

Instead, look left. You should see the observation tower. Head up the steep steps of the observation tower for 360-degree views of the surrounding mountains. As Georgia's second highest mountain, the view is hard to beat. The surrounding landscape lays before you and on a clear day you can see for up to 100 miles.

On the way back down, make sure you follow the sign at the summit for Beegum Gap and don't accidentally head down the Bartram toward Warwoman Dell. For the shorter version of this hike, check out Rabun Bald via Beegum Gap. For a more difficult hike, check out the Rabun Bald Trail.