Ramrock Mountain Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest, GA
miles
LENGTH 2.9 MILES
DIFFICULTY 3.7 Easy
DURATION 1-2 hours
ELEVATION GAIN
360
feet
TRAIL TYPE
There And
Back Again
Ramrock Mountain

Hike along a short section of the Appalachian Trail southbound from Woody Gap to the view atop Ramrock Mountain in north Georgia. Winter provides the best views, but spring and summer bring wildflowers and fall always provides rich color throughout the southern Appalachians.

To begin your hike, head south along the Appalachian Trail from Woody Gap. You can park on either side of the highway but this hike leaves on the south side with the smaller parking lot and the view. Parking fills up fast on nice weekends so get here early. The more popular Preachers Rock begins on the other side of the road, making for a great combo hike.

The trail begins fairly level, following around the contours of Black Mountain. Especially after a good rain, this section can be muddy and wet. In some areas the runoff creates small cascades and waterfalls, although nothing impressive. The trail is quite rocky as well so watch for slick wet rocks.

At .7 miles the trail begins to drop to Tritt Gap, slowly at first, then more steeply. Bottoming out at the gap, the trail then climbs 150 feet in a short .1 miles over stone steps and around large boulders. At the top is a 4-way split with the AT continuing straight, a campsite to the right, and a short side trail to the Ramrock Mountain view to the left. From a large rock, the surrounding trees have been cleared out to give you a great view to the south. When I was here back in 2013 this view was much smaller. It's definitely worth the trip now.

And if you're hungry for a little longer trek and want to double your elevation gain, continue on the AT for .4 miles to add another view to the hike. Drop down fast to Jacks Gap before climbing to a taller unnamed (as far as I can tell) summit with another rocky view. This view is a little more hampered by the surrounding trees, but still great nonetheless.

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Elevation Map Length (miles) by Elevation (feet)
Slope Breakdown
Elevation Gain
Elevation Range
Grade Range
Length
Elevation Gain
0 - 250 ft/mi
~ 0 - 5 %
1.1 mi
110 ft
250 - 500 ft/mi
~ 5 - 10 %
0.3 mi
90 ft
500 - 750 ft/mi
~ 10 - 15 %
498 ft
56 ft
750 - 1000 ft/mi
~ 15 - 20 %
306 ft
46 ft
1000+ ft/mi
~ 20+ %
412 ft
114 ft
For out-and-back hikes, elevation loss is the same as the gain.
Terrain Map Click to control map
Details
length2.9 miles
difficulty3.7 Easy
duration1 - 2 hours
features Dog Friendly  Summit  Views 
trail typeThere And Back Again
blazeWhite (AT)
elevation gain360 ft.
state Georgia 
park/forestChattahoochee-Oconee National Forest
ranger districtBlue Ridge Ranger District
2042 Highway 515 West
Blairsville, GA 30512
706-745-6928
parking feeNone
trailhead coordinates 34.67741, -84.000086 (Degree Decimal, DegDec)
N 34°40.64, W 84°0.01 (Degree Minutes, MinDec)
N 34°40'39'', N 34°40'39'' (Degree Minutes Seconds, DMS)
Trailhead Directions
34.67741, -84.000086 (Degree Decimal, DegDec)
N 34°40.64, W 84°0.01 most GPS units use this one
N 34°40'39'', N 34°40'39'' (Degree Minutes Seconds, DMS)
Google Map It
There is parking on both sides of the highway but this hike begins southbound on the AT on the south side of the road with the smaller parking area.
Parking Capacity
31 parking spots.
Notes
Rocky and rooty throughout.
Steep drop offs in a few places. Keep an eye on children and pets.
Nearby Hikes
Similar Hikes
Reviews / Comments
Average Review Rating
3.7 (3)
Smokey12-3 years ago
Enjoyable!
This was a very enjoyable hike, quiet and pretty with a great view at the end. (I didn't take the last section.) There's a few sections that really are medium in difficulty (especially if you do Preacher's Rock first and are tired) but overall it's just a really enjoyable hike. And since it's not that long, you can do it in a morning or late afternoon.
Easy | Hiked Summer 2020
hikethesouth-3 years ago
Updated Review
This hike is a lot better since I last visited it back in 2013. For one, the view is really nice now. It's been opened up significantly with fewer trees obstructing the view. Also, if you're in for adding .8 miles, continue past the view, dropping down through the next gap then back up to the next high point for another great view. This one isn't as open as Ramrock Mountain, but it's still a great view if you want a more challenging hike. This will double your elevation gain in a short distance.
Easy | Hiked Summer 2020
hikethesouth-6 years ago
Short But Sweet
This short section of the AT makes for a nice quick hike although it's probably not something worth travelling very far to. You can, of course, hike as far as you want along the AT in either direction.
Easy | Hiked Spring 2013
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