Georgia Off-Road Trails

Hale Ridge Road is the main route through the Warwoman Wildlife Management Area of the Chattahoochee National Forest and the only road that goes completely through to North Carolina. Just outside Clayton, Georgia, Hale Ridge Road offers access to numerous hiking trails, including the Bartram Trail, Three-Forks Trail, Holcomb Trail, and the Rabun Bald Trail. With access to many hiking trails and other Forest Service roads, Hale Ridge Road is a fun place to explore while out in the mountains.

Just outside Clayton, Georgia, Overflow Creek Road is one of the main routes through the Warwoman Wildlife Management Area of the Chattahoochee National Forest. One of the smoother and more popular trails in the area, Overflow Creek Road crosses over the famous Chattooga River, where the movie Deliverance was filmed. With access to camping, fishing, and numerous hiking trails, Overflow Creek Road is a fun road to explore while in the area.

Just north of Blairsville is a little trail called Ivylog Gap Road. This easy, scenic trail follows the ridge between Ivylog Mountain, Juber Knob, Lynn Knob, Anderson Knob, and Mine Mountain and might even make you forget you're so close to the megacity of Atlanta. Right next to the beautiful Lake Nottely, known for trophy striper fishing, this trail connects to the town of Young Harris next to Brasstown Bald - the tallest mountain in all of Georgia with a lookout tower, making it a popular attraction. So, if you find yourself in the area and need to get away from the crowds and the pavement, give Ivylog Gap Road a look.

Located within the Warwoman Wildlife Management Area outside of Clayton, Georgia, Sarah’s Creek, or FS 156, is a trail that offers a fun offroad challenge and ample solitude for those looking to escape. The trail begins as a simple road providing access to the Sarah’s Creek Campground, which the National Forest Service manages. This is an improved campground that offers standard amenities with flat pads, fire pits, and outhouses.

While the trail begins as paved, the farther north you travel, the more degraded the road surface becomes. Once you pass the NFS campground, you’ll come to a creek crossing, which marks the start of the interesting obstacles. Immediately after the creek crossing, you’re faced with a rocky, washed-out section. Scout before you commit, as this serves as the gatekeeper, and turning around is very difficult. Narrow width and short wheelbase or big lifts and large tires are your friends here. Otherwise, you can count on busted mirrors or smashed bumpers.

Past this highlight obstacle, the trail is interesting but not nearly as pucker-inducing. Dispersed campsites are fairly abundant, but they can be small. The trail comes to an end at a large turnaround. Although it appears two more trails have been cut into the woods, these are not officially recognized trails and should be considered illegal.

Tumbling Creek is one of the eight roads that make up the overlanding route around the Cohutta Wilderness Area. When traveling from the south to the north, the road quickly loses elevation, leaving the ridgelines' broken views behind you as you wind your way down to the lush laurel-lined trail below. Once towards the bottom, the road drives beside sections of its namesake, Tumbling Creek, with picturesque campsites dotted along its banks. Keep an eye out for mini waterfalls and bear! Most of this road is closed from January - March.

Three Forks is part of the Cohutta Wilderness Area loop. It is mostly gravel with sections of embedded rock. This section of the loop includes older-growth hardwood trees that make a dense canopy for most of the route, so thick you will see plenty of moss growing on the trunks of the trees you pass by. As a bonus, this road has the Mountaintown Overlook, which gives expansive views of the valley below and ridgelines off in the distance. Several dispersed campsites can be found along this section of the loop. Most of this road is closed from January - March.

One of many short offroad trails in the Blue Ridge district of the Chattahoochee National Forest, Bull Mountain Road is a very scenic forest service road that offers access to the Bull Mountain trail system, a 50-plus mile trail system for horses, mountain bikes, and hikers.

Take a break from cheering on the Dawgs in Athens to get out and explore the Scull Shoals Experimental Forest.  While the trails in this area are not difficult, they provide a great opportunity to experience Georgia's natural beauty. The trail connects with Moose Finch and the Scull Shoals Trail.

Several spurs off the main trail lead to dispersed campsites. Campsites are typically open areas featuring a rock fire ring. There are no fees for using these locations.

Starting immediately north of the popular town of Helen, this easy gravel road climbs to the top of Unicoi Gap and reconnects to Highway 75. Lots to do on this one! Numerous access spots along the Chattahoochee River along the southern section are popular with trout fishermen. Access to seasonal hunting roads makes it popular with hunters as well. The trail has multiple outstanding roadside campsites and two improved campgrounds, Low Gap Creek Campground and Upper Chattahoochee River Campground. The road is well maintained with small solid bottom potholes and small ruts around corners, making this one suitable for any high clearance vehicle.