| Mount Oglethorpe | |
|---|---|
 Mount Oglethorpe in October | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 3,288 ft (1,002 m)[1] |
| Prominence | 1,258 ft |
| Coordinates | 34°29′10″N84°19′53″W / 34.486229°N 84.331463°W /34.486229; -84.331463[1] |
| Geography | |
  Mount Oglethorpe Location of Mount Oglethorpe in Georgia | |
| Location | Pickens County,Georgia, U.S. |
| Parent range | Blue Ridge Mountains |
| Topo map | USGS Nelson |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | Drive |
Mount Oglethorpe is a mountain located inPickens County, Georgia, United States. The southernmost peak in theBlue Ridge Mountains,[2] the mountain has an elevation of 3,288 feet (1,002 m), making it the highest point in Pickens County.
Mount Oglethorpe served as the southern terminus of theAppalachian Trail from when the trail was completed in 1937 until 1958. In 1958, as a result of over-development around Mount Oglethorpe, the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail was moved about 13 miles (21 km) to the northeast toSpringer Mountain.
Mount Oglethorpe is located in easternPickens County, near the border withDawson County. The mountain is located about 6 miles (9.7 km) east ofJasper, 13 miles (21 km) west ofDawsonville and about 7 miles (11 km) north ofNelson. There aremarblequarries south of Mount Oglethorpe.[3] The community of Bent Tree is located on the mountain's western slopes, whileBig Canoe is located on the mountain's eastern slopes.[4][5]Springer Mountain, the current southern terminus of theAppalachian Trail, is located about 13 miles (21 km) northeast of the mountain. Other nearby geographical features include Burnt Mountain, Sharptop Mountain and Sassafras Mountain.[3] While Mount Oglethorpe's summit is not located on any state or federallyprotected lands, the mountain's northeastern slopes are located inside the Dawson ForestWildlife Management Area.[6]
With an elevation of 3,288 feet (1,002 m), Mount Oglethorpe is the tallest mountain in Pickens County.[1][a] The mountain is also considered to be the southern terminus of theBlue Ridge Mountains.[2][9][10]
Mount Oglethorpe had been settled by theCherokees since at least the 1700s. The Cherokees bent trees to mark their trails and shelters on the mountain. White settlers began moving into the area after theGeorgia Land Lotteries of the early 1800s.[11]
Mount Oglethorpe was originally named Grassy Knob.[11] In 1930, the mountain was renamed to Mount Oglethorpe in honor ofJames Oglethorpe, the founder of theGeorgia Colony.[12][13] That same year, a 38 feet (12 m) tall marbleobelisk named the Oglethorpe Monument was erected at the top of the mountain.[12][10]
In 1930, Mount Oglethorpe was designated as the southern terminus of theAppalachian Trail.[10][11] Mount Oglethorpe was not the first choice for the trail's southern end, asBenton MacKaye also proposed ending the Appalachian Trail atMount Mitchell in North Carolina or Cohutta Mountain in northwest Georgia.[14]
There were several reasons for choosing the Mountain Oglethorpe as the southern terminus. The mountain was considered to be the southern end of theBlue Ridge Mountains.[10] The decision was also influenced by Sam Tate, an influential local businessman and president of theGeorgia Marble Company.[13][15] Tate was planning to build a resort on a nearby mountain and wanted the trail to pass by his resort.[13] To convince theGeorgia Appalachian Trail Club to choose Mount Oglethorpe, Tate donated money to build trail structures and allowed the trail to pass through his privately owned lands.[11]
In 1937, with the completion of the Appalachian Trail, Mount Oglethorpe officially became the southern terminus of the trail.[10] Early thru-hikers of the Appalachian Trail such asGrandma Gatewood,Gene Espy andEarl Shaffer began their journeys at Mount Oglethorpe.[16][17][18] In 1949,James E. Boyd conducted long-range line-of-sight experiments between the mountain andGeorgia Tech to study the effects of weather onmicrowavepropagation.[19]
Because Mount Oglethorpe was located outside ofUnited States National Forest lands, the mountain was notprotected and was opened todevelopment. In the 1950s, land on the mountain was purchased bylogging companies and chicken ranchers.[11] The construction of a gravel road on the mountain led to vandalism. With the increased development on Mount Oglethorpe, the Georgia Appalachian Trail Club decided to move the trailhead.[14] Amicalola Lake and Frosty Mountain were considered for the new southern terminus, but trail leaders deemed those locations as being too accessible.[20] In 1958, trail leaders decided to move the southern terminus toSpringer Mountain, about a 20 miles (32 km) hike north from Mount Oglethorpe.[21][14] Springer Mountain was considered to be less dramatic than Mount Oglethorpe, but because of its remoteness, Springer Mountain was also considered to be less susceptible to development.[14] The only remnant of the Appalachian Trail between Mount Oglethorpe and Springer Mountain is the Appalachian Approach Trail that runs betweenAmicalola Falls State Park and Springer Mountain.[22]
Communication and FAA towers were installed on the mountain's summit in the years after the southern terminus was moved.[23] In the 1970s, theBig Canoe community started development on the eastern side of Mount Oglethorpe.[24] Vandalism, harsh weather and lightning strikes caused heavy damage to the Oglethorpe Monument, leading to its relocation to downtown Jasper in 1999.[23][12] Portions of the Appalachian Trail that used to run between Mount Oglethorpe and Springer Mountain were made inaccessible to the public.[25] In addition, Mount Oglethorpe's summit was closed to the public.[26]
In 1995, Billie Ann Rice purchased at auction about 107 acres (43 ha) of land around Mount Oglethorpe's summit. In 2014, Billie Ann, and her husband Ken, began fulfilling her vision for the land and created a park on the mountain and designated their property as a public park.[24] This public park, named Eagle's Rest, contains hiking trails andobservation decks. Their daughters Annette Hall and Kathleen Ingram are still on the board for the park, which continues to improve.[27]
Before 2014, visitors were unable to access the summit withouttrespassing.[28] After the summit was opened to the public, Mount Oglethorpe's summit can be reached by driving south fromGeorgia State Route 136 on Monument Road for about 5 miles (8.0 km).[29] The summit can also be accessed from the south through Big Canoe.[26]
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34°29′10″N84°19′49″W / 34.48611°N 84.33028°W /34.48611; -84.33028
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