Georgia’s Highpoint Challenge - Summited all 32 GA 4000 Foot Peaks

[Slugg]

On Sunday, I completed the “GA 4000 Challenge” AKA bagging all 32 4000+ foot peaks in the state of Georgia. There are currently 31 names on the official list of completers, starting in 2008. Many of these peaks are miles off any established trail. I first set this as a goal of mine in late 2023 first by figuring out how many of the peaks I had already bagged via established trails. There are a lot of peaks the AT and other trails skirt by a few hundred feet that I had to go back and officially bag.

Here is a link to more information including the list of peaks, list of completers, rules, and form to submit upon completion: https://www.georgia-atclub.org/georgia-4000

Most of the time I was able to bag multiple peaks in one day but there were a few I did as one-offs. My toughest day by far was bagging the chain of 6 off-trail peaks starting with Eagle Mountain and ending with Rich Knob near the AT. I started walking on a gated FS road for 3 miles before bushwhacking up to Eagle Mountain, then staying up on the ridgeline as high as possible I hit: Sassafras Knob, Mayapple Knob, Rattlesnake Knob, Hightower Bald, Rich Mountain, then I fought my way down to the AT, and hiked south on the AT to Blue Ridge Gap where I got a shuttle back to my vehicle. This included over 8 miles of bushwhacking and over 3000 feet of off-trail elevation gain.

Many of the peaks have a “homemade” metal sign with the name of the peak, some have “registers” in mason jars to leave your name, some have official US survey markers, some just have some flagging tape, some cairn stacks, and some peaks have nothing whatsoever to mark them. I completed most of these hikes solo with a few exceptions. I took my old dog Maverick with me to bag the 3 in the Rich Mountain Wilderness because they were relatively short hikes and I just wanted to take him on one of these trips (he did great and had a blast). A good friend was also able to join me for my final trip Sunday: an 18 mile day hike mostly along the AT where I bagged (in order): Double Spring Knob, Brier Creek Bald, and finally, my last peak, Rocky Mountain.

Prior to completing this challenge I considered myself pretty well-versed in knowledge of GA’s trail system, but this opened my eyes to many other places to explore I had never heard of much less been to, including lots of trails I have never seen on any map. I have a lot of places marked to go back and explore.

Some other random thoughts:

Hardest peak: Hightower Bald. Coming from Rattlesnake Knob, accessing Hightower requires you to skirt the extremely steep/rocky Shooting Creek Bald then make your way up an extremely steep, rocky, rhododendron slope on no established path whatsoever. I literally burst into laughter when I reached the top.

Easiest peak: Alex Mountain. You walk like a mile up a paved road.

First peak: Blue Mountain December 2018

Final peak: Rocky Mountain April 28, 2024

I ran into someone on their way up to the summit of Eagle Mountain about to bag their final peak, while I was on my way down. That was pretty shocking. I only saw one other person at any of the off-trail summits. There are not views on hardly any of these peaks, even in winter. A reminder that our southern Appalachian “balds” are never truly "naturally" bald.

I saw a few names from 2024 in some of the summit registers, so it seems like this "challenge" may be gaining some more attention and picking up momentum. It's a great way to test your skills, push yourself, and explore some of the more remote and rugged parts of this wonderful state.

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[Deadeye]

Congrats! Peakbagging is a great way to enjoy the mountains.

[fudgefoot]

Congratulations on completing this challenge! Looks like whoever made the Horsetrough Mountain sign didn't:

Plan Ahea
D

[Gambit McCrae]

Congrats man!!! Wow what an investment of time and effort, I know that off trail bushwacking must have been tough especially with the elevation changes!

So what's next?
More Palmetto? Increased efforts on the AT? New Adventure?

I have officially started "actively" completing the Smoky Mountain 900 Miler Club(really 801 miles now now).
My con to this is my Lori dog cant go with me, only 2 trails in GSMNP allow dogs and they are short trails.

[Slugg]

Thanks all. It was a fun logistical challenge.

I didn’t even notice “Horsetrogh”, lol.

No imminent plans for the Palmetto. For backpacking I’ll probably keep mixing it up between working up the AT and red-lining some more “local” wildernesses. I hope to get out to CO for the 3rd summer in a row and have my first international backpacking trip booked this summer in Ireland with my wife.

I did all of these recent peakbagging trips as dayhikes and I’ve still got a decent list of day-hike-driveable trails I haven’t checked out yet to keep me occupied on that front..

Smokies will be an active goal at some point as well, probably a year or two from now.