 easy and just about any car could do this part of the route. To get to the beginning of the route we used Waze to point us to the Burrell's Ford Campground, which is essentially the beginning of the route. This route ends outside of Dillard. After completing this section, we headed into Clayton for some lunch. From the track Dillard is just a mile or two and Clayton is about 10 miles.
After lunch we started the second section which is from Dillard to Helen. This portion of the route is the most challenging of the trip and I feel that you should have a high clearance four wheel drive vehicle. We got a late start on the first day so we only finished about half this section before dark. Because of steady rain the whole day we decided not to camp. Instea we came across the Top of Georgia hiker's hostel right along the route at Dick's Creek Gap on US 76. Since it was Christmas time, the hostel was almost completely empty and we had the place almost to ourselves.
The next morning we continued on the route, eventually coming to Trey Mountain road which is where we had our first issue with trail conditions. After climbing this road for over an hour we came to a portion of trail that was washed out and was not passable for my almost stock Tacoma. There was a 50 yard long section that had 2-3 foot deep ruts and ledges. We probably could have spent a couple hours rock stacking and digging to get through, but we decided that it was best to turn around. My Tacoma is my daily driver and I had a nine hour drive back home after the trip, so for us retreat was the best option. It is possible that a heavily modified vehicle could make it through. This section is on the way up Hickory Knob on Trey Mountain road. If you are doing the route I would still do this section because it is a beautiful part of the mountains and because the road may be passable in the future. Worst case you have a great drive up a fun trail and turn around, best case you make it all the way through.
After turning around we headed back down Trey Mountain Road, hit the pavement and headed into Helen for gas and lunch. I recommend the Troll Tavern, which is located right on the river in the middle of town.
After Helen the hard stuff is behind you. This third section goes from Helen to the beginning of the Cohutta loop. This section is pleasant but the roads are rocky and we didn't make very good time. The Cooper's Creek WMA is especially nice and has a very nice campground that would make for a great night if your timing is right. It was only mid afternoon for us so we continued on. Eventually we decided to leave the route in Suches head down into Dahlonega for the night because the forecast called for thunderstorms and winds above 30 mph. I went to college in Dahlonega so I am always looking for an excuse to visit, so it wasn't a hard decision for us. We had some awesome pizza at Gustavo's on the square and called it a night.
We got up the next morning and headed back up to Suches to pick up the trail. It had rained heavily during the nigh so the trails were slippery, but nothing too difficult. By lunchtime we arrrived at the beginning of the Cohutta loop, which is the fourth section.
If you consider the loop to be a clock face we entered the loop at the 3-4 o'clock position off Old GA 2, which is where the GPS tracks
If you consider the loop to be a clock face we entered the loop at the 3-4 o'clock position off Old GA 2, which is where the GPS tracks bring you in. We decided to turn right and go around the loop counter clockwise. The roads in this section are good, but some sections are rough and rocky, making for slow going. It took several hours to get around the loop and we averaged 10-15 mph on this section like we did for the rest of the route. This section is gorgeous and feels very isolated. Through happy coincidence, we wound up on the far west side of the loop just before sunset. There are two overlooks on the west side that provide absolutely jaw dropping views, and seeing these views at sunset made them even better.
At the very end of our trip around the loop we encountered our only locked gate. After 4 hours on the route we came across a random closed gate right at the Jack's River Fields campground. At this point we had completed over 90% of the loop but could not get past the gate to complete the loop without going back around the entire loop clockwise. At this point it was getting dark so we turned around at the gate and exited the loop at the southernmost point of the loop at Cow Pens Rd. Eventually we made it down into Elijay and then made our way back to my brother's place in Athens.
To reiterate, this is a great tip that I highly recommend. The navigation is easy, there is plenty of food and gas along the route and the forests and overlooks are amazing. My favorite section was from Dillard to Helen due to the more challenging 4wd trails in this area. My brothers favorite section was the Cohuttanloop for the isolating and breathtaking views. Whether you have a few hours or a few days, I recommend you load up the GOS tracks and give it a go. You will not be disappointed.
Hi Jeff,
Thank you very much for taking the time to write this detailed post and for sharing your experience with the community. The information you provided is invaluable! I'm happy to hear you had an enjoyable and exciting trip!
All the best,
David
Great write up! Thanks for the information. How long did the trip take you?
Recently found this through a Facebook group. I have to admit this is incredible and just what I've been looking for.
Have a GIS bachelors degree, I can vouche for the incredible amount to of work that went into this. I myself will soon begin assisting where I can with my own data and experiences.
David, killer work. I look forward to running this in the wrangler and adding in my own information.
Best regards,
Sticker
Sticker,
Thank you very much for the kind words. It really means a lot coming from a GIS professional. Stay in touch and please feel free to share your thoughts and experiences with the community. I will migrate the site from Weebly to WordPress in the coming months as I work toward providing a better platform for users to share information and ideas. Wish me luck!
We made our first attempt at completing the GA Traverse late last summer / early fall. Had a great time but technical difficulties cut our trip short. My buddy lost a tire on the rocks at Tray Mountain and we didn't have a spare with us...
We will be hitting the traverse again in April. Not looking for a lot of folks to join us but if anyone is interested in the trip, let me know. We have the proper recovery equipment to get you out of a mess if you happen to need the help.
I am really looking forward to our next outing.
I somehow overlooked replying back in February...apologies for the oversight! Tray Mountain has developed a rugged stretch that is proving challenging to many prepared rigs. Good luck out there!
I can't thank you enough for making this website and putting in such an incredible amount of work to share with others. I am down in Fort Lauderdale, FL, but I want to get some friends together and do a nice trail ride now that we all have the vehicles and means to do so. This will more than likely be our first endeavor.
Thanks again.
Thank you very much for the kind words, Anthony. Keep us posted on your travels!
Im looking to do the traverse trail in my 99 stock 4 runner 4x4 with factory e locker a few days before thanksgiving, are there any recent trail updates? ill be coming from St. Augustine, FL. Thanks in advanced.
Hi Zach,
Before you make the journey, and while en route, keep an eye on road closures and conditions here: and
In addition to road closures, you may find a few areas of difficult terrain along The Georgia Traverse. Safe travels and let us know how your trip was!
Hey man I'm planning on doing this route at the same time you are and I'm coming from port saint lucie. I have a 4runner same as yours. Maybe we will see each other out there. My 4runner is black and I'll be pulling a black trailer that has a truck bed with a topper on it. Good luck
I was thinking of doing it at the same time in my 2000 2wd lifted 4runner. I would be coming from Melbourne FL
Hey everyone! Just released vlog 40 where we tackle Tray Mountain. If you want to see what it looked like as of end of June 2017, check out the vlog!
Thanks for posting, Jason! Your videos are amazing and I really appreciate the (multiple video) Georgia Traverse coverage. I recommend everyone take a look at Jason's Swell Runner Overland Youtube channel here:
All the best,
David
Awesome replies guy, I have a f350 I ll be taking up that way from savannah ga probabaly 12/28/17-1/1/18 if anyone has any suggested sections, it's a fairly capable truck, however has pretty horrible turning radius even for a long bed.
I've been exploring the N. GA mountains for a while now and stumbled across the website while planning a trip of my own. You've really helped me make some good trips around the area.
I