Cohutta Wilderness: East Cowpen, Hickory Ridge, & Rough Ridge Loop Professional Review and Guide

"The East Cowpen, Hickory Ridge, and Rough Ridge trails form a loop that passes through the heart of the Cohutta Wilderness. Because this is a long trek with some steep climbs, it works best as an overnight trip for experienced backpackers. The best part is that it travels through two distinct types of terrain found in the Cohutta.

The trip begins in hardwoods on high ridges that form the western wall of a deep gorge that drops 1,500 feet to Rough Creek. If you’re backpacking, your first day will likely end with a descent to the banks of Jacks River, which rushes through heath forest of hemlocks and rhododendrons. There is room on the riverbank for camping, and on clear nights you can gaze at a starry sky undisturbed by city lights. On the second day, you climb high again to Rough Ridge, where you can look across the gorge and get a real sense of its depth and breadth."

--Marcus Woolf, Afoot and Afield Atlanta: 108 Spectacular Outings in North-Central Georgia (Wilderness Press).