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Hike the Bear Hair Gap Trail

Blairsville, Georgia

4.5/5
based on 2 reviews

Details

Distance

5.5 miles

Elevation Gain

675 ft

Route Type

Loop

Description

Added by Christian Murillo

Bear Hair Gap Trail is a great mid-distance alpine trail in the beautiful mountains of Northern Georgia. The highlight of this trail is the great overlook of Lake Trahlyta and the surrounding mountains.

Vogel State Park is one of the many beautifully preserved wilderness parks of Northern Georgia.  With a stunning alpine lake and 17 miles of trails, you cannot go wrong.  The Bear Hair Trail is the perfect mid-distance option that will reward you with both great views of the lake from a high vantage point and a great exercise through the beautiful forest.  

Starting just a stones throw away from the visitors center parking lot you will find the Backcountry trailhead.  This is the same trailhead you would take for the Coosa Backcountry Trail, and the two trails will fork after about half a mile.  That first half mile is a pretty good climb, with a series of steps to get you all warmed up.  To get on the Bear Hair Trail, just follow the sign at the fork, which clearly marks both trails.  Soon after the start of the trail, you leave the boundaries of Vogel State Park and enter the Chattahoochee National Forest.

The trail continues a moderately steep climb for the first 2 miles, and then tapers into a more gradual ascent as you reach one of the lower ridges of Blood Mountain.  Around that 2 mile point, you will see a sign for the Vogel Overlook.  Even if you are tired at this point, definitely take the short .2 mile detour to get the best view of the hike, and one of the few alpine lake views in Georgia.  From a thousand feet above, you will see the shimmer of the sunlight on Lake Trahlyta, surrounded by equally beautiful rolling mountains.  This is the perfect spot to take a break, grab a snack, and brace yourself for the hike down.  

Now that all of the heavy lifting is behind you, you will navigate back to the main trail and continue to your left (assuming you were going counter-clockwise).  This will take you down a slightly less steep path than the one you came up, albeit a bit longer in distance.  The descent will take you besides and eventually across charming little streams, which make waterproof boots a really good idea.  You will know you are back in Vogel State Park territory once you pass the campground and a couple group shelters.

Don't think you are tired enough? Check out the mile-long stroll around Lake Trahlyta. 

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Features

Photography
Hiking
Dog Friendly
Easy Parking
Family Friendly
Forest
Scenic
Wildflowers

Reviews

Not sure why but people tend to shy away from this trail. True gem starting in Vogel State Park. Recommend grabbing a campsite there too as it is very well-maintained! This hike is moderate but on the easy side of moderate, excellent view of the lake, and the trail is well-maintained. If you're looking for a backpacking venture, you can catch the Coosa Backcountry trail off of this one.

I found the Bear Hair Gap trail to be a really scenic & pretty trail. There aren't any sweeping views (though the Vogel overlook is pretty cool), but the creek crossings & not-too-challenging terrain makes this hike a worthwhile few hours!

Leave No Trace

Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!

Nearby

Camp at Vogel State Park

Hike the Trahlyta Lake Trail to Trahlyta Falls

Appalachian Trail from Blood Mountain to Cowrock Mountain

Blood Mountain via Byron Reece Trailhead

Hike to Helton Creek Falls

Hike to Desoto Falls, Georgia