Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests

Spanning from the rugged Blue Ridge Mountains of north Georgia to the rolling Piedmont plateau in the central part of the state, the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests encompass nearly 867,000 acres across 26 counties, making them the only national forests in Georgia. The Chattahoochee division features Brasstown Bald at 4,784 feet, Georgia's highest peak, along with over 430 miles of the Appalachian Trail and a spectacular network of cascading waterfalls including Anna Ruby Falls and Helton Creek Falls. The forest's cold mountain streams support thriving populations of wild rainbow and brown trout, drawing anglers from across the Southeast.\n\nThe Oconee division in the Piedmont region protects a different landscape of rolling hardwood-pine forests, bottomland swamps, and Lake Sinclair's shoreline, providing important habitat for the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker. The Cohutta Wilderness, one of the largest wilderness areas in the eastern United States, offers remote backcountry hiking through dense forest along the Jacks River and Conasauga River trails. The forest serves as a vital outdoor recreation resource for the Atlanta metropolitan area, supporting hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, paddling, and camping throughout the year.