Brasstown Bald

BLAIRSVILLE -- Most people who aren't from Georgia have no idea that we have mountains. They envision Georgia as a vast plain filled with peanut farms, peach orchards and cotton fields.

If you want to impress visitors, take them up to Brasstown Bald, off the Ga. 180 spur road southeast of Blairsville. At 4,784 feet above sea level, Brasstown is the highest point in Georgia, and on a clear day atop the summit's visitor center, you can see into Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina.

Folks from Colorado may scoff at a mountain that doesn't top 5,000 feet. But compared to some other Deep South states, Georgia is more than respectable. Florida's highest point is 345 feet; Louisiana's, 535 feet. Even Alabama, the terminus of the Appalachian range, can only muster 2,407 feet.

If you can't make it up to Clingman's Dome in the Smokies (elevation 6,643), Brasstown is a fair substitute. The land is part of the Chattahoochee National Forest, which operates the visitor center from Memorial Day through October. The road going up to the Brasstown parking lot is so steep that it's been used several times as the climax stage for the Tour de Georgia bicycle race.

After parking, you're still half a mile below the summit. You can get to the top via a paved but strenuous trail, or you can pay a concessionaire to take you on a shuttle bus to the visitor center.

Inside the fortress-like building, there are interesting interpretive exhibits. But the real attraction is the view from observation decks outside. Bring a jacket, because there's always a cold wind up there, even in summer. You'll want a camera and binoculars, too.

Be aware: Like many large peaks, Brasstown makes its own weather. The summit may be shrouded in clouds while the rest of Georgia is clear as a bell. But if you come up on a crisp October day, and the foliage is turning, you'll be treated to a dazzling display of color.

Debbie Gilbert