Mount Oglethorpe

Mount Oglethorpe, the southernmost peak in the Blue Ridge Mountains, is located in Pickens County, Georgia and was the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail from when the trail was completed in 1937 until 1958. In 1958, as a result of over development around Mount Oglethorpe, the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail was moved about 20 miles (32 km) to the northeast to Springer Mountain. Mount Oglethorpe is considered by some to be a more dramatic mountain than Springer Mountain, but the construction of a gravel logging road on the mountain and the development of a number of pungent chicken farms along the route, contributed to the move.

Until 1930, Mount Oglethorpe was called Grassy Knob, but the peak was renamed Mount Oglethorpe in honor of James Oglethorpe, the founder of Georgia. The elevation of Mount Oglethorpe is 3,288 feet (1,002 m), making it the highest point in Pickens County. The summit of the mountain is currently on private property, and it is only accessible with permission from the owner.

There is an old Civilian Conservation Corps building near the peak, as well as the stone build-up where the Oglethorpe monument used to be (it's been moved to downtown Jasper, Georgia).

External links

• TopoQuest Map for Mount Oglethorpe
• Walking the Appalachian Trail on Gorp
• Archives of Pickens County, Roadside Georgia
• Georgia’s Named Summits – Pickens County
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Coordinates: 34°29′10″N 84°19′49″W / 34.48611°N 84.33028°W / 34.48611; -84.33028