Black Rock Mountain State Park

"Black Rock Mountain may also refer to a mountain in Ireland".

Black Rock Mountain State Park is a 1,743 acre (7.03 km²) Georgia state park located near Mountain City in Rabun County. It is named after its sheer cliffs of dark-colored biotite gneiss and encompasses some of the most outstanding countryside in Georgia's Blue Ridge Mountains. Located astride the Eastern Continental Divide at an altitude of 3,640 feet (1,109 m), the park provides many scenic overlooks and spectacular 80 mile (130 km) vistas of the southern Appalachian Mountains. On a clear day, four states are visible: Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. In addition to Black Rock Mountain itself, the Park includes four other peaks over 3000 feet in altitude, making this scenic natural area the highest state park in Georgia.

There are four hiking trails through lush forests, alongside cascading mountain streams and around 17 acre (69,000 m²) Black Rock Lake. The 2.2-mile Tennessee Rock Trail crosses Black Rock Mountain's cool north slope before climbing across the mountain's summit. From the trail's namesake feature- Tennessee Rock itself- hikers enjoy vistas that extend northward into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, including Clingman's Dome, the highest point in Tennessee.

The 7.2-mile James E. Edmonds Trail is named for "Mr. Eddie" Edmonds, one of the park's longest-serving rangers. This rugged trail features four secluded campsites which allow backpackers with reservations to escape into the park's quiet backcountry. The Ada-hi Falls Trail is named for the Cherokee word for "forest." The quarter-mile trail begins near the entrance of the park's popular RV camping area and leads hikers into a moist north-facing cove filled with rosebay rhododendron.

History

Most of the rock outcrops found throughout the park are made of biotite gneiss, a metamorphic rock that underlies a large portion of the Georgia Blue Ridge.Black Rock Mountain State Park was established in 1952 and originally consisted of 1,000 acres (4 km²). Long before the Park was established, Rabun County native John V. Arrendale began assembling the area that would later become the Park, making his first 70 acre purchase in 1938. Several purchases have added to the Park's area since it was established 1952, including 301 acres (1.2 km²) added in 1995 when Zell Miller was Governor.

Facilities

*48 Tent/RV/Trailer sites
*4 Backcountry Campsites
*12 Walk-In Campsites
*10 Cottages
*2 Picnic Shelters
*Pioneer Camping
*Summit Visitor Center

Annual events

*Junior Fishing Rodeo (May)
*Happy Birthday, America! (July)

External links

* [http://gastateparks.org/info/blackrock/ Georgia State Parks Website]
* [http://gastateparks.org/net/content/page.aspx?s=67911.67846.1.5#BlackRock History of Georgia State Parks]