Hickory Ridge Trail

Hickory Ridge is an interior 3.5-mile ridge trail. Access is from either the high elevation point via the East Cowpen Trail hiking in 2.7 miles to the East Cowpen-Hickory Ridge junction or the low elevation point via the Jacks River Trail where the Jacks River-Hickory Ridge junction is 50 yards upstream from the Beech Bottom-Jacks River junction.

The trail described here starts at the northern terminus of the East Cowpen Trail located at the end of FS51. Starting at an elevation of 1,834 feet the East Cowpen Trail climbs to 3,180 feet over a distance of 2.7 miles to the Hickory Ridge Trail junction.

The 1,400 feet change in elevation is more pronounced the first mile and becomes more gradual thereafter continuing on a wide roadbed due to it being the former highway GA2.

After hiking 2.7 miles the junction for Hickory Ridge Trail is on the left and marked with a sign high up on a tree. The image immediately above is the sign!

Hickory Ridge is a ridgetop and upper-slope trail for the next 3 miles. There is a nice campsite in the first mile for campers looking for something different than the predominant river camping in the wilderness. The trail can be described as walking down a flight of stairs except for the stairs here are ridges. And some of these stairs are steep descents especially the first one at the .5 mile mark.

This trail unlike some other ridge trails in the wilderness stays on top of the slope for the duration of its ridge section. Hickory Ridge is a lower elevation spur of Cohutta Mountain and in most areas is not that wide. It is a tranquil hike on top of the ridge.

The ridgetop views in the winter are all knowing. A glance to the right and there is Rough Ridge which appears steep on its western side. Further down the trail on the ridge Ken Mountain is seen easily below on the left, due west. And the highest peak in the combined Big Frog-Cohutta Wilderness, Big Frog Mountain, is straight and slightly right, the highpoint is 4,219 feet.

The ridge steps continue until the final .3 miles where it descends rapidly to Jacks River. The trail performs a disappearing act here and turns right and upstream continuing along a rocky outpost hugging the river for .2 miles.

The trail fords Jacks River at the end of this extremely rocky outpost diagonally at a fairly wide section of the river to the other side that looks like a beach. The Beech Bottom-Jacks River junction is 50 yards to the left and downstream to the Jacks River-Hickory Ridge junction.

Another day hike option here besides returning on the out and back is to continue downstream on Jacks River Trail passing Jacks River Falls and a beautiful 1.8-mile treadway before it crosses Jacks River. Warning during cold weather and sustained rain this is not recommended. After crossing the river the trail continues on the left side of the river and downstream for approximately 0.1 mile before encountering the Rice Camp Trail junction which is on your left and 4 miles back to your vehicle. The FS51 cul-de-sac houses the Rice Camp, East Cowpen, and Hickory Creek Trailheads even though they all go radically different directions. This loop trip is approximately 11.5 miles compared to the out and back which is 12.6 miles.