Fort Mountain State Park

Ranking: Moderate to Difficult

So I want to start by saying, we did not finish this trail. We were only able to complete half and then had to turn around. We started super late in the day, it was getting dark, and it began to storm. All of these things definitely didn't help our plan. Now that aside, here's how our hike went.

Located in Chatsworth, Ga- Fort Mountain State Park was where we were heading. In particular we were wanting to hike the Gahuti Trail. This trail was fantastically difficult. At least we thought so. To be fair, we have been under quarantine for months at this point- with most of us missing our gym cardio sessions. This was the first "hard" trail we had selected to hike and looking back we should have waited.

The trail begins at this small parking lot with the Cool Springs Overlook Trail to the left. Now the Cool Springs Overlook "Trail," I would say is more of a two second walkway to an AMAZING view. I wouldn't deem it a trail if I am being honest. It took us maybe five minutes to get to the overlook and that's with me dropping my phone stabilizer and fixing it. If you were not planning on checking out the Overlook, I recommend you do. The view as seen in my hiking video found here, is so worth it. When we first saw it, it looked almost like a CGI Hollywood backdrop or something. Beautiful, just beautiful here.

Now it's time to turn around and begin the Gahuti Trail. The Gahuti Trail is on the other side of the parking lot with a large informational board. This trail is around eight miles long and I would rate it to be moderate to difficult. The trail itself is pleasant enough and well established. What gets you on this trail are the elevation changes throughout. It is intense. Again, we weren't to our normal bod standard here, but all the same. We are planning to do this trail again later this year since we did enjoy it.

I would recommend that you hike this trail in cooler weather. The forest is very dense on this trail and you will rarely feel a breeze. So cooler weather will be your friend when you are hiking uphill. I will say that compared to other trails I have completed, it's not very rocky. It's more root and tree based. You will need to watch your step for stumps, roots, and fallen trees on this trail. This trail would also be okay for kids and animals to complete. As long as they can handle the ups and downs, they can do it.

**Side note**- for my asthma fam out there, bring your inhaler. I had an asthma attack while doing this hike- so slow down and take a breath. Don't try to rush like I was- I should know better by now, smh.

Even with the elevation, I would say that this trail is awesome. It is a harder trail but well worth the workout and kind of transforms into a wild jungle in sections. There were these knotted wicked looking trees and streams along the way, pretty cool I would say. Also if you still have some energy left after hiking this trail this State Park offers other trails. Nearby is the Mountain Tower Trail that leads to this tower, duh, where you can capture some great shots. Although you can't go into the actual tower, you can climb up and take a look around. If you have time check out this State Park and get to hiking!