If you’re in north GA and you’re looking to hike in a place that has some beautiful views, but also unusual mysteries… look no further. There’s Fort Mountain in Dalton, GA where you can walk the Stone Wall, Stone Tower, and West Overlook Trails Loop. If that sounds like a mouthful, no worries, the entire loop is only 1 ½ miles.

Fort Mountain State Park is at the southwestern end of the Cohutta Mountains near the Cohutta Wilderness.

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Otherwise, continue reading…

The Mysterious Wall

Hiking the loop counter-clockwise, you’ll come across the one of the area’s first mysteries… a stone wall of unknown origin that predates the arrival of the Cherokee. Archaeological evidence suggests that the wall was built between 500 and 1500 AD.

No one knows who built the 885 ft long wall, which runs east to west and zig zags like a snake.

What is known?

An archaeological survey by the University of Georgia shows the wall to be 885 ft long and with 3 gaps. It runs east-west, zig-zagging snake-like along the southern face of the mountain.

The stones, consisting of mica schist and gneiss, are of the same materials at the mountain. They were locally sources and stacked without mortar. Now the wall has crumbled over time, and today, its height varies between 2ft to 6ft.

No one knows who built it or what it’s used for, but it’s use for defensive purpose has been widely dismissed because there’s no water within the perimeter, the wall is too low, and there are no signs of battle. There have been various speculations on who might have built it, including Cherokee legends about the Moon-Eyed People who they say lived here before they (the Cherokee) arrived.

Continuing the hike, you’ll run into the fire tower, built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in the 1930s and which also comes with a love story. When you’re there, look for the stone shaped like a heart.

Abandoned Mines

When you reach the scenic overlook which offers views of the Cohutta Wilderness and the Blue Ridge Mountains, you might be surprised to learn that Fort Mountain has non active, abandoned mines on the west side of the state park.

There are old talc mines that are gated, along with some old structures, that you can hike to using other trails. There’s also gold in the same area.

In 1901, several gold bearing veins were found. When the Cohutta Gold Mining company started operations, they sank several shafts and made some cuts. Then later, they erected a stamp mill, which is used to crush the material by pounding.

Business was beginning to boom and they had everything they needed, but then for some strange unknown reason, they stopped operations and left. Why? No one knows.

Cabins with Unexplained Activity

There are over a dozen cabins available for camping at the park. But there are some stories around these cabins… that something unexplained seems to lurk there. People report hearing doors being slammed and knocking on walls. There are reports of lights flickering. And there are some unusual stories outside the cabins too from the people hiking on the mountain close to dusk.

The best time to visit here is in the Spring or Autumn. Watch out for bears–especially in the Summer months. Also, the road up to the park can be a little twisty. Definitely worth the visit though!