Bear Creek Trail

Bear Creek Trail near Ellijay Georgia

On January 7th, 2023, we went to north Georgia for a hike on Bear Creek Trail which is located in the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest. This trail is near both Ellijay and Chatsworth.

After driving through valleys and farmland, we turned onto Bear Creek Camp Road. This is a forest service road. It actually goes pretty far back through the woods before you get to the trail head. The road is not paved, has muddy spots, and is slick in some areas. After winding through the woods, we arrived at the trailhead parking. Before you get to the trailhead, you will pass a camping area on the right. The trailhead is located at the Bear Creek Recreation Area and provides access to a beautiful section of the forest.

Bear Creek trailhead is located at the Bear Creek Recreation Area and provides access to a beautiful section of the forest.

Bear Creek Trail is a loop. We started at the end near the information board. We did not realize that this entrance would be the one that is mostly uphill. If we go back, we will start at the other side. That being said, the incline isn’t too steep, but it’s just enough to make a difference when you are hiking. The loop is about 6 miles. If we had started the other way, we probably would have been able to go farther, but that incline made the difference.

The trail follows Bear Creek, a tributary of the Chattahoochee River, and provides scenic views of the surrounding forest. There are creek crossings! We passed through the creek three times (a total of six for the way back). These creek parts are shallow, but they are deep enough in spots for your entire boot to be submerged. We also went a day after rain, so I am sure there are times when the creek is easier to pass.

One of my favorite things on the trail was the Gennett Poplar. This is massive tree that survived the logging companies when they went through the Appalachian Trail. It is hard to wrap your head around just how big it is!

Although we did not do the entire loop, we did get in a decent and challenging three-mile hike. This trail is a great way to explore the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest and experience its natural beauty.

Tips for your trip:

• Bear Creek Campground (GA) is a walk-in camping area only. No pop-ups or RVs are accommodated. Primitive camping is (lower trailhead) with no drinking water and has vault toilets.
• Think about what car you want to take. We went on the forest service road in a Corolla, but if we had known the road conditions beforehand, we would have taken our SUV.
• Have plenty of gas in your vehicle’s tank before you leave the nearest town (either Chatsworth or Ellijay) before the trail.
• Make sure you bring an extra pair of socks – those trail crossings are no joke!
• Watch out for mountain bikers.
• If you want some good BBQ before or after your hike, stop at Bigun’s Barbeque in Talking Rock.

Bear Creek Trail
241 Bear Creek Camp Road
Ellijay, GA 30540

Latitude: 34.819973
Longitude: -84.565002

After the hike, we visited Cartecay River Brewing Company in Ellijay, Georgia