Blood Mountain Shelter — Hotel in Dahlonega

Shelter on the Appalachian Trail. This one was put up by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1934. Made of hewn stone, it is a gorgeous building but it’s made of stone and there is currently a fire ban - wear your puffy to bed in the Spring, Fall, and Winter. There is a privy with arguably the best privy views in GA. The rocks behind the shelter provide a stunning overlook of the surrounding area. Bring your water or prepare to hike - water source is a haul (est - 3/4 mile) with some really nice elevation changes for you. If there has been recent rain, very recent, you may see some...

My Boy Scout Troop 22 from Atlanta made an annual AT camping trip each year between Christmas and New Years. In December of 1964 we were caught in an Ice Storm on top of Blood Mountain. We took refuge in this shelter and promptly built a warm fire in the fireplace. There were about 25 of us crowded into the shelter. After about 20 minutes of the warm fire, a very long Black Racer snake, who was hibernating in the rocks of the fireplace, decided it was time to find a cooler spot. The resulting chaos of exiting the building would have won a prize on America's funniest...

Wonderful hike up, and fair warning, it's up the whole way, big steps and rocks, and there's a small section of rocks that you can get misdirected on easily. The view is beautiful but I wish there was less tree cover so you could see more. We carried up a picnic blanket and pillows so it made our trek a bit harder but it was very much worth it to relax on the top rocks. Bring lots of water and a snack to help, and be sure to take breaks on the way up.

It's definitely worth it and a fun hike. If we Floridians can do it...