Georgia Triangle · Suches Loop

The Georgia Triangle from Dahlonega: the route follows GA-60 north through Stonepile Gap and Woody Gap to Suches, turns onto GA-180 over Wolfpen Gap past Vogel State Park, drops to US-129 at Neels Gap and comes back down through Turners Corner to Dahlonega. It's 50 miles of mountain curves. GA-180 at Wolfpen is narrow, with blind turns on the way down to US-129, so a big pack rides in small groups. Fuel in Dahlonega or at the corner in Suches.

Dahlonega was the scene of the first major gold rush in the United States, in 1829, and its gold museum sits in the 1836 courthouse on the square. From there the route rides GA-60 north through the Chattahoochee National Forest to Stonepile Gap and climbs to Woody Gap, where the Appalachian Trail crosses the highway at about 3,160 feet and there are parking lots on both sides of the road and a view over the mountains. A few miles on, Suches sits in a high valley, and the route turns onto GA-180.

GA-180 crosses Wolfpen Gap and drops past Vogel State Park, built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, to US-129 at Neels Gap. The stone building at the gap, now the Mountain Crossings outfitter, was rebuilt by the CCC in the 1930s, and it's the only place on the whole Appalachian Trail where the footpath passes through a building. From there US-129 winds down to Turners Corner and the route comes back to Dahlonega. The descent from Wolfpen is narrow and blind, so keep the pack in small groups and leave room.