The U.S. Forest Service is gearing up for a busy season. The agency is reopening recreation sites that were closed for winter and the pandemic.
“After this long, difficult year, people are wanting to enjoy the woods and simple pleasures of nature. We’ve been working hard to get our roads, trails, and campgrounds ready for the upcoming season,” says Ryan Foote, manager of the Chattooga River Ranger District which covers just over 261,000 acres in the northeastern-most part of Georgia. Neighboring Blue Ridge Ranger District covers over 300,000 acres of forested land.
Forest Service staff and volunteers have spent the pandemic and winter downtime getting ready for the spring and summer tourist seasons. They expect lots of visitors in the coming weeks.
When those visitors arrive, they’ll find improved facilities and amenities and they’ll have an easier time getting to them.
Over the past year, crews have improved around 800 miles of forest roads in northern Georgia. They’ve been busy blading surfaces, upgrading water drainage, and mowing roadside vegetation.
After landslides took out portions of Chattahoochee River Road north of Helen, staff stabilized it so the road could be reopened for visitors seeking access to the headwaters of the Chattahoochee River.
A flash flood wiped out a trail bridge to High Shoal Falls between Hiawassee and Helen. There, staff worked with volunteers to haul lumber and materials down a mountainside so that it could be reopened.
Recent rains and increased traffic have damaged other roads in the area, and forestry officials say crews will repair and conduct maintenance on those roads in the coming months.
CLICK for area forest recreation site conditions/openings
Campground improvements
There are a combined 21 developed campgrounds within the Chattooga River and Blue Ridge Ranger Districts. Forestry personnel improved the sites, adding new picnic tables, fire rings, water hand pumps, and fee tubes. They also spent the off-season repairing swim beach docks and water lines. At Sandy Bottoms Campground on the Tallulah River, crews built a new restroom facility.
Hundreds of miles of trails criss-cross North Georgia, including the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, the Bartram Trail, and the Benton MacKaye Trail.
“Even through this pandemic, our volunteers have been invaluable to us in safely assisting with trail clearing after storm events, picking up trash, and removing graffiti left by careless visitors,” says Foote. “I commend them for their service and remarkable sense of civic responsibility, especially during this time.”
Blue Ridge District Ranger Towdy Tipton echoes that: “We could not manage the recreation opportunities without our volunteers, who provide such a value to the public with all of the donated hours of service.”
Foote and Towdy manage diverse staffs that include foresters, firefighters, recreation managers, biologists, and administrative support staff. About twenty staff are based at the Chattooga River Ranger District Office in Lakemont. Blue Ridge staff are based in Blairsville.
As they brace for the expected onslaught of weekend warriors and nature lovers, both Foote and Towdy encourage the public to help maintain the state’s shared natural resources.
“We ask visitors to enjoy the forest and recreate responsibly, follow CDC guidelines, and practice ‘Leave No Trace’ and ‘Tread Lightly!’ principles,” Foote says, citing two national campaigns to protect forests from damage. Visitors to the campgrounds and trails are expected to carry out their own trash and, when driving, should stick to the areas designated for vehicles.
If you plan on hitting the trail this spring or summer, remember, many public outdoor recreation sites require you to pay a fee. Single-day use fees apply at most sites in the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests and can range from $3-$15. Annual passes are available for $25. Volunteers may earn annual passes by performing 20 hours of volunteer work.
For more information about volunteer opportunities or the status of roads, trails, and campgrounds, visit the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests’ website www.fs.usda.gov/conf or follow the Forest on Facebook and Twitter @ChattOconeeNF. You may also call the Lakemont district office at (706) 754-6221 or Blairsville at (706)970-9776. Due to the pandemic, the offices currently are not open to visitors, but staff members provide services virtually and are available to assist you during business hours.
This article has been updated with additional information and comments
