Mount Yonah

You'll see Yonah long before you hike it. Its bare granite face rises above the trees south of Helen, and the mountain has been a landmark here for as long as anyone has lived in the valley. Yonah is the Cherokee word for bear, and the peak sits inside the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest. It's one of the harder hikes near Helen, and it has long been a popular training ground for rock climbers.

The reward is open rock near the top and a view out over the surrounding Blue Ridge. On a clear fall day that includes the long, layered ridgelines that make north Georgia look the way it does on postcards.

Expect a climb that never really lets up. The lower trail is the gentler part, and the upper half gets rocky and steep, with roots and loose stones underfoot. Trekking poles help on the way down, which is where most knees complain. Near the top the trees thin out and you cross open granite, where the views open up and the wind picks up. Follow the trail markings carefully on the bare rock.

The mountain is granite, and the cliff face has long drawn climbers. If you want to climb, start with our rock climbing guide and check current access rules with the Forest Service before you go. The Army's 5th Ranger Training Battalion also uses Yonah for its Mountain Phase, so you may see soldiers training on or near the mountain. Hikers should treat the summit cliffs seriously: there are no railings, and wet granite is slick.

Yonah Mountain Vineyards sits at the foot of the mountain. In the other direction, Brasstown Bald (4,784 feet, Georgia's highest point) is a drive for a bigger view with an easy paved summit trail. Fall color on the high ridges usually peaks around the end of October; see our fall color guide.