2. Hiking Adventures

Rothwell Creek

Describes exploraton of Rothwell Creek in Stevens County Georgia
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Take Yonah Dam Road north for 2.8 miles from Hwy 184 and park on the west side of the road in front of what looks like an old logging road.
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Take Yonah Dam Road north for 2.8 miles from Hwy 184 and park on the west side of the road in front of what looks like an old logging road.

  • Take Yonah Dam Road north for 2.8 miles from Hwy 184 and park on the west side of the road in front of what looks like an old logging road.
  • The "old logging road" is actually the abandoned east end of County Road 171, Black Mountain Road.
  • Although no longer vehicle worthy, it is a well traveled trail.
  • In the second cove, the old road takes a right turn and heads up the mountain. I didn't take it.
  • Instead, I continued straight ahead on a real logging road.
  • The next major cove had a strong stream and steep elevation so I followed it . I immediately ran into significant bushwhacking challenges. Always optimistic, I continued cutting and climbing. This is the only open place in the foliage.
  • Looking at my GPS, I noticed I wasn't very far from the old road so I climbed up to it. Here is what it looks like.
  • I decided to follow the road up to a gap at coordinates 34.67105, -83.32498. This is actually an intersection with the road bearing left, a logging road Y'd left and another logging road going to the right. I turned around and took the road all the way back down to the "trail".
  • Now back on the old logging road that parallels Rothwell Creek, except for a few obstacles, it is pretty easy hiking.
  • It is half a mile to the first waterfall. Not very high but pretty nice.
  • Snapshot @ 1/160 sec.
  • f/13 @ 1/8 sec, ISO 320. Coordinates are 34.66733, -83.32599
  • Decent pic even with the sun bouncing around.
  • Just a couple hundred yards up stream is a second waterfall.
  • Also not very big, coordinates for this one are 34.66737, -83.32705
  • f/13 @ 1.0 sec, ISO 200
  • Snapshot
  • Just around the bend from the second waterfall, the logging road drops down into a huge flat area. I don't know the topographical term for it but there were several feeder streams coming together and joining the main creek. Rothwell creek turned south at this point and I had to search around a bit to find it.
  • After locating the correct cove, I picked up an ancient logging road heading up the River Left side of Rothwell Creek. The logging road quickly disappeared. The other side of the creek was flat and open.
  • Until the terrain closed in, it was easy hiking along the level creek bottom on River Right.
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