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The view onto Lake Chatuge can now be realized by car as well as by foot.
Used to be, you had to “earn” your way to the top of Bell Mountain, Georgia, braving a rutted road to witness a breezy, 360-degree view of Lake Chatuge and the surrounding mountains of Towns County.
Down below, boaters on Lake Chatuge can easily determine the V-shaped summit of blasted-out Bell. Just look for the mountain with the crack at the top.
In 2015, Towns County acquired 18 acres atop the mountain as part of the late Hal Herrin estate. The new Bell Mountain County Park and Historical Site was dedicated on Oct. 12, 2016. And, ever since, it’s been all the rage on Facebook feeds for folks sharing sunset summit scenes, capturing what newspaper editor J.A. Gant of Athens, Georgia, described in 1883 as “the grandest view in America.”
The new Hal Herrin Overlook features 115 steps and a couple of decks, giving an eagle’s-eye view of the sprawling Lake Chatuge, built during World War II for the Tennessee Valley Authority.
By car, you still have to be brave to get here: It’s a straight-up shot from U.S. 76. And, on several stretches, the paved lane is virtually a one-car width. You can stop at a large parking lot and follow the 300-foot-long footpath to the summit. Or be braver still and follow the steep grade of that freshly-paved footpath to an even higher parking lot, despite passing a red-and-white sign, warning, “Vehicles that travel beyond this point on Footpath AT YOUR OWN RISK.”
The rocks capping Bell Mountain are white. And they are spray-painted, by tradition. Curiously, too, county leaders are allowing visitors to keep on painting those rocks as part of what a brochure calls the mountain’s “colorful history.” But a posted sign gives another warning: “DO NOT PAINT Platforms, Steps, Fence or Asphalt. Destroying this Public Property which is under surveillance is subject to Criminal Prosecution.”
The 3,424-foot Bell Mountain is a popular site to spot eagles. It is also a prime launching pad for para-gliders to easily float on wind currents while overlooking Lake Chatuge.
From the Hiawassee Town Square, follow U.S. 76 east for 1.3 miles. Turn left onto Shake Rag Road and go 1.5 miles to Bell Mountain Road. Turn right and follow one mile on the narrow road to the summit. townscountyga.org
