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Blood Mountain Shelter on the Appalachian Trail

7 Reviews

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About

National Forest

Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest

The Blood Mountain Shelter on the Appalachian Trail in Georgia was originally constructed from local stone in 1937 for the Georgia State Parks system by Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) workers stationed at Camp Enotah at Vogel State Park. The shelter was transferred to the US Forest Service in a land exchange agreement in 1956. The basic elements of the rooms, window, and doorways of this stone structure remain unchanged, but modifications to the roof and floor have occurred over the years.

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Location

Blood Mountain Shelter on the Appalachian Trail is located in Georgia

Directions

Use the Appalachian Trail to access this location. Hike in only. No access otherwise.

Coordinates

34.74014020796446 N
83.93731980057285 W

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Access

Hike-In
Backcountry sites.

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AT&T
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Site Types

Tent Sites
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Features

For Campers

Phone Service
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Enjoy camping on government land. Limited or no services at this camping area.

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Contact

General Info

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Brooke A.

Guide

Reviewed Mar. 29, 2022

Amazing Spot!

I love the blood Mountain shelter atop of blood Mountain on the Appalachian Trail! Rock built with a fireplace and the views are spectacular!

SiteShelter

Month of VisitSeptember

Jim I.

Traveler

Reviewed Aug. 19, 2020

Not as bad as advertised

All I heard about BMS was that it smelled horrible. It’s actually not that bad. Views at the top of the mountain were OK better views coming off the mountain on the north side. Must see.

Anna R.

Ranger

Reviewed Jul. 17, 2018

Hike there but don't stay

It is not advised to p at the top of blood mountain. It's an amazing hike to the top but once there it can get very windy at night and the shelter has nice and other critters. There are a few good primitive spots down the other side of the mountain if you are hiking the AT.

Renee B.

Guide

Reviewed Jun. 26, 2018

Amazing views, awesome backpacking site

We hiked up to Blood Mountain from the Byron Reese Trailhead. We didn't stay in the shelter and instead set up our tent near an overlook nearby. Perfect place for sunrise and sunset. It was a little buggy until the wind picked up -- it definitely cooled down at night even in the summer due to the wind so make sure you set up in a spot with a windbreak or bring layers!

We were past bear canister season so we hung our food nearby and had no issues.

We saw tons of lightning throughout the night over nearby towns but nothing hit us and we had no rain.

We are beginner backpackers and had a great time -- definitely recommend this for a quick one night trip if you're new to backpacking! The payoff of hiking uphill for ~2 miles is worth it, we loved the views.

Month of VisitJuly

Maria A.

Guide

Reviewed May. 24, 2018

Blood Mountain

The hike up to the campsite might be a lot but once you're up there the views are worth it. While most AT shelters have a bathroom nearby, this one doesn't. Also there isn't any water available. I've heard plenty of horror stories about the mice at this shelter so we stayed in our tent nearby. The tent spots aren't really the greatest - the few flat spots get taken pretty early and there really is only a few. We ended up sleeping at an angle and pretty uncomfortably considering the rocky terrain, but the view makes up for it!

Month of VisitAugust

Alex K.

Guide

Reviewed Aug. 4, 2017

Nice Hike! Good Camping

The hike is moderate to the top and there is a shelter and awesome scenic views. Love going up here!

Art S.

Legend

Reviewed Aug. 12, 2016

Blood Mountain Shelter on the Appalachian Trail

Large flat rocks nestle amongst the vegetation on top of Blood Mountain. This is one of the highest climbs in this southern portion of the Appalachian Trail. This is a shelter that must be hiked to but it is worth the work. With no water source at Blood Mountain shelter, I could see carrying up a large load of water and hanging out. There are plenty of places to seclude yourself and ponder life's mysteries. Large flat rocks sloping sharply made up the trail to get here. Thankfully there were frequent markings on the rocks to show the way. At some points the trail appeared to go right off the edge of the mountain. Scrambling over the boulders, going through skinny passageways, what a great hike. Eventually the large steps started up again. These are taller than my knee and meant that we all slowed down. It was a great hike through and through.