 Georgia
- Mount Yonah
 Location
Mount Yonah (officially referred to as Yonah Mountain) is located
in the Chattahoochee National
Forest between the towns of Cleveland and
Helen in northeast Georgia.
The best roadside view of the bald brow atop the mountain will
be found in the West Family Restaurant parking lot as you proceed
towards Cleveland.
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 Description
The climbing at 3166 ft. Mount Yonah occurs on the granite brows
that sits just below the summit on the south west side of the mountain.
Climbs roll gently to the top, there is a fair bit of friction climbing.
There are also sections of juggy face as well as a few cracks. Some
two pitch climbs ascend to the top 200 ft. above, but most routes
are easily short enough to be top roped.
The area was bolted years ago by the US Army Rangers who train
on the mountain once each month. 200-300 soldiers, (3000 per year!)
learn some of their mountaineering skills here. The Rangers strung
cables across portions of the cliffs many years ago to make setting
top rope anchors both convenient and safer. Old frayed and rusted
cables were recently replaced with new cables and stainless bolts.
In the process about 50 of the old bolts were eliminated. They are
also trying to remove the spray paint used to mark routes in earlier
times, and get the mountain back into shape for both the civilian
climbers and the Army It is possible to use the cable in the Army
Routes B section to ascend and rig climbs without leading with traditional
gear.
The top of the mountain weeps water down many of the climbs for
a day or two after a heavy rain. Army Section A stays wet for a
while, Army Section B dries much faster. If it's been raining heavily,
most of the popular routes will be wet.
Show larger view of cables
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Directions
From Atlanta, drive north on I-75 to I-85 north towards
Greenville. Get on I-985 towards Gainesville to the US 129 exit.
Continue through Cleveland to Georgia 17/75 north. Watch for the
West Family Restaurant. Yonah Mountain Road is a short way beyond.
From Greenville, take I-85 south. Take the GA 17 exit
towards Taccoa, Helen. Continue to US 123 south, until you pick
up the Unicoi Turnpike. Take Georgia 17/75 south. Yonah Mountain
Road is about 5 miles south of Helen.
From Helen,
drive a few miles south of town on State Route 75. Look for
Chambers Road, then follow the gravel road to the parking area.
![[ Yahoo! Maps ]](http://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/us/mp/gr/mplogo.gif)
Map of Yonah Mountain Road
 Topo
map (TopoZone.com link)
Show larger view of Helen
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 Cliff
Access
Mt. Yonah is located in the public Chattahoochee
National Forest. The parking area is accessed from Chambers
Road. Follow the foot trail 1.5 miles to the campground site used by
the Army. From the right side of the campground, a trail leads up and into
the woods towards the cliffs. The trail gets tighter and more rugged,
then reaches a point where you cross an exposed sloping granite
slab to reach the main climbing areas. There is a heavy cable near
the far side of the slab to protect those who may be uncomfortable
on the last steep section before you reach the base of the cliffs.
Other trails lead to lower ledges as well on the top of the mountain.
Enlarge photo of group
top roping
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The Dixie Cragger's Atlas by Chris Watford. 1999.
Published by Market Place Press, 425 Market Place, Roswell, GA.
30075.
The Deep South Climbers Companion
by Rob Robinson and Chris Watford is currently out of print, unavailable.
Southern Rock
by Chris Hall
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Routes
The cliffs at Mt. Yonah have seen development by the Army's 5th
Ranger Battalion who use the area for mountaineering training. There
are several cables strung along the main portion of the cliffs,
beneath which many easy and moderate routes can be climbed. There
are two main sections, Army Routes A and Army Routes B where cables
or bolts have been placed There is additional climbing lower down
on other faces as well as some bouldering..
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 Land
Manager:
Chattahoochee National Forest
Michael Gryson
District Ranger
U.S. Forest Service
200 Hwy. 197 North
PO Box 1960
Clarkesville, Georgia 30523
(706) 754-6221
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 Emergency
Information:
911, you are in White County
White County Sheriff's Office
1210 Hulsey Rd.
Cleveland, GA 30528
706.865.5177
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 Gear:
50 meter ropes adequate. A light rack will do. Top ropes can be
anchored to the cables easily enough, bring a few pieces of gear
to back them up. Watch out for old and dangerous bolts.
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 Facilities:
It's pretty obvious access is a sensitive issue here. Don't try
to sneak through the gate with another car and drive the access
road, you'll get trapped between gates. You'll have to walk in from
the main road. There are signs directing you to the various climbing
areas. The 5th Army Ranger Battalion from Camp Merril train here
occasionally, and have control over the cliffs when they are present..
Training most commonly occurs on Wednesdays and Thursdays. To avoid
conflicts, call 706-864-3367 extension # 230. No water is available
at the campground or on the mountain. There is now a cement latrine
in the upper parking lot that everyone can use. Pack out all trash.
The Yonah Mountain Camping Resort is located a short walk from
the private gated Yonah Mountain access road. The resort is divided into two parts.
The front part is sometimes available to the public, depending on
seasonal occupancy. The back part of the resort is for members only
and is clearly separated from the rest of the campground. John McCann
is the park manager. He charges $25 for tent use of an RV site wired
for water and electricity. If offered a choice of sites, the rear
of the campground has easier access to the trail but the showers
/ restrooms are farther away. Late fall and spring are the off times
for the campground and availability is not generally a problem.
Keep a low profile and check rules on alcohol. There are fire rings,
no firewood. Bring your own.
The West Family Restaurant is located just up the the hill on 75
from the access road, with a good view of Mount Yonah on the horizon
a couple miles distant. It opens at 7 a.m., good spot for breakfast
before hiking up. Gratitudes Cafe is located across the street from
the Yonah Mountain Access Road. Reports are the food is good, though
I haven't visited yet. The town of Helen is an "alpine village"
tourist trap styled to resemble a Bavarian town. You can find plenty
of motels listed on the Internet, just do a search for Helen, Georgia.
It's a small town, congested with tourist traffic, stay downtown
and you can walk to everything without parking hassles. If there
is a good place to eat in Helen, I haven't found it. Though the
town has a German theme, the cooking of that style is lacking. Try
Paul's Steak house. For German food, try Edelweiss
German Inn & Restaurant just over Mount Yonah from West Family
on GA Hwy 384 with a view of the mountain.
Show larger view of
Henry climbing
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Seasons:
The cliffs face south making for excellent winter climbing. In
rare seasons, climbable ice forms. Summers are unbearably hot.
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 Access
Notes
A public parking lot has been added. It is accessed off Chambers
Road. Follow the gravel road to the parking area, then hike 1.5
miles on a foot trail to reach the camp near the top of the
mountain.
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Miscellaneous
Yonah means "bear" in Cherokee.
Show large view of Army
camp area
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Links
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Mount Yonah Trip Reports
4/12/99 - A
Pleasant Day in Georgia - submitted by Wayne Busch - Wayne Busch,
Barry Wagoner, and Jackie Busch spend a day at Mt. Yonah.
3/7/98 - March
7th and 8th Mt. Yonah and Unicoi State Park Trip Report - Submitted
by Mary Weber - The ladies get rained out and go biking instead.
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