Hiking Wolfden Loop on the Pine Mountain Trail
The Pine Mountain Trail system is one of the most extensive trail systems in Middle Georgia. It’s one of those rare places in Georgia where you can travel south of Atlanta for a nice hike.
The Pine Mountain trail system winds through F.D. Roosevelt State Park, one of Georgia’s largest and best state parks, for more than 23 miles along its main spine. It’s maintained by the amazing Pine Mountain Trail Association.
But, it also has lots of spur trails and loops along the main spine, so you can put together your own loop of your choice of length without having to do an out and back.
I went and hiked the Wolfden Loop on the west side of the trail with a map obtained from the association.
The Hike
The western trailhead has a nice parking lot right off the highway near a cellphone / radio tower.
The trail is very well marked with carved signboards.
I went a few years after a major tornado ripped through the area. It was interesting to hike through an area that had been affected and is now re-growing – a perfect example of a natural forest succession cycle.
The trail has a lot of elevation loss and gain. And thanks to the relative isolation of the Pine Mountain ridgeline, there are really amazing views to be had – even though you are in middle Georgia.
The trail goes past many backcountry campsites, which are available for reservation via Georgia State Parks. They are all well-sited and well-maintained.
In addition to the views, the hike descended into lots of small watersheds with small little waterfalls. Again, a really pleasant surprise for middle Georgia.
The trail system is really a hidden gem of Georgia. The dedication of volunteers to keep it maintained really makes the trail system much more accessible and lovely than some public trails in Georgia suffering from budget cuts and neglect in addition to the thoughtful care of FD Roosevelt Park itself.
Living on the southside of Atlanta, honestly the biggest benefit is not having any traffic getting there. The trailhead is really accessible and you can carve out any loop you want. I went on a weekday and did not see a single other person.
