Brasstown Bald facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Brasstown Bald
Enotah
October 2018: Brasstown Bald is the highest mountain in the background
Highest point
Elevation	4,784 ft (1,458 m)
Prominence	2,108 ft (643 m)
Listing	U.S. state high point 25th Mountains of Georgia
Geography
Brasstown Bald Location in Georgia (U.S. state)
Parent range	Blue Ridge Mountains
Topo map	USGS Jacks Gap
Climbing
Easiest route	Drive or hike

Brasstown Bald is the tallest mountain in Georgia, a state in the United States. It is located in the northeastern part of Georgia, within the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. The mountain sits right on the border between Towns and Union counties, near the city of Hiawassee. The Cherokee people, who lived here long ago, call this mountain Enotah.

About Brasstown Bald

The name "Brasstown" comes from a mistake! English settlers thought the Cherokee word for a nearby village, Itse'yĭ, meant "brass." But it actually meant "New Green Place" or "Place of Fresh Green." So, the mountain and nearby areas got the name "Brasstown" by accident.

Brasstown Bald is part of the larger Appalachian Mountains range. It is also located inside the Chattahoochee National Forest. From the top of the mountain on a clear day, you can sometimes see the tall buildings of Atlanta, which are about 85 miles away!

The U.S. Forest Service has webcams at the top of the mountain's observation tower. There is also a weather station that helps track the weather. You can drive most of the way up to a parking lot. From there, you can either take a shuttle bus or enjoy a short hike on a paved path to reach the very top.

Mountain History and Legends

Brasstown Bald Historical Marker #2

The area around Brasstown Bald was home to the Cherokee people for a very long time. The Cherokee had their own names and stories for this special place.

One famous Cherokee legend about Itse'yĭ (Enotah) tells of a great flood that covered the land. Only a few Cherokee families survived by finding safety in a giant canoe. The canoe landed on top of a forested mountain, which is now Brasstown Bald. Since there was no food or place to grow crops, the Great Spirit helped them. The Great Spirit made all the trees on the mountaintop disappear so the people could plant food. They grew crops and lived there until the floodwaters went down.

The word "Bald" is used in the southern Appalachians for mountaintops that have clear, open views all around. This means you can see in every direction!

A stone monument at Brasstown Bald honors former Georgia Supreme Court Judge Thomas S. Candler. It was put there in 1971. He worked hard to help more people visit the mountain and to create a visitor center for them.

Tour de Georgia Bicycle Race

Brasstown Bald was a very important part of the Tour de Georgia, a long-distance bicycle race. From 2005 to 2008, the mountain was the finish line for a very tough stage of the race. This stage was called a "King of the Mountains" stage because it was so challenging for the cyclists.

Broadcasting from the Mountain

Brasstown Bald is a good spot for broadcasting because it's so high up. A NOAA Weather Radio station, KXI22, sends out weather information from the mountain.

Georgia Public Broadcasting also has plans for two low-power TV and FM radio stations here. These stations will help bring TV and radio signals to nearby towns like Young Harris and Hiawassee.

Images for kids

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  Georgia Historical Marker #1

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  Approaching Brasstown Bald

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  Aerial view of Brasstown Bald

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  Picnic area at Brasstown Bald

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  Viewing North Carolina from Brasstown Bald

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  Looking south from Brasstown Bald

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  Northern Sunset View from Brasstown Bald

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  Brasstown Bald Parking as seen from Summit

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  Road leading up to Brasstown Bald Summit

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  Brasstown Bald Viewing Tower

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  View from Brasstown Bald in February

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  Atlanta and Sawnee Mountain viewed from Brasstown Bald

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  Mountaintop View at Sunset