Hamilton County High Point Trip Report

Date: December 16, 2002
Author: Gene Daniell

There are two areas.

Take the first exit off I-75 north of the Georgia/Florida line, pass over the interstate and continue almost back to the state line - about 1.1 miles - to a point where a gated road leads to a communications tower (the tower itself is not easily seen from the road). The gate has several signs with one "No Trespassing" in about the smallest type on any of the signs, and you can pass around it (no fence) or through it (no lock or chain) as you choose. Follow the road to the tower, then the clearing to the southwest guy wire enclosure, then angle a bit left through the field to the fence at the state line. (Beware: the field is infested with prickly pear cactus, which love to impale themselves onto your footwear.) The state line fence is in poor repair, but as you follow it east you come to a good fence on both the state line and perpendicular to it on the Georgia side. Here you pass to the Florida side, aim to the southeast, and try to find something significantly higher - I mucked around for a while and didn't find anything impressive.

Back to the main road, continue south on it into Florida, then turn right onto NW 5th Street about 0.7 mile beyond the state line. Follow this road for about 3.0 miles to a T intersection; turn left onto NW 16th Avenue (these urban street names seem humorous in this very rural area) for a short distance, then just before reaching the Oak Grove Church turn left onto NW 6th Trail. Shortly, at the top of the hill, you are within the high point contour. There is a good place to park near the intersection. A word of warning: after mucking around in the intersection area with no repercussions, I drove southeast down the road to see if there was anything down there that looked higher, and I was pursued enthusiastically by at least four dogs from the house down that way. I would not have wanted to be on foot at that point and, probably, neither would you.