Forsyth County High Point Trip Report

Sawnee Mountain (1,960+ ft)

Date: April 16, 2000
Author: Fred Lobdell

Sawnee Mountain rises several hundred feet above the surrounding countryside about two miles northwest of the town of Cumming. The topographic map shows it as the site of radio towers and a lookout tower, but the mountain has been developed since the map was printed in 1992, and there now a number of expensive homes on it.

From the intersection of GA 400/US 19 with GA 20 south of Cumming, take 20 westbound (actually, north here) about 1.6 miles into the center of Cumming. You will need to pay attention to the highway signs as the state route makes several turns going through town. From the center of town it is another 1.7 miles to Tower Road, which leads to the summit of Sawnee Mountain. This is 0.4 miles past the junction of GA 20 with GA 306, and is the first right turn past 306. If you reach the large church on the right, you've gone too far.

Turn right (north) onto Tower Rd. and drive to the top of the mountain. At the fork, go left. (The right fork leads to the radio towers, but the highest area is to the left.) Follow this road around, and at the hairpin turn bears right; left will take you into a private driveway. The lookout tower will be on your left a short distance past this point.

Both the lookout tower and the house immediately adjacent to it are architecturally interesting. The tower looks fairly new, possibly replacing an earlier structure, and has a spiral staircase winding around the exterior. The house is a circular construction sitting on a central pillar, and looks like something Frank Lloyd Wright might have designed. The highest area appears to be in the back yard of the house near a barbecue grill. Although there were lights on in the house, it did not appear that anyone was home, so we are unable to report on how they might receive visitors.