Big Cedar Mountain and Dockery Lake

This trip is for hikers with recent experience of hiking 10 or more miles in the mountains. We will go at a steady, moderate pace, with few stops.

This is an in and out hike with a total distance of about 11-12 miles and vertical rise of approximately 2,000 feet. Overall, the hike offers views of Dockery Lake, scenic creeks, dark hemlock forests, and vistas from Preaching Rock. It is among the closest to Atlanta of any hike in the Blue Ridge.

This hike starts at Woody Gap just 15 miles north of Dahlonega, GA. We will hike northeast on the Appalachian Trail until we reach Big Cedar Mountain. A blue-blazed side trail will take us to a scenic overlook called Preaching Rock. Here, at 3,600 feet, we will have a south-easterly view of the mountains, valleys, and Piedmont.  After that we will continue on the Applalachian Trail until we reach the Dockery Lake Trail.  We will then go 3.6 miles on the Dockery Lake Trail until we reach Dockery Lake.  Dockery Lake is a good lunch spot. From there, it's back up the way we came, back to our cars.

North on GA 400 from the park and ride. When GA 400 ends at the Chevron station make a left onto US-19/GA60 until you reach Dahlonega. From Dahlonega, take GA 60 north for 15 miles until you reach the parking lot on the top of the mountain at Woody Gap.