Cohutta/Big Frog Loop
The Cohutta Wilderness/Big Frog Mountain loop is a 70 mile offroad loop in North Georgia and Southeastern Tennessee. It is part of the Georgia Traverse.
August 2019
Rigs: 2013 Chevrolet Silverado 4.8L
2008 Toyota Tacoma 4.0L
2016 Toyota Tacoma 3.5L
2003 Nissan Xterra 3.3L
We headed to the Cohutta Wilderness with little faith in the weather for the weekend. Atlanta had recently been getting drenched with rain, so we had to assume it was going to follow us to the state line. We had completed the lower half of this loop during our run of the Georgia Traverse, so we were aware of the supposed difficulties and camping opportunities.
We rolled in to camp just as the sun set off of Mill Creek Road near Crandall, GA. Setting up the tents in the dark and muddy campsite took a second, but we eventually had a fire going and weenies roasting, ready for our weekend of relaxation.
The campsite for the first night was everything it needed to be. It was not far from the main road and even had a short trail down to Mill Creek that we used to bathe and our brush teeth.
We really wished we could have stayed at this campsite longer, but we were all anxious to go deeper into the mountains. So we packed up all the gear, washed the mud off of the dog’s grubby paws, and were putting the trucks in gear by noon.
After a few hours of cruising through the dirty roads, we pulled up to the intersection of Mill Creek Road and West Cow Pen Gap Road, at which there was an incredible view. We took it as another excuse to stretch our legs and let the dog explore a little.
We turned left into a hollow, and began to tackle West Pen Gap Road. This road was passable by nearly any vehicle. We saw many a Honda minivan or similar parked on the side of the road camping or having a fish. It didn’t start to turn interesting until we entered Tennessee and the Cherokee National Forest.
We hit Big Frog Road and I began to prepare myself for our 2 wheel drive friends in the Xterra. Before the trip, I made sure they had recovery points in case they did get stuck, but either way, I had my doubts. This road was full of rutted hill climbs and rocky terrain. I would have bet money on the Nissan not making it up one of them, needing a traction board or maybe even a snatch. But to my surprise, they popped up over the hill each and every time in my rear-view mirror.
With all rigs completely tackling the steep hill climbs, my nerves were calmed, and I stopped worrying about people getting stuck, and started worrying about where in the world we were going to camp. We had been on Big Frog Road for an hour or two and hadn’t passed a single one.
As it got closer and closer to nightfall, we began to keep our eyes peeled for a campsite. We had one in mind on the Gaia GPS, but we happened upon the absolutely perfect private site near Sheeds Creek.
The creek in our new backyard was perfect for washing the dishes, ourselves, and the dog. The ground was nice and soft for our tents and was completely isolated from anyone in the area. There must have been miles between us and any other camper. We broke out the cooking equipment and the propane stove, and enjoyed our burgers, hot dogs, and whatever else we could stuff ourselves with. We all agreed we would’ve been perfectly happy to have simply camped there the entire weekend. It was that good.
Leaving the mountains of Tennessee was bittersweet. We were loving the cool, mountain air and the woods, but we were ready to rest up for the coming work week. So in the morning we loaded up the trucks and headed for pavement and cell service to plot our way back to the burbs.
