Bald Mountain rises to 4,005 feet in the heart of the Cohutta Wilderness, Georgia's largest federally designated wilderness and one of the largest in the eastern United States. The mountain's name traces to the Cherokee, who reputedly used its open summit as a ball field — though today the top is covered by dense hardwood forest and low scrub, with no maintained overlook.
Two hard routes reach the summit. The Tearbritches Trail (6.5 miles round-trip, 2,536 ft gain) starts near the crest of Grassy Mountain and gains the summit within the first 0.6 miles before plunging some 2,000 feet into the Conasauga River Valley toward Bray Field — making the return climb a genuine test of legs. The trail's name reflects the thick rhododendron and mountain laurel thickets that squeeze in on the path, especially on the lower descent. The longer Emery Creek Trail (13.5 miles, 3,192 ft gain) approaches from the south, passing Emery Creek Falls and requiring multiple creek crossings that can run high after rain.
The summit itself is a quiet, trail-less clearing with no summit marker; some hikers miss it entirely. Come prepared for navigation, overgrown sections, and muddy tread year-round. Rhododendron blooms in June brighten both routes considerably.
