Rich Mountain is the namesake peak of the Rich Mountains, a roughly circular range within the Rich Mountain Wilderness of the Chattahoochee National Forest in Gilmer County. The range sits atop unusually fertile porter's loam, a deep black soil more typical of the nearby Cohuttas, driving the area's defining feature: dense, diverse wildflower displays on ridgelines and slopes alike. Forests of basswood, ash, and black cherry give the high terrain a lushness rare in the Georgia Blue Ridge, and north-facing coves hold boulderfields and northern wildflower species at the southernmost edge of their range. A large black bear population inhabits these slopes. On the summit, a stone chimney and fireplace survive from a Civilian Conservation Corps fire tower built during the Great Depression.
No maintained trail reaches the summit; reaching it requires off-trail navigation. The standard approach uses Forest Service Road 338 from the Rich Mountain Wildlife Management Area northeast of Ellijay, following an old trail and social paths to the high ridge before a final bushwhack to the top. Most peak-baggers combine the summit with nearby Big Bald and Tickanetley Bald in roughly 12 miles with about 2,500 feet of elevation gain. The trails are unmaintained and grow heavily overgrown in summer, so a topographic map and compass are essential. Cell service is unreliable throughout the wilderness.
