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13 Pocket Recreation Area

Distance 2.6 miles, main loop

Hiking Time 1 hour

Difficulty Easy

Elevation +150'/–120'

Trail Use Leashed dogs

Best Times Spring and fall

Agency U.S. Forest Service, Conasauga Ranger District

Recommended Map USGS 7.5-minute Sugar Valley

HIGHLIGHTS On a topographic map, Mill Mountain and Horn Mountain appear as two long spines that connect to form a U. Their steep slopes wrap around an area of low land, known as the Pocket. The Pocket Loop Trail heads through forest where spring-fed streams and other rivulets support a rich variety of trees and wildflowers. In the lower forest, American beech and sycamore trees thrive in the moist soil, while surrounding hills are thick with white oaks, hickory trees, and shortleaf and loblolly pines. In spring you’ll also see dogwoods in bloom. The paths here are easy, and the campground is pleasant, making it a good place to combine overnight camping with a relaxing walk. A real gem here is the Aquatic Viewing Area, a wetland about a half mile into the hike. Set in a broad clearing, it allows excellent views for birding.

DIRECTIONS Take I-75 north to Resaca. Take GA 136 west 15 miles. East of Villanow, turn south onto Pocket Road and travel 7 miles to the entrance of the Pocket Recreation Area. Go 0.3 mile on the one-way loop road to a parking area on the right.

FACILITIES/TRAILHEAD Restrooms (with handicapped facilities), water sources, and picnic tables are available in the camping area. You can hike year-round, though the campground, with 27 sites, is closed from November 1 through April 1.

Begin at the southeast end of the paved parking area and enter the path marked with green blazes (Waypoint 1). Walk south to take a footbridge across a creek and pass the sign for the Pocket Loop Trail.

Walk a little more than 500 feet to reach the beginning of the loop (Waypoint 2). Turn left to follow the trail marked with green blazes. This dirt path crawling with roots and moss takes you through oak and beech trees, which are called out on an interpretive sign near the beginning of the loop. The downed trees in the dense forest ahead are reminders that drought and southern pine beetles have put this forest under stress.

Some of the interesting points along this path are subtle, such as a sinkhole at about 0.3 mile. This slight depression was dry as I passed by in summer, but it actually fills with water in wet times of the year.

Just ahead is the Pocket’s more obvious attraction. At the half-mile mark, bear right at the Y intersection and go east about 400 feet to the Aquatic Viewing Area (Waypoint 3). On a bright summer day, this wetland is striking, as tall trunks of dead trees cast long reflections across the still pond. Georgia birding expert Giff Beaton recommends that you visit this spot in spring to hear migrant songbirds, while the summer months draw breeding waterbirds. “Red-winged blackbirds breed here,” Beaton says. “And keep your eyes open for green or great blue herons in summer.”

When you’re set to depart, retrace your steps to the intersection and turn right to continue on the main loop. Just beyond 0.8 mile is a trail intersection (Waypoint 4). The Interpretive Trail goes to the left (southwest) for 0.4 mile and allows you to complete a short loop back to the beginning of the Pocket Loop Trail. (The mileage listed in the summary information doesn’t include this connector trail.) To continue on the Pocket Loop Trail, go straight at Waypoint 4 and travel north, ascending a hill. (Be careful not to trample the bulbous mushrooms in the path.) After a gentle descent, you’ll skirt another small hill and pass over a long wood walkway, which takes you across a bog (Waypoint 5). More beech trees, pines, and oaks dominate the forest ahead, and your stroll ends at a paved campsite road. Turn left on the road to return to the parking lot.

Aquatic viewing area

WAYPOINTS

1. N34º 35.119' W85º 4.921'

2. N34º 35.077' W85º 4.846'

3. N34º 35.092' W85º 4.400'

4. N34º 35.204' W85º 4.534'

5. N34º 35.598' W85º 4.760'