When you're driving through Hiawassee, and you see that mountain top that's missing a chunk - that's Bell Mountain! But it hasn't always looked that way.
The name "Bell" dates back to the Cherokee, before private land ownership in 1832. In 1883, T. Larry Gantt, a newspaper editor of Athens, GA wrote a letter about his visit saying, "Bell Mountain is a solid mass of the most beautiful crystal rock of all shades and colors." (Read the whole letter here). In 1963, the mountain was purchased and mined for quartzite, but the venture failed, leaving the erosion you see today. After this, Hal Herrin purchased the land to save from any more damage. It became an area for hiking, sunset photography, and Jeep drives. In 2016, the land was gifted to Towns County to preserve for future generations. The road has been paved and a boardwalk installed which has made it a popular spot to view the 360 degree views of Hiawassee and Lake Chatuge at 3400 feet. Unfortunately, there has been a crazy amount of graffiti over the years as well.
To claim this virtual cache: Enjoy the amazing views! Then find your favorite graffiti and take a photo of yourself (face not required) or something representing you to the geocaching community in front of it (can be a selfie, a thumbs up, or your geocoin, for example). Post this photo with your Found It log.
(This cache can be handicap accessible by not climbing the stairs, as long as the road isn't closed for ice - but there is a steep one-lane road to the top)
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Virtual Rewards 4.0 - 2024-2025
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between January 17, 2024 and January 17, 2025. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 4.0 on the Geocaching Blog.