Lemons Gap 1

The Georgia Conservancy's Guide to the North Georgia Mountains states "There are reported Indian petroglyphs on a rock on the trail to Lemons Gap." I had searched for this rock a year ago, with no luck. This page documents two additional search expeditions, the second of which was successful. 1 - First Expedition, November 2018 Searching along the old trails and logging roads...

The lower trail passes through a complex of dozens of rock piles.

Section of a stone wall

I had first encountered these rock piles back in April on a hike with Jess R.

Benchmark at the GA-NC state line

I examined dozens of rocks looking for any sign of the petroglyphs. These are a few of the larger boulders seen as the slopes became increasingly steeper.

The terrain was getting steep, and I was still recovering my strength after some recent surgery. With the sun getting low, I eventually had to return back down the mountain.
Not long afterwards, I heard from a retired USFS friend, who told me that he and a buddy had come across a carved rock near Lemons Gap. He texted a photo; the rock had incised lines that looked almost like a map. 2 - Second Expedition, January 2019 On a cold winter day, I made another trek up to the Southern Nantahala's high ridge at Lemons Gap. Reaching the ridge crest requires a steep, rugged climb; the route of the old settlers trail has mostly disappeared, replaced with faint remnants of overgrown logging roads.

I took a few more photos as I passed through the rock pile complex...

With a long, steep climb ahead of me, and not knowing what I might find (or not find) for trails in the upper region, I didn't take any more photos until I reached the High Cove Ridge line.

Huge boulders near Lemons Gap. I especially liked the big balanced rock on the right.

Cliffy rock outcrop. I thought this looked like the head of a devil, with its two horns snapped off!

Jagged boulder outcrop near Lemons Gap. There was a lot of interesting geology up here!

There were lots of icicles clustered on the rock outcrops...



I suspect that this is the "petroglyph" rock. It appears (to my uneducated eye) to have a map incised on the surface.

I brushed moss off the incised areas with a nylon brush to better show them. The carved lines are 1/4-3/8 inch deep. If not a map, I'm not sure what is the significance of the lines.

"Cross" decoration on the rock.

There were also signs of modern-day carving on the rock. These are considerably shallower, as if made with a knife or screwdriver.

More recent scrawling (i.e. vandalism) on the rock.

One more view, looking straight down on the rock surface. I've since been told that there is at least one other carved rock in the area. If so, I have not found it...

More icicles



View south from an outcrop near Lemons Gap

Another more or less southerly view.

View to the NW, towards the Tusquitee Range.

South-facing cliff wall near Lemons Gap.

Same cliff wall, looking back in the opposte direction, where I had descended along the base.
ADDENDUM: In April 2019, I led my friends Alan Cressler and Jannie Loubser up the mountain to examine the petroglyph rock. We made a tracing, which Jannie later converted to a graphic rendering. I didn't take many photos of the rock, since I had shot it before.

Jannie demonstrated the tracing technique, then Alan and I pitched in to help.

Alan and I tracing... (photo by Jannie)

Completed rendering of the rock carving.
Click here for complete album (mostly wildflowers) from that April 2019 trek... (Page will open in a separate tab.)

Beech Flats Index	Rock Piles Index
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