Peak View: Exploring Pine Mountain's Panoramic Perspective

Enjoy the 180-degree-plus panoramic view from atop Cartersville's Pine Mountain after a family-friendly hike.Photo byDeanLand / OurTravelCafe.com

With an elevation of 1,562 feet, Pine Mountain doesn't rate anywhere near the Top 10 of Georgia's tallest. But its location, the shape of the overlook, and a 582-foot prominence makes it a prime point to survey surrounding landscapes.

Many Atlanta area residents are familiar with the climb and view at Kennesaw Mountain. For those wanting a change in scenery, northerly neighbor Pine Mountain offers a panoramic view coupled with excellent hiking.

But what exactly do you see when making the two mile and 650-plus foot vertical ascent to one of the taller mountains nearest to Atlanta?

After hiking at Pine Mountain on several occasions, our curiosity was piqued. So we went back up again on an overcast day when the ozone and humidity were relatively low. Our goal: spot, photograph and identify the key landmarks visible to the naked eye.

With our curiosity piqued, we created a labelled photo from Pine Mountain's peak, including midtown Atlanta. Click this photo for post.Photo byhttps://ourtravelcafe.com/pine-mountain/

Our curiosity was piqued as to what exactly we were seeing from David Archer Overlook. So we did some research and found the answers.Photo byPhoto: OurTravelCafe.com

For the unfamiliar, this Pine Mountain is adjacent to the Army Corps of Engineers-managed area that includes Allatoona Dam and Lake Allatoona. Nearby is Cooper's Furnace, the remnants of a Civil War era manufacturing complex located on 13,000 acres formerly owned by antebellum iron magnate Mark Anthony Cooper. We clarify here because Georgia is home to several Pine Mountains, including the most well-known near Warm Springs, GA, home to FDR State Park, the Little White House and Calloway Gardens.

We used this summit marker from the US Coast and Geodetic Survey as our reference point to create our labelled panoramic photo.Photo byDeanLand / OurTravelCafe.com

As a point of reference for our viewfinding, we used the summit marker in the rocks at the David Archer Overlook and described landmarks appear as you turn from your far left to far right while standing near the Our blog (which you can access by clicking on any picture in this post!) includes a detailed description of the view, along with a labeled photograph you can use a a guide when visiting.

A few of the key landmarks that you'll spot include:

• Sweat Mountain, distant beyond the lakes and just over 18 miles away.
• Red Top Mountain, in the nearby state park that bears its name.
• Buckhead and Uptown Atlanta, when humidity, ozone or air pollution don't hide them.
• Vineyard Mountain, the southern anchor wall of the Allatoona Dam.

• Kennesaw Mountain, approximately 17 miles in the distance.
• Signal Mountain, tallest of three closely-grouped nearby peaks.
• Cartersville Mining District, including130 producing mine.
• Etowah Historical Site, built by Etowah tribes between 1000 A.D. to 1550 A.D.
• Georgia Power’s Plant Bowen, 10 miles away and often confused as a nuclear power plant.
• City of Cartersville, including the golden dome of the historic Bartow County Courthouse reflecting sunbeams.

Hiking at Pine Mountain

Two, well-marked loop trails offer different routes for the round-trip hike to the summit at Pine Mountain. Both are nearly equal length.Photo byDeanLand / OurTravelCafe.com

Two loop trails lead to the summit of Pine Mountain. The West Trail is the most accessible and heavily trafficked. It starts at a trailhead just off I-75 at the end of Cartersville's East Main Street, and offers a large parking lot. The West Trail is limited to hikers only, and can get crowded on weekends.The East Trail is more isolated, located off winding Georgia Hwy 20,, and has only limited parking. This trail is open to mountain bikers on some weekdays, though we've never encountered any on multiple visits.

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