Flat Creek Loop
Photo: Olin Gilbert, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)- 10.1 mi
- loop
- 785 ft
- climb
- 2,697 ft
- high point
- Loop
- route
- Mar–May, Aug–Nov
- best months
Is Flat Creek Loop open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests. It doesn't name Flat Creek Loop, so check the source for the area it covers (4 listed).
Road Maintenance: West Cowpen Road (FSR 17)
Agency closure covering Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests · USFS · Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests
Prescribed fire on Oconee Ranger District at Jasper County
Agency closure covering Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests · USFS · Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests
Muskrat Road, FS 218, Temporarily Closed
Agency closure covering Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests · USFS · Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests
Flash Flood Awareness
Agency closure covering Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests · USFS · Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests
Lake Winfield Scott closed except fishing pier
Agency alert covering Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests · USFS · Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests
As of · Source: USFS · Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Flat Creek Loop is a 10.1-mile hike in the Blue Ridge Ranger District of the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests in north Georgia, managed by the Forest Service. The trail is rated hard, with a total elevation gain of 785 feet, and it rises from a starting point of about 2,413 feet to a high of 2,697 feet. The steepest stretch comes at about 4.4 miles, where the grade reaches 22 percent. Bikes are allowed on the natural-surface trail, but horses are not. For comfortable weather, aim for late spring or early fall. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Blairsville show May highs around 76°F and October highs near 70°F, with September the driest month at about nine wet days. That station sits roughly 750 feet lower than the trail's high point, so temperatures on the loop run cooler. The Whissenhunt Loop starts just 0.3 miles away, and the Lower Green Mountain (Connecto) and Green Mountain hikes are each about 0.9 miles off. Lake Blue Ridge, about 2.6 miles away, offers fishing.
Best time to go · Mar–May, Aug–Nov
Best time to visit Flat Creek Loop
Best months: March–May and August–November. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
49° / 25°
12 wet
Feb
53° / 28°
12 wet
Mar
60° / 34°
12 wet
Apr
69° / 41°
11 wet
May
76° / 50°
12 wet
Jun
82° / 58°
13 wet
Jul
85° / 62°
13 wet
Aug
84° / 61°
12 wet
Sep
80° / 55°
9 wet
Oct
70° / 43°
10 wet
Nov
61° / 33°
10 wet
Dec
52° / 29°
12 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Blairsville Exp Stn, GA, 20.4 mi away at 1,949 ft. The station sits about 700 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Closures we've recorded since August 2026
Spring 2026 Forest-wide Fire Restrictions
Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests · Order dated April 23, 2026; seen Aug 23, 2026 → lifted Oct 13, 2026 · Forest Service
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