Pine Log Mountain
Encyclopedia
Pine Log Mountain is located in the state of Georgia
with a summit
elevation
of 2338 feet (712.6 m). The peak is three miles west of the town of Waleska
separated only by the high end community of Lake Arrowhead. The summit falls within Cherokee
County, although the majority of the mountain range trails into Bartow
County including other peaks of Little Pine Log Mountain, Bear Mountain
and Hanging Mountain. Pine Log and these other summits within its range are the last mountains over 2000 feet (609.6 m) in the Appalachians of north Georgia
. The Appalachian range does not rise above 2,000 feet again until many miles further southwest in the Talladega National Forest
in Alabama
.
, although the peak is excluded slightly to the east. The actual summit houses a radio tower. The land is owned by a paper
company who lease
s the property to the state for proper management. This allows for a wide range of multi-use; mountain biking
, birding, fishing
, hiking
and hunting
are some of the popular activities enjoyed in the area. There are also several hiking trails on surrounding peaks
that offer views of the Pine Log Ridge. It is also believed that Pine Log may have been mined for iron as was Red Top Mountain State Park
to the south.
. The sprawling urban landscape of the city makes this wilderness a refuge for wildlife. Currently, its conservation
is significant as a state-managed habitat
roughly at 14054 acres (56.9 km²). Although the peak is just outside protected boundaries, it is the second-highest point in metro Atlanta
, behind adjacent Bear Mountain. The county seat of Bartow, Cartersville
, claims Vineyard and Pine mountains, which are protected and offer views of Pine Log to the north. The Etowah River
flows through these peaks and upstream forms Lake Allatoona
.
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
with a summit
Summit (topography)
In topography, a summit is a point on a surface that is higher in elevation than all points immediately adjacent to it. Mathematically, a summit is a local maximum in elevation...
elevation
Elevation
The elevation of a geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface ....
of 2338 feet (712.6 m). The peak is three miles west of the town of Waleska
Waleska, Georgia
Waleska is a city in Cherokee County, Georgia, United States. The population was 616 at the 2000 census.-History:The first white settlement in the Waleska area began in the early 1830s. Among these first pioneer settlers were the Reinhardt, Heard and Rhyne families, who moved into the region...
separated only by the high end community of Lake Arrowhead. The summit falls within Cherokee
Cherokee County, Georgia
As of the census of 2000, there were 141,903 people, 49,495 households, and 39,200 families residing in the county. The population density was 335 people per square mile . There were 51,937 housing units at an average density of 123 per square mile...
County, although the majority of the mountain range trails into Bartow
Bartow County, Georgia
Bartow County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 100,157. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's July 1, 2009 estimate, the county's explosive growth resulted in a population of 96,217, a 26.5% increase in less than ten years...
County including other peaks of Little Pine Log Mountain, Bear Mountain
Bear Mountain (Georgia)
Bear Mountain is a mountain located in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, southwest of Waleska, Georgia. Situated between the northwest and west-central part of Cherokee County, Georgia, it is the second highest point in Cherokee County at . The metro Atlanta area lies to the south and...
and Hanging Mountain. Pine Log and these other summits within its range are the last mountains over 2000 feet (609.6 m) in the Appalachians of north Georgia
North Georgia
North Georgia is the hilly to mountainous northern region of the U.S. state of Georgia. At the time of the arrival of settlers from Europe, it was inhabited largely by the Cherokee. The counties of North Georgia were often scenes of important events in the history of Georgia...
. The Appalachian range does not rise above 2,000 feet again until many miles further southwest in the Talladega National Forest
Talladega National Forest
The Talladega National Forest is located in the U.S. state of Alabama and covers 392,567 acres at the southern edge of the Appalachian Mountains....
in Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
.
Recreation and Uses
The majority of the Pine Log Mountain range falls within a wildlife management areaWildlife Management Area
Wildlife Management Areas are protected areas set aside in for the conservation of wildlife and for recreational activities involving wildlife.-United States:In the U.S., WMAs exist in the following states:* Alabama* Florida* Georgia* Louisiana...
, although the peak is excluded slightly to the east. The actual summit houses a radio tower. The land is owned by a paper
Paper
Paper is a thin material mainly used for writing upon, printing upon, drawing or for packaging. It is produced by pressing together moist fibers, typically cellulose pulp derived from wood, rags or grasses, and drying them into flexible sheets....
company who lease
Lease
A lease is a contractual arrangement calling for the lessee to pay the lessor for use of an asset. A rental agreement is a lease in which the asset is tangible property...
s the property to the state for proper management. This allows for a wide range of multi-use; mountain biking
Mountain biking
Mountain biking is a sport which consists of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, using specially adapted mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes, but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in rough terrain.Mountain biking can...
, birding, fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
, hiking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
and hunting
Hunting
Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
are some of the popular activities enjoyed in the area. There are also several hiking trails on surrounding peaks
Summit (topography)
In topography, a summit is a point on a surface that is higher in elevation than all points immediately adjacent to it. Mathematically, a summit is a local maximum in elevation...
that offer views of the Pine Log Ridge. It is also believed that Pine Log may have been mined for iron as was Red Top Mountain State Park
Red Top Mountain State Park
Red Top Mountain State Park is a state park in the U.S. state of Georgia. It is located in the northwestern part of the state, on the northwestern edge of metro Atlanta, in southeastern Bartow County near Cartersville...
to the south.
Significance
Pine Log lies within the exurban reaches of Atlanta’s metropolitan areaMetropolitan area
The term metropolitan area refers to a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories, sharing industry, infrastructure, and housing. A metropolitan area usually encompasses multiple jurisdictions and municipalities: neighborhoods, townships,...
. The sprawling urban landscape of the city makes this wilderness a refuge for wildlife. Currently, its conservation
Habitat conservation
Habitat conservation is a land management practice that seeks to conserve, protect and restore, habitat areas for wild plants and animals, especially conservation reliant species, and prevent their extinction, fragmentation or reduction in range...
is significant as a state-managed habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
roughly at 14054 acres (56.9 km²). Although the peak is just outside protected boundaries, it is the second-highest point in metro Atlanta
Metro Atlanta
The Atlanta metropolitan area or metro Atlanta, officially designated by the US Census Bureau as the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta Metropolitan Statistical Area, is the most populous metro area in the U.S. state of Georgia and the ninth-largest metropolitan statistical area in the United States...
, behind adjacent Bear Mountain. The county seat of Bartow, Cartersville
Cartersville, Georgia
Cartersville is a town in Bartow County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 19,7314. The city is the county seat of Bartow County.-Geography:Cartersville was named for Colonel Farish Carter....
, claims Vineyard and Pine mountains, which are protected and offer views of Pine Log to the north. The Etowah River
Etowah River
The Etowah River is a waterway that rises northwest of Dahlonega, Georgia, north of Atlanta. Its name is the Cherokee version of the original Muskogee word Etalwa, which means a "trail crossing". On Matthew Carey's 1795 map the river was labeled "High Town River"...
flows through these peaks and upstream forms Lake Allatoona
Lake Allatoona
Lake Allatoona is a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reservoir in Georgia, located in northwestern metro Atlanta. The lake is mostly in southwestern Cherokee County, but a significant part is in southeastern Bartow County, and a small part in Cobb County near Acworth. Cartersville is the nearest...
.