Vogel State Park
Encyclopedia
Vogel State Park is a 233 acre (0.94291838 km²) or 94 hectares state park located at the base of Blood Mountain
in the Chattahoochee National Forest. It became one of the first two parks in Georgia
when it founded a state park
system in 1931. Much of the park was constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps
during the 1930s.
The park features streams, a waterfall, and Lake Trahlyta
. At 2500 feet (762 m) elevation it is one of Georgia's highest altitude state parks. The mountainous habitats surrounding the lake support a wide assortment of plants and animals.
Within the park are a series of hiking trails. These include the Bear Hair Gap Trail and the more strenuous Coosa Backcountry Trail, which leads up toward Blood Mountain and the Appalachian Trail
near Neal's Gap. Vogel Park features camping sites, cabins, swimming, boating and other recreational activities.
on US Highway 19 in the north Georgia mountains. At nearly 2500 feet (762 m) altitude, Vogel State Park is usually cool during the summer months, and is one of Georgia's most popular state parks. Vogel features hiking trails, cabins and a 20 acres (80,937.2 m²) pond known as Lake Trahlyta, which was created when the Civilian Conservation Corps dammed Wolf Creek. The lake is named for Trahlyta
, a Cherokee maiden who is buried a few miles from the park at Stonepile Gap. The Corps workers, located at the CCC Camp at Goose Creek just north of the park, also built the first cabins, picnic areas and camping grounds at Vogel.
Vogel is Georgia's second oldest state park. The land comprising the park was donated to the state in 1927 by Augustus Vogel and Fred Vogel, Jr. of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The two were heirs to the Phister Vogel Leather Company, a Wisconsin tannery
founded by Frederick Vogel. The Vogel family harvested bark from oak and hemlock trees located on thousands of acres they owned in North Georgia. The bark was shipped to Wisconsin and used by the company for tanning leather. During World War I, a synthetic method to tan leather was developed so there was no further need for the north Georgia resources. The Vogels gave their land to Georgia to create the state park.
Vogel State Park Lake Dam, also known as Lake Trahlyta Dam, is a 52 feet (15.8 m) high earthen embankment. The 600 feet (182.9 m) long dam has a maximum discharge of 2447 cubic feet (69.3 m³) per second. Its capacity is 522 acre.ft, although its normal storage is 210 acre.ft. It drains an area of 1638 acres (662.9 ha).
sites for camping, 18 walk-in campsites, and 35 cottages. About 95 of the camping sites contain electrical hookups and water. Also on site are four picnic shelters and a group camping facility, a pioneer campground, backwoods primitive campground areas and hot showers.
The centerpiece of the park is Lake Trahlyta. The lake has a swimming beach and boat launch for non-motorized watercraft, and offers seasonal rentals for pedal boats. It contains bass and bream and is stocked periodically during each trout season with about 5,000 trout. Also at the park are a general store, miniature golf course and a Civilian Conservation Corps museum.
Also in the park is the Coosa Backcountry Trail, a strenuous 12.5 miles (20.1 km) loop which climbs Coosa Bald
and Slaughter Mountain
. The trail is marked with yellow blazes and is generally easy to follow. It fords streams on its lower segments before ascending Duncan's Ridge near the summit of Coosa Bald at over 4000 feet (1,219.2 m) elevation, where it joins the Duncan Ridge Trail
. The joined trail then makes a descent, then climbs slightly to the summit of Wildcat Knob, then descends to Wolfpen Gap where it crosses State Route 180. Across Wolfpen Gap, the trail makes a steep ascent up Slaughter Mountain, then descends to Slaughter Gap where the Coosa Backcountry and Duncan Ridge Trail split. From this point, the Duncan Ridge Trail leads directly to Blood Mountain
where it meets the Appalachian Trail
. The Coosa Backcountry Trail makes a steep 2000 feet (609.6 m) descent down the mountain and joins with the Bear Hair Gap Trail, leading back to the point of origin. The Appalachian Trail can also be accessed from nearby Neel's Gap, just a little higher up Blood Mountain on Highway 19/129; hikers can reach this area from the Byron Herbert Reece Trail.
nearly 1.5 billion years ago. The resulting landscape created diverse topology containing many different species of plants and animal.
The Georgia Blue Ridge Mountains contains low-to-high-grade metamorphic rocks. Many of the rocks of the Blue Ridge appear to be the metamorphosed equivalents of Proterozoic and Paleozoic sedimentary rocks. Others are metamorphosed igneous rocks, including Corbin metagranite
, Fort Mountain gneiss
, varieties of mafic
and ultramafic rocks, and the metavolcanic rocks of the Gold Belt.
Much of the area resembles Pennsylvania in climate, vegetation and wildlife. The park is near the southern limit for Eastern hemlock
and Eastern white pine
. Coves in the area vary by elevation and topography, with second-growth oak and hickory more common in lower-lying areas. The surrounding forests contain rich, high-altitude flora including rare wildflowers and fern
s, such as Persistent Trillium
, which grows near Rhododendron. Nearby boulderfields by Blood Mountain include Dutchman's breeches, squirrel corn, waterleaf
and other herbaceous plants.
The area is populated with White-tailed deer
, grouse and raccoon. The deer population, which was extirpated by 1895, has rebounded since re-introduction by park ranger Arthur Woody
during the 1930s. Over 100 species of birds inhabit or migrate through the area, including native songbirds such as the Canada Warbler
, Blackburnian
, Black-throated Blue
, Black-throated Green
and Chestnut-sided Warbler
s. Also found are hawk
s, owl
s, woodpecker
s, kinglet
s, thrushes, vireo
s, cuckoo
s, phoebe
s, chickadees, titmice, nuthatches, Brown Creeper
s, wrens, tanager
s, grosbeak
s, Indigo Bunting
s and Red Crossbills. Migratory species are present during the late spring and early fall, making the area popular among birdwatchers The creeks surrounding the lake are rich with different species of salamanders.
in Vogel State Park and other parks in Georgia.
Blood Mountain
Blood Mountain is the highest peak on the Georgia section of the Appalachian Trail and the sixth-tallest mountain in Georgia, with an elevation of . It is located on the border of Lumpkin County with Union County and is within the boundaries of the Chattahoochee National Forest and the Blood...
in the Chattahoochee National Forest. It became one of the first two parks in Georgia
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...
when it founded a state park
State park
State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the federated state level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, or recreational...
system in 1931. Much of the park was constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps
Civilian Conservation Corps
The Civilian Conservation Corps was a public work relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men from relief families, ages 18–25. A part of the New Deal of President Franklin D...
during the 1930s.
The park features streams, a waterfall, and Lake Trahlyta
Lake Trahlyta
Lake Trahlyta is named for Princess Trahlyta of the Eastern Band of Cherokees. The lake is located in Vogel State Park near Blairsville, Georgia which is one of first two original state parks in the state of Georgia....
. At 2500 feet (762 m) elevation it is one of Georgia's highest altitude state parks. The mountainous habitats surrounding the lake support a wide assortment of plants and animals.
Within the park are a series of hiking trails. These include the Bear Hair Gap Trail and the more strenuous Coosa Backcountry Trail, which leads up toward Blood Mountain and the Appalachian Trail
Appalachian Trail
The Appalachian National Scenic Trail, generally known as the Appalachian Trail or simply the AT, is a marked hiking trail in the eastern United States extending between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine. It is approximately long...
near Neal's Gap. Vogel Park features camping sites, cabins, swimming, boating and other recreational activities.
Description and history
Vogel State Park is located 11 miles (17.7 km) south of BlairsvilleBlairsville, Georgia
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 659 people, 226 households, and 101 families residing in the city. The population density was 619.7 people per square mile . There were 261 housing units at an average density of 245.4 per square mile...
on US Highway 19 in the north Georgia mountains. At nearly 2500 feet (762 m) altitude, Vogel State Park is usually cool during the summer months, and is one of Georgia's most popular state parks. Vogel features hiking trails, cabins and a 20 acres (80,937.2 m²) pond known as Lake Trahlyta, which was created when the Civilian Conservation Corps dammed Wolf Creek. The lake is named for Trahlyta
Trahlyta
Trahlyta is the name of a woman in Cherokee legend who is said to have lived in the North Georgia Mountains near present day Dahlonega in the United States. Trahlyta supposedly drank from a nearby Fountain of Youth to maintain her renowned beauty...
, a Cherokee maiden who is buried a few miles from the park at Stonepile Gap. The Corps workers, located at the CCC Camp at Goose Creek just north of the park, also built the first cabins, picnic areas and camping grounds at Vogel.
Vogel is Georgia's second oldest state park. The land comprising the park was donated to the state in 1927 by Augustus Vogel and Fred Vogel, Jr. of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The two were heirs to the Phister Vogel Leather Company, a Wisconsin tannery
Tanning
Tanning is the making of leather from the skins of animals which does not easily decompose. Traditionally, tanning used tannin, an acidic chemical compound from which the tanning process draws its name . Coloring may occur during tanning...
founded by Frederick Vogel. The Vogel family harvested bark from oak and hemlock trees located on thousands of acres they owned in North Georgia. The bark was shipped to Wisconsin and used by the company for tanning leather. During World War I, a synthetic method to tan leather was developed so there was no further need for the north Georgia resources. The Vogels gave their land to Georgia to create the state park.
Vogel State Park Lake Dam, also known as Lake Trahlyta Dam, is a 52 feet (15.8 m) high earthen embankment. The 600 feet (182.9 m) long dam has a maximum discharge of 2447 cubic feet (69.3 m³) per second. Its capacity is 522 acre.ft, although its normal storage is 210 acre.ft. It drains an area of 1638 acres (662.9 ha).
Facilities and activities
Vogel State Park hosts a variety of outdoor activities, including camping, hiking, backpacking, boating, fishing and swimming. The park includes 103 tent, trailer and RVRecreational vehicle
Recreational vehicle or RV is, in North America, the usual term for a Motor vehicle or trailer equipped with living space and amenities found in a home.-Features:...
sites for camping, 18 walk-in campsites, and 35 cottages. About 95 of the camping sites contain electrical hookups and water. Also on site are four picnic shelters and a group camping facility, a pioneer campground, backwoods primitive campground areas and hot showers.
The centerpiece of the park is Lake Trahlyta. The lake has a swimming beach and boat launch for non-motorized watercraft, and offers seasonal rentals for pedal boats. It contains bass and bream and is stocked periodically during each trout season with about 5,000 trout. Also at the park are a general store, miniature golf course and a Civilian Conservation Corps museum.
Hiking
The park features four hiking trails, covering a wide variety of conditions, forest habitats and difficulties. These include the moderate difficulty 4 miles (6.4 km)-long Bear Hair Gap Trail marked by orange blazes. It begins and ends in Vogel, although most of the trail loops through the Chattahoochee National Forest. The park also features a 1 miles (1.6 km) Trahlyta Lake Loop Trail and a half-mile long Nature Trail.Also in the park is the Coosa Backcountry Trail, a strenuous 12.5 miles (20.1 km) loop which climbs Coosa Bald
Coosa Bald
Coosa Bald, with an elevation of , is tied with Double Spring Knob as the tenth-highest peak in Georgia. It is located in Union County and is the third-highest mountain in the county, behind Blood Mountain and Slaughter Mountain...
and Slaughter Mountain
Slaughter Mountain
Slaughter Mountain, with an elevation of , is the ninth-highest peak in the U.S. state of Georgia. It is located in Union County, Georgia and is the second-highest mountain in Union County. Its nearest neighbor is Blood Mountain, the highest peak in Union County and fifth highest in Georgia.-...
. The trail is marked with yellow blazes and is generally easy to follow. It fords streams on its lower segments before ascending Duncan's Ridge near the summit of Coosa Bald at over 4000 feet (1,219.2 m) elevation, where it joins the Duncan Ridge Trail
Duncan Ridge Trail
The Duncan Ridge Trail is a hiking trail that has been designated as a National Recreation Trail in Georgia. The trail is 35.5 miles long and traverses mountains, descends into valleys and features scenic viewpoints and waterfalls. It is located in the Chattahoochee National Forest and is...
. The joined trail then makes a descent, then climbs slightly to the summit of Wildcat Knob, then descends to Wolfpen Gap where it crosses State Route 180. Across Wolfpen Gap, the trail makes a steep ascent up Slaughter Mountain, then descends to Slaughter Gap where the Coosa Backcountry and Duncan Ridge Trail split. From this point, the Duncan Ridge Trail leads directly to Blood Mountain
Blood Mountain
Blood Mountain is the highest peak on the Georgia section of the Appalachian Trail and the sixth-tallest mountain in Georgia, with an elevation of . It is located on the border of Lumpkin County with Union County and is within the boundaries of the Chattahoochee National Forest and the Blood...
where it meets the Appalachian Trail
Appalachian Trail
The Appalachian National Scenic Trail, generally known as the Appalachian Trail or simply the AT, is a marked hiking trail in the eastern United States extending between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine. It is approximately long...
. The Coosa Backcountry Trail makes a steep 2000 feet (609.6 m) descent down the mountain and joins with the Bear Hair Gap Trail, leading back to the point of origin. The Appalachian Trail can also be accessed from nearby Neel's Gap, just a little higher up Blood Mountain on Highway 19/129; hikers can reach this area from the Byron Herbert Reece Trail.
Annual events
Annual events held at the park include a springtime Wildflower Walk, CCC Reunion, Kids Fishing Rodeo, Independence Day flag-raising ceremony and bicycle parade, Mountain Music and Arts & Craft Festival held in late summer, Fall Hoedown, and Christmas Tree Lighting.Wildlife, flora and geology
Like the rest of the southern Blue Ridge Mountains, Vogel State Park and the surrounding area consists of many valleys, ridges and mountains formed by repeated plate tectonic movement and collisions, starting with the Grenville OrogenyGrenville orogeny
The Grenville Orogeny was a long-lived Mesoproterozoic mountain-building event associated with the assembly of the supercontinent Rodinia. Its record is a prominent orogenic belt which spans a significant portion of the North American continent, from Labrador to Mexico, as well as to Scotland...
nearly 1.5 billion years ago. The resulting landscape created diverse topology containing many different species of plants and animal.
The Georgia Blue Ridge Mountains contains low-to-high-grade metamorphic rocks. Many of the rocks of the Blue Ridge appear to be the metamorphosed equivalents of Proterozoic and Paleozoic sedimentary rocks. Others are metamorphosed igneous rocks, including Corbin metagranite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
, Fort Mountain gneiss
Gneiss
Gneiss is a common and widely distributed type of rock formed by high-grade regional metamorphic processes from pre-existing formations that were originally either igneous or sedimentary rocks.-Etymology:...
, varieties of mafic
Mafic
Mafic is an adjective describing a silicate mineral or rock that is rich in magnesium and iron; the term is a portmanteau of the words "magnesium" and "ferric". Most mafic minerals are dark in color and the relative density is greater than 3. Common rock-forming mafic minerals include olivine,...
and ultramafic rocks, and the metavolcanic rocks of the Gold Belt.
Much of the area resembles Pennsylvania in climate, vegetation and wildlife. The park is near the southern limit for Eastern hemlock
Eastern Hemlock
Tsuga canadensis, also known as eastern or Canadian hemlock, and in the French-speaking regions of Canada as pruche du Canada, is a coniferous tree native to eastern North America. It ranges from northeastern Minnesota eastward through southern Quebec to Nova Scotia, and south in the Appalachian...
and Eastern white pine
Eastern White Pine
Pinus strobus, commonly known as the eastern white pine, is a large pine native to eastern North America, occurring from Newfoundland west to Minnesota and southeastern Manitoba, and south along the Appalachian Mountains to the northern edge of Georgia.It is occasionally known as simply white pine,...
. Coves in the area vary by elevation and topography, with second-growth oak and hickory more common in lower-lying areas. The surrounding forests contain rich, high-altitude flora including rare wildflowers and fern
Fern
A fern is any one of a group of about 12,000 species of plants belonging to the botanical group known as Pteridophyta. Unlike mosses, they have xylem and phloem . They have stems, leaves, and roots like other vascular plants...
s, such as Persistent Trillium
Persistent Trillium
The Persistent Trillium is a flowering plant in the genus Trillium of family Melanthiaceae...
, which grows near Rhododendron. Nearby boulderfields by Blood Mountain include Dutchman's breeches, squirrel corn, waterleaf
Waterleaf
In botany, waterleaf can mean:* Any plant of the genus Hydrophyllum* Any plant which is a member of the waterleaf family, Hydrophyllaceae* Talinum fruticosum, a leaf vegetable of the family Portulacaceae...
and other herbaceous plants.
The area is populated with White-tailed deer
White-tailed Deer
The white-tailed deer , also known as the Virginia deer or simply as the whitetail, is a medium-sized deer native to the United States , Canada, Mexico, Central America, and South America as far south as Peru...
, grouse and raccoon. The deer population, which was extirpated by 1895, has rebounded since re-introduction by park ranger Arthur Woody
Arthur Woody
Arthur Woody was born in Suches, Georgia. Arthur Woody, who saw his father kill the last deer in the North Georgia mountains in 1895, is credited with bringing deer back to the North Georgia mountains...
during the 1930s. Over 100 species of birds inhabit or migrate through the area, including native songbirds such as the Canada Warbler
Canada Warbler
The Canada Warbler is a small 13 cm long songbird of the New World warbler family.These birds have yellow underparts, blue-grey upperparts and pink legs; they also have yellow eye-rings and thin, pointed bills. Adult males have black foreheads and black necklaces...
, Blackburnian
Blackburnian Warbler
The Blackburnian Warbler, Dendroica fusca , is a small New World warbler. They breed in eastern North America, from southern Canada, westwards to the southern Canadian Prairies, the Great Lakes region and New England, to North Carolina....
, Black-throated Blue
Black-throated Blue Warbler
The Black-throated Blue Warbler, Setophaga caerulescens, is a small songbird of the New World warbler family.Adult males have white underparts with black throat, face and flanks; the upperparts are deep blue; immature males are similar with upperparts more greenish...
, Black-throated Green
Black-throated Green Warbler
The Black-throated Green Warbler, Setophaga virens, is a small songbird of the New World warbler family.It is 12 cm long and weighs 9 g, and has an olive-green crown, a yellow face with olive markings, a thin pointed bill, white wing bars, an olive-green back and pale underparts with...
and Chestnut-sided Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
The Chestnut-sided Warbler is a New World warbler. They breed in eastern North America and in southern Canada westwards to the Canadian Prairies...
s. Also found are hawk
Hawk
The term hawk can be used in several ways:* In strict usage in Australia and Africa, to mean any of the species in the subfamily Accipitrinae, which comprises the genera Accipiter, Micronisus, Melierax, Urotriorchis and Megatriorchis. The large and widespread Accipiter genus includes goshawks,...
s, owl
Owl
Owls are a group of birds that belong to the order Strigiformes, constituting 200 bird of prey species. Most are solitary and nocturnal, with some exceptions . Owls hunt mostly small mammals, insects, and other birds, although a few species specialize in hunting fish...
s, woodpecker
Woodpecker
Woodpeckers are near passerine birds of the order Piciformes. They are one subfamily in the family Picidae, which also includes the piculets and wrynecks. They are found worldwide and include about 180 species....
s, kinglet
Kinglet
The kinglets or crests are a small group of birds sometimes included in the Old World warblers, but are frequently given family status because they also resemble the titmice. The scientific name Regulidae is derived from the Latin word regulus for "petty king" or prince, and comes from the...
s, thrushes, vireo
Vireo
The vireos are a group of small to medium-sized passerine birds restricted to the New World. They are typically dull-plumaged and greenish in color, the smaller species resembling wood warblers apart from their heavier bills...
s, cuckoo
Cuckoo
The cuckoos are a family, Cuculidae, of near passerine birds. The order Cuculiformes, in addition to the cuckoos, also includes the turacos . Some zoologists and taxonomists have also included the unique Hoatzin in the Cuculiformes, but its taxonomy remains in dispute...
s, phoebe
Phoebe (bird)
The genus Sayornis is a small group of medium-sized insect-eating birds in the Tyrant flycatcher family Tyrranidae native to North and South America....
s, chickadees, titmice, nuthatches, Brown Creeper
Brown Creeper
-Description:Adults are brown on the upperparts with light spotting, resembling a piece of tree bark, with white underparts. They have a long thin bill with a slight downward curve and a long tail. The male creeper has a slightly larger bill than the female...
s, wrens, tanager
Tanager
The tanagers comprise the bird family Thraupidae, in the order Passeriformes. The family has an American distribution.There were traditionally about 240 species of tanagers, but the taxonomic treatment of this family's members is currently in a state of flux...
s, grosbeak
Grosbeak
Grosbeak is a form taxon containing several species of seed-eating passerine birds with large beaks. Although they all belong to the superfamily Passeroidea, they are not a natural group but rather a polyphyletic assemblage of distantly related songbirds....
s, Indigo Bunting
Indigo Bunting
The Indigo Bunting, Passerina cyanea, is a small seed-eating bird in the family Cardinalidae. It is migratory, ranging from southern Canada to northern Florida during the breeding season, and from southern Florida to northern South America during the winter. It often migrates by night, using the...
s and Red Crossbills. Migratory species are present during the late spring and early fall, making the area popular among birdwatchers The creeks surrounding the lake are rich with different species of salamanders.
Vogel Museum
The park's Vogel Museum features exhibits, documents, photographs and memorabilia about the activities of the Civilian Conservation CorpsCivilian Conservation Corps
The Civilian Conservation Corps was a public work relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men from relief families, ages 18–25. A part of the New Deal of President Franklin D...
in Vogel State Park and other parks in Georgia.