| Rabun Bald | |
| Elevation Ft: | 4696 |
| Prominence Ft: | 1016 |
| Prominence Ref: | [1] |
| Map: | USA Georgia |
| Map Size: | 250 |
| Label Position: | right |
| Location: | Sky Valley, Georgia, Georgia, U.S. |
| Range: | Blue Ridge Mountains |
| Coordinates: | 34.9656°N -83.3°W |
| Coordinates Ref: | [2] |
| Topo: | USGS Rabun Bald |
| Easiest Route: | Bartram Trail |
Rabun Bald, with an elevation of 4696feet, is the second-highest peak in the U.S. state of Georgia; only Brasstown Bald 4784feet is higher. It is immediately southeast of Sky Valley, Georgia, and is the tallest mountain in the county. An observation tower on the summit provides hikers with views that, on clear days, extend for more than 100miles. The hike to the top of Rabun Bald is 5.8miles round trip via the Rabun Bald Trail. The Rabun Bald Trail connects with the Bartram Trail system, which passes over the top as it winds through northeast Georgia for 37miles.
According to Native American legend, Rabun Bald is inhabited by fire-breathing demon people: some campers still report hearing strange sounds throughout the night.[3]
Rabun Bald was the site of the first fire tower in the area, which was constructed by Nick Nicholson, the first forest ranger in Georgia. The fire tower was operated by the United States Forest Service until the early 1970s. After the fire tower was taken out of service, a Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) crew dismantled the tower's uppermost component, a metal-framed enclosure with glass windows that sat atop a stone base. Leaving the stone base intact, the YCC crew replaced the metal "cabin" with a railed wooden observation platform.