Bear Hair Gap Trail Hike and the Barely There Overlook

In early spring we hiked the Bear Hair Gap Trail at Vogel State Park. The hike is a loop, and everyone said to do it clockwise for the easiest route. To quote one of the rangers at the visitor center "There is no easy way...".

📍 Trail Info
🥾 Distance: 4.1 miles (loop)
📈 Elevation gain: ~1,000 feet
⛰️ Highest point: ~3,640 feet
🌲 Difficulty: Moderate
• 🐾 Dog-friendly: Yes, on leash
• 🧭 Location: Vogel State Park, Chattahoochee National Forest, GA
• 🔄 Trail type: Loop

You'll start off ascending some switchbacks close to the campgrounds working your way up the over 1,000 feet of elevation gain. Around a mile or so in the trail, you'll hit your first creek crossing and walk through some huge boulders.

After that, the trail continues to climb and climb until eventually leveling out briefly before a short decent to the overlook trail. The overlook trail is a short lollipop style trail with views of the surrounding mountains and lake. The thing is, the view is small. It's like a portal more than a vista. When we went in early spring the canopy was not fully grown in. I can imagine the views are even more restricted now with the leaf cover. So we have labeled it the "barely there" overlook, or the overlooked overlook.

From there its another mile or so back to the trailhead, completing the 4.1 mile loop that makes up the Bear Hair Gap Trail.

Should you do this trail? Yes! If you are in the area, or have already hiked most of the NE Georgia trails, its worth a visit. If you only have time for a few trails, maybe pick one of the more well known and popular if you are looking for that "wow" factor of hiking in the mountains.