A great destination for hiking and history, Fort Mountain State Park sits at the southwestern end of the Cohutta Mountains. The area in and around the park was home to the Cherokee for hundreds of years. The park gets its name from an ancient 885-foot-long stone wall which stands on the highest point of the mountain. The wall ranges from 2-7 feet tall and is believed to have been built by Native Americans.
Origin stories of the wall range from sun worship theories to fortification against enemies and even speculation of a mountaintop honeymoon haven for newlyweds. While many of these theories and legends have surfaced, the true origin of the stone structure remains unknown.

There is also a large stone fire tower atop the mountain built by the Civilian Conservation Corps. The lookout tower allowed rangers to spot fires up to 40 miles away. According to signage onsite, this was one of thousands of similar towers built following the 1910 “Big Blowup” fire in the Pacific Northwest that consumed 3 million acres, the equivalent of the entire state of Connecticut.

There are 60 miles of recreational trails for hikers, cyclists and horseback riders to explore and enjoy the beautiful scenery and mountain overlooks including the West Overlook.

Campsites are poised along some of the longer trails and families can also find shorter, kid-friendly hikes including Lake Trail.