Pine Mountain Trail (F.D. Roosevelt State Park)

F.D. Roosevelt State Park, Georgia State Parks (Pine Mountain, near Warm Springs)

The Pine Mountain Trail runs 23 miles along the Pine Mountain ridge in west-central Georgia, through F.D. Roosevelt State Park, which Wikipedia calls Georgia’s largest state park. Explore Georgia describes cascading waterfalls, grand vistas, and rocky cliffs near Georgia’s fall line, where the Piedmont meets the coastal plain. Volunteers built and still maintain the trail, which reaches Dowdell’s Knob, where Franklin D. Roosevelt liked to picnic.

Camping is only at designated sites, by permit, and you must pick up your permit at the park office before you start.

The hike

Wikipedia says the park covers 9,049 acres along the Pine Mountain Range, and that its western portion, once called Pine Mountain State Park, was named a National Historic Landmark in 1997. It says the Pine Mountain Trail is wholly maintained by volunteers of the Pine Mountain Trail Association. MyHikes says the association has maintained the trail since 1975.

America’s State Parks says the trail runs 23 miles from the WJSP-TV Tower trailhead to the Dowdell’s Knob trailhead and can be done as a two- to three-day backpacking trip. SummitPost notes that State Park Rangers patrol the area, and that each of the 23 miles on the main trail is marked with a mile sign and that all trails are blazed and easy to follow.

Dowdell’s Knob is the high point. Wikipedia puts it at 1,395 feet, the highest point in the park, and says a 1,200-pound bronze statue of Roosevelt was unveiled there in 2007, on the 62nd anniversary of his death. AllTrails mentions the historic site of a military plane crash, reached on a gentle climb along the Pine Mountain Trail.

The Wolfden Loop is one of the trail’s most popular stretches. Atlanta Trails describes waterfalls, a beaver pond, a wolf’s den, golden grasslands, and shady forest. It says the trail reaches the Old Sawmill campsite at 4 miles and a waterfall at 4.25 miles, where Cascade Branch tumbles over an old concrete dam spillway, and later the Sassafras Hill campsite, a dry site with no reliable water where fires are prohibited in dry months.

Water varies. The Pine Mountain Trail Association says 18 of its 21 sites have good year-round water nearby. But AllTrails reviewers on the longer Pine Mountain East and Dowdell Knob Loop found no water sources or toilets on the trail and recommended stashing water. One warned that most of the trail is rocky, which slows you down, and that insect repellent is a must.

The permit rules are strict. The PMTA says backcountry camping is only at the designated site on your permit, and that even with a reservation, you must first get your printed permit at the FDR park office before entering the woods. You need to arrive before the office closes and at least two hours before sunset, since permits aren’t issued within two hours of dark. MyHikes adds that you can’t change your assigned site without permission from the park office, and that overnight parking requires a displayed park pass.

America’s State Parks lists fall as a top season, with peak foliage from mid-October to early November.

For another Georgia backpacking trip with designated campsites, see Cumberland Island.

Tips

Get your printed permit at the park office first. The PMTA says you can’t enter the woods without it.
Arrive at least two hours before sunset. Permits aren’t issued within two hours of dark.
Camp only at your assigned site. You can’t switch without park permission.
Check water at your site. Sassafras Hill is dry; most sites have water nearby.
Bring insect repellent. Reviewers recommend it.

Camping

The Pine Mountain Trail Association says backcountry camping on the Pine Mountain Trail is by permit at the designated named site you’ve reserved, and that there are 21 sites, most on flat wooded ground, 18 with good year-round water nearby. You must pick up your printed permit at the FDR park office before starting. The park also has a developed campground and cabins, per America’s State Parks.

Inside Intel: The PMTA’s advice: call home once you have your permit and let someone know which sites you’ll be at and where you’re parked. For a waterfall camp, Atlanta Trails points to the Old Sawmill campsite on the Wolfden Loop, just before the Cascade Branch falls. Avoid planning water around Sassafras Hill, which Atlanta Trails calls a dry site.

Trail facts

Distance: About 23 miles end to end; loops possible with connector trails
Route type: Point to point, or loops
Difficulty: Moderate to strenuous; rocky in places
Elevation: Dowdell’s Knob 1,395 feet, the park’s high point
Campsites: 21 designated sites (PMTA); 18 with year-round water nearby
Water: Streams near most sites; some sites dry. Treat all water.
Permits: Backcountry permit required; pick up at the FDR park office
Trailheads: WJSP-TV Tower trailhead; Dowdell’s Knob trailhead; FDR park office
Last verified: October 2, 2026

The Lowdown

A night on Pine Mountain:

The Pine Mountain Trail's wooded campsites are mostly flat, so a comfortable pad makes the night. See which sleeping pads testers recommend.

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Where this comes from

This page draws on the sources below, along with other guides and trip reports. Links go to the original pages.

Before you go: This page is based on published trail guides, trip reports, and reviews, along with official park and agency information where we could find it. It’s meant to help backpackers discover new trails, not to replace current, official information. Conditions, closures, permits, campsites, and water sources change, and some details here may be out of date or wrong. Confirm everything with the managing agency and check current conditions before you head out, and don’t rely on this page alone for safety or navigation. Backcountry travel involves risk.