The Unicoi to Helen Trail trail is three miles one way through lush valley forests, departing from the Unicoi Lodge and ending in Helen at Unicoi Hill City Park.
This is such a beautiful trail to hike during the spring when the green starts popping on the trees! The Unicoi to Helen Trail is a long, 6-mile out-and-back hike, but it’s still a great option if you just want to hike part of the trail before turning around.
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Hiking the Unicoi to Helen Trail
This trail is 3 miles one way departing from the Unicoi Lodge and ending in Helen at Unicoi Hill City Park. We only hiked about 2 miles of it before turning back and heading to the lodge.
The beginning of the trail is combined with Bottoms Loop Trail, which descends into the forest. This is such a great spring hike because the trees are exploding with fresh green leaves and new growth.
At 0.25 miles, the trail passes the park’s tennis courts and crosses Unicoi Bottoms Road, and then it’s back to the cover of the forest. At about 0.5 miles, keep right to stay on the Unicoi to Helen Trail; left will take you on the eastern part of Bottoms Loop Trail.
A Mountain View Hike
The trail then passes through a large field that offers views of the surrounding mountains. After the meadow, you’ll come to some wooden bridges that cross Smith Creek. Keep to the right to cross the longest bridge and stay on the Unicoi to Helen Trail; to the left again puts you on the Bottoms Loop Trail.
The Unicoi to Helen Trail then follows alongside Smith Creek for a ways. We turned back before the trail crossed the creek for a second time. If you continue on, the trail passes over hills and through some switchbacks before making it into Helen and coming out at Unicoi Hill City Park.
Helen to Unicoi: The Hike Back
We followed the trail back the way we came. The only moderately strenuous part on our hike back was the uphill climb near the beginning of the trail at Unicoi Lodge. It was an easy hike, though it was a suffocatingly humid day.
We estimated our cut-short hike to be about 4 miles round trip. The total Unicoi to Helen Trail hike would be 6 miles round trip.
Hiking Essentials
Come prepared for your hike by making sure you pack the essentials. Check out this must-have hiking gear before you set off on the trails:
More North Georgia Hikes
Explore more of the North Georgia Mountains with these beautiful hiking trails nearby.
Ready to visit Helen, Georgia? Plan your trip with these tips.
- Book Your Flight: Find the cheapest flights using Skyscanner, my favorite flight search engine.
- Find Accommodation: You can find top cabin rentals in Helen using VRBO.
- Start Packing: Check out my packing list resources so you’re prepared for your trip.
- Explore Helen in a New Way: Enjoy a Mystery Weekend in Helen to discover more of the town.
Cheers!
Paige
Have you hiked the Unicoi to Helen Trail in Helen, Georgia? Tell me about your adventure in the comments below!
You’re posts are so detailed!! They’re like a map! 🙂 Cloudland Canyon is the best place to hike in GA, in my opinion.
I definitely want to go to Cloudland Canyon!! I drive that way when I go see my parents in Alabama, so I’ll have to stop on the way sometime