Getting Started
About Fannin County, GA
"Trout Capital of Georgia"
Ü Enlarge
Designated by
the Georgia State Legislature in 2010 as Trout Capital
of
Georgia, Fannin County lies in the Appalachian Mountains,
90 miles north of Atlanta, bordering on North Carolina and
Tennessee.
Extending
from within the county seat of Blue
Ridge to the county border north, south, east and west, more than 100 miles of trout streams and rivers wind
through Fannin County across 100,000 acres of the
Chattahoochee National Forest. Blue Ridge is a quaint
mountain gateway town with art galleries, downtown shopping,
delectable restaurants, a scenic railroad, and get-away
cabins nestled on mountain ridges, in peaceful valleys
and on scenic waters.
The headquarters for
the Trout Adventure Trail in Fannin County is the
ÜFannin County
Chamber
of Commerce in Blue Ridge.
About Gilmer County, GA
"Georgia's Apple Capital"
Ü Enlarge
Gilmer
County is Georgia’s Apple Capital and contains abundant
National Forest lands,
including Springer Mountain, the southernmost terminus of
the Appalachian Trail in the Chattahoochee National Forest.
Gilmer County is located along Highway 515/GA Highway 5, about
75 miles north of Atlanta. At more than 430 square miles
big, the heavily wooded landscape stretches across the
southernmost reach of north Georgia’s Blue Ridge
Mountains.
Ellijay,
the capital and largest town
Gilmer County is an “Appalachian Trail Town” and is located
about 40 minutes east of the Trout Adventure Trail. The official
headquarters for the Trout Adventure Trail in Ellijay is
ÜNorth
Georgia Mountain Outfitters.
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Opportunities
for Scouts Plan a hike on the
Trout Adventure Trail for fun, achievement, awards, education,
conservation and more!
Boy Scouts
and Girl Scouts plan hikes for many reasons.
Hikes may be planned as a
fun activity or to build camaraderie, confidence, or
physical stamina. The educational and advancement
achievement opportunities for a hike should not be
underestimated. Here are a few ideas that can be planned
well for your group, but your imagination is the only
limitation for learning and earning out on the Trout
Adventure Trail!
For example,
Boy Scout
and Venture
Scout leaders may plan a hike to allow some of the
participants to achieve their Second Class 5-mile hike
requirement. If so, the hike would need to be at least 5
miles in length, and the scouts would need to use a
compass and map together for the hike. The hike could
also be helpful in achieving other Second Class rank
requirements, such as Leave No Trace, demonstrating the
use of a map, and identifying wild animals. See
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Fun in the water on the
Trout Adventure Trail is often combined with
learning about aquatic environments of the Appalachian
Mountains and the animals that live in them.
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Ü
Second Class Rank Requirements. In
a similar manner, achievement, skills and knowledge for
advancement for other ranks and merit badges also may be
accomplished on the Trout Adventure Trail.
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Cub
Scout and Webelos requirements may also be accomplished on
the Trout Adventure Trail.
For example,
Ü
Belt Loops and Pins may be achieved for
Ü
Hiking,
Ü
Map and Compass and
Ü
Wildlife Conservation. The Trout Adventure
Trail is a great place to work toward rank advancement, belt
loops and pins and the enriching knowledge that surround them.
Best of all, the learning is fun and often hands-on.

Girl Scouts take a break atop
Springer Mountain, the southern terminus of the
Appalachian Trail.
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Girl Scouts
(Daisies, Brownies, Juniors, Cadettes, and Seniors)
treat achievement and advancement in a
flexible manner emphasizing experiences and
learning. Girl Scouts earn badges, hike and camp,
protect the planet and much more. Hiking on
the Trout Adventure Trail fits within a number of the
tracksavailable for Girl Scouts and their leaders to
pursue.
For example, at the Brownie level,
the
Ü
Wonders of Water skills and awards,
including “Hiker” may be the subject of a Brownie trip
to the Trout Adventure Trail. Opportunities
exist for other age levels within Girl Scouting.
For information on Girl Scout
activities and awards, see
Ü
Program Basics
on the
Ü
Girl Scouts
website.
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