On the route to Helen Georgia at the intersection of Hwy 17 and Hwy 75 north, sits a famous land mark called the “Indian Mound”. Ever wonder more about it? I was fascinated when I heard the story so I want to share it with you.
Put together here, is a Indian legend with images which are Sautee and Nacoochee. Two young Indian souls who had forbidden love for each other.
The Indian Mound Burial Site for Sautee and Nacoochee, at the corner of Hwy 17 and Hwy 75 north in Sautee Georgia (White County)
Excavation between May & October in 1915 by a joint expedition of the Museum of the American Indian, Heyes Foundation, and the Bureau of American Ethnology of the Smithsonian Institution unearthed 75 burials. 2 of which could have been Sautee and Nacoochee.
The Face of Yonah Mountain….the place where Sautee and Nacoochee plunged to their deaths because they were forbidden to be together.
As you can see from the image below, it’s a steep drop and Mt. Yonah’s elevation is 3,166 ft.
Yonah Mountain (commonly referred to as “Mount Yonah” or, by older Georgians, “Yonah Bald”) is located in the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest in the north of Georgia in the United States, between the towns of Cleveland and Helen. Yonah is the Cherokee word for Bear.
There is a signed trailhead from Chambers Road and an approximately 2.3 mile trail (gaining 1500 feet in elevation) leads to the summit. There are also side trails that lead to neighboring Pink Mountain. Plan on taking lots of snacks and water if you plan to take this great hike. Also set aside an entire day for with a good camera for spectacular views.
The 5th Ranger Training Battalion, Ranger Training Brigade of the United States Army conducts the Mountain Phase of Ranger School on Yonah Mountain. It has been a popular training ground for rock climbers. So be careful when visiting this mountain and be aware of these training activities that go on.
Below is an image of one of the rock cliffs. Many have fallen to their deaths on this mountain as well as Sautee and Nacoochee. Please take every safety precaution necessary when venturing up to the top. This image displays a piece of the adjoining ‘Pink Mountain’ to the right.
We enjoy a stunning view of this mountain everyday from our home –for this we are very blessed. We are approximately 2.5 miles west of Yonah. Here is our shot, shadowed by the sunrise and standing tall above the morning fog.
A friend of mine took this shot one day while hiking with her husband on Yonah. They came across this rock with a very inspirational message on it. 🙂
I plan on visiting again soon and getting my own images from the top so I’ll be sharing with you! It’s been over two decades since I have been to the top, so it should be an interesting hike.
I provided 3 creditable links to this story from other sites under the first few photos. Feel free to visit those for any further information. Some believe the legend, some don’t. Still a beautfiul story and I hope you enjoyed! Thanks for visiting my blog ~Mish
