Mystery Mountain Marathon & 12 Miler

Difficult, sometimes technical trails with long, extended climbs, over and around Fort Mountain.

Both races will start with a flat, quick
loop around the lake. The course then connects to the Gahuti trail via the rocky and rooty Big Rock trail. The Gahuti travels around the edge of the park. The trail is single track, cambered and rocky as it travels just below the summits of both Cohutta and Fort Mountains. The course will briefly leave the Gahuti to take in a loop around the top of the mountain. The top of the mountain trail is narrow and footing is difficult until reaching the legendary rock wall, where the trail then descends back to the Gahuti and gradually begins to widen with the footing becoming smoother. The hills do not end coming “down” the mountain back to the lake; the elevation gain is almost the same as the initial ascent.

The course will come back to the lake via the other side of the Big Rock trail. The 12-milers will run back around the lake for their finish. The marathoners will turn and run up to the 301 loop via the steep power line trail.

The 301 loop is a beautiful, challenging, and mostly double-track trail. It passes through pine and scrub laurel thickets, upland hardwood and cove forests, by old mines, then waterfalls and rhododendrons before returning up the mountain and then following the mountain ridge top before descending back to the lake. From there, the marathoners will run back around the lake for their finish.

Bears have been spotted along many sections of the Mystery Mountain Marathon course, so be aware!