Black Rock Lake Trail

The Black Rock Lake Trail circles a small mountain lake tucked into a rhododendron-fringed hollow on the eastern slope of Black Rock Mountain, providing a peaceful and accessible walk in stark contrast to the park's more demanding summit trails. The lake sits at approximately 3,400 feet elevation, making it one of the highest small lakes in the Georgia state park system, its cold, clear water reflecting the surrounding hardwood canopy and framed by rosebay rhododendron that blooms in late June.

The trail circumnavigates the lake through mature chestnut oak and red maple forest with a dense understory of mountain laurel and blueberry. Wood ducks nest in the lake's forested margins and are frequently observed at dawn, along with great blue herons fishing the shallow inlet. Brook trout are stocked in the lake for seasonal fishing. The trail offers a pleasant cool-down after the exertion of Tennessee Rock Trail, or a standalone easy walk for visitors seeking the mountain atmosphere without significant climbing. The rhododendron display here is particularly impressive, with the lake surface providing a perfect reflection of the pink-and-white bloom in late June. Black bears—abundant in the park—regularly visit the lake's shoreline at dawn and dusk.