East Cowpen is a 7-mile ridge trail running the length of the Cohutta Mountain which bisects the Cohutta Wilderness and separates the Conasauga and Jacks River Watershed. All the rainfall to the east of Cohutta Mountain flows to Jacks River and all the rainfall to the west flows into the Conasauga River.
East Cowpen Trail was an actual highway in the past. It was designated Georgia Highway 2. Even though Congress had designated the area a wilderness in 1975 up until 1987 it was legal to drive a vehicle on it. It was mostly off-terrain vehicles from 1975-1987 according to local sources and all motor vehicles were banned in 1987.
In many areas of the trail, it still resembles a road. In other parts of the trail, nature has reclaimed much of the road and the trail becomes a footpath.
There are only two trails in the Conasauga River Watershed that connect the smaller western part of the wilderness with the Jacks River Watershed which is the rest of the wilderness. East Cowpen Trail is one of them. The other is Hickory Creek Trail.
East Cowpen Trail has the advantage of being the only trail in the Cohutta Wilderness that connects the interior trails in the Conasauga River Watershed with the interior trails in the Jacks River Watershed without crossing a forest service road. It’s also the shortest route. From the Conasauga River Trail and its namesake river, one can arrive at Jacks River via the East Cowpen Trail in 9 miles.
East Cowpen is most often hiked from the Three Forks Mountain Traihead to Panther Creek Falls which is the shortest route to the falls at 4.2 miles. The second most often trail usage is from its northern terminus at Rice Camp Trailhead to the Hickory Ridge junction at 2.7 miles. Then Hickory Ridge Trail to Jacks River.
There are 3 trail junctions on East Cowpen Trail. Starting from the high elevation Three Forks Mountain Trailhead the trail intersects with Rough Ridge Trail at .4 miles. Continue another 2 miles and Panther Creek Trail junctions in from the left. This part of the trail is a cakewalk. From here the trail continues another two miles and Hickory Ridge Trail junctions in from the right. Continue another 2.7 miles to its low elevation terminus where it junctions with the Rice Camp Trailhead and Hickory Creek Trail’s northern terminus.
There are two ways to access East Cowpen Trail by a forest service road. The northern terminus (low elevation) is located at the end of FS51 which houses the Rice Camp Trailhead, Hickory Creek’s northeastern terminus, and East Cowpen’s northern terminus.
The more popular southern terminus (high elevation) for East Cowpen Trail is located at Three Forks Mountain Trailhead which is accessed by FS64. Three Forks Mtn. Trailhead is closed every year from January 1st to early March by the Forest Service due to winter weather.