Mark DuCharme of Dunwoody heads for the hills when he wants to be alone:

When I need solitude, there is no place that soothes me like the wilderness. There is something immediately calming about tightening my boot laces, sliding on my backpack and trekking away from civilization. It's like a giant "a-h-h-h."

Mark Ducharme/Special (ENLARGE)
Mark Ducharme hikes the Cohutta-Big Frog Wilderness when he wants to get away from it all.
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Thankfully, such areas exist in Georgia. My favorite is the Cohutta-Big Frog Wilderness, which straddles the Georgia-Tennessee border — about 80 miles north of Atlanta and 40 miles east of Chattanooga. It is contained within the Chattahoochee and Cherokee national forests and is the largest wilderness area east of the Mississippi.

Here, you'll find rugged mountain terrain, brilliantly clear streams, dense conifer and deciduous forests and occasional glimpses of rare wildlife, including black bear and wild boar. There are two waterfalls as well: the easily accessible Jacks River Falls and more remote Panther Creek Falls. Elevations range from 950 feet in the Alaculsy Valley to 4,224 feet atop the summit of Big Frog Mountain.

Count on getting your feet wet as most of the area's trails lead to or follow the Conasauga and Jacks rivers. There are trailheads in both states that offer opportunities for day hikers and backpackers, with the greatest solitude found in the more remote sections of the wilderness.

The USDA Forest Service publishes a map of the area that may be ordered on the Forest Service Web site www.fs.fed.us or through local outdoor retailers such as REI. The Cohutta Ranger District is in Chatsworth, Georgia, 706-695-6736.