Holly Creek Headwaters · Cohutta Wilderness · 1,800 FT

A small cabin with a creek at the porch.

Sherpa Camp sits beneath Potato Patch Mountain on Holly Creek, near the western edge of the Cohutta Wilderness. The creek runs past the porch, shallow enough for small children to wade, and the rocking chairs face it. The road in is gravel and cell service disappears before you arrive. Starlink picks up at the cabin.

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Sherpa Camp cabin and covered bridge crossing a creek in the Cohutta Wilderness. — Fig. 01Holly Creek runs mere feet year-round from the cabin.

Elevation: 1,800 ft
Water: Holly Creek headwaters
County: Murray County, Georgia
Nearest town: Ellijay, about 25 minutes
Cell service: None on approach
Internet: Starlink at the cabin
Neighbors: A few summer cabins, rarely seen

No. 1 — The road ends here

A place to settle in before heading back outside.

Sherpa Camp is a forest cabin that sits at 1,800ft in the shadow of 4,000ft peaks. It was made for quiet mornings, long creek roads, muddy shoes, and evenings around the fire. It is comfortable without pretending the woods are a resort. Starlink keeps the cabin connected. The surrounding country takes care of the rest.

Families are welcome. Bring shoes you do not mind muddying. The creek will find them either way.

Covered porch with rocking chairs overlooking Holly Creek and the surrounding forest. — Fig. 02The porch faces the creek, which handles the evening's entertainment.

Guest reviews

4.84 · Guest favorite · 44 reviews on Airbnb

“We got some of the best sleep of our lives.”
Adam

“We left with muddy shoes, happy kids, and memories we'll be talking about for years.”
Jesi, Marshfield, MO

“I enjoyed sipping my coffee in the rocking chair while being able to watch my kids play in the creek.”
Hayley, Altamonte Springs, FL

“We had our 3 and 6 year old who loved catching fish and salamanders in the creek.”
Alexis, Melbourne, FL

No. 2 — The manifest

What the cabin holds.

Sherpa Camp sleeps up to five guests. The loft has a king bed, and the bunk room sleeps three. There is one bathroom, a full kitchen, and enough room to gather for supper before the fire is lit.

Sleeping	Sleeps up to five guests, King bed in the loft, Bunk room sleeping three
Kitchen and dining	Full kitchen, Full-size stove, Dining room
Inside	One full bathroom, Propane fireplace
Outside	Outdoor deck, Park-style barbecue grill

The arrangement is simple. Two sleep in the loft, three take the bunk room, and everyone shares the bathroom. The kitchen is equipped for proper meals, and the deck is there when supper is better outside.

Follow along

Recent photos from the cabin.

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No. 3 — Beyond the bridge

Enough country for a long weekend.

The Cohuttas begin beyond the cabin in a confusion of creeks, ridges, footpaths, and old Forest Service roads. Some days require an early start and a full pack. Others require only a chair beside the creek.

Jacks River, Lake Conasauga, Bear Creek, Emery Creek, Fort Mountain, and the Pinhoti Trail are within reach. Confirm drive times and access conditions before you set out.

See the country around the cabin

A fisherman with a net beside a mossy creek in the Cohutta Wilderness. — Fig. 03Trout water begins at the property line and continues in every direction.

01
Stay close
Walk the road, read on the porch, make coffee, and start a fire before dark.
02
Take the family out
Barnes Creek Falls is five minutes down the road, and the Holly Creek picnic area has a swimming hole kids can manage.
03
Go farther
The backcountry rewards an early departure, dry socks, and some respect for the weather.

The region

Where the cabin sits.

No. 4 — The year

Four seasons, four different places.

The cabin does not change much. The country around it changes completely. What you come for depends on when you arrive.

Spring: The water is loudest now. Spring rain pushes the creek up, the falls run full, and the forest floor does its best work before the canopy closes over it. Trillium, violets, and ferns come up through the leaf litter, and the rhododendron follows. The Lake Conasauga road reopens March 1. Ask us about the other high forest roads before planning anything above 3,000 feet. Bring a rain shell and expect wet feet.
Summer: The creek becomes the main event. It stays cold all season and the children will not be persuaded to leave it. Barnes Creek Falls is five minutes down the road, and the Holly Creek picnic area has a bigger swimming hole that fills with families on summer weekends. The valley runs several degrees cooler than the lowlands, and the canopy keeps the trail country shaded through the afternoon. Wild blueberries ripen on the upper slopes of Grassy Mountain in late summer. Come for the water, plan the hard hikes for early morning, and let the afternoons go.
Autumn: The color starts on the high ridges in early October and works its way down week by week, reaching the valley near the end of the month. Sourwoods turn first and turn crimson, then the maples, then the oaks in bronze. Apple season is on in Ellijay through September and October. The trout feed hard before winter and the browns put on their spawning colors. Deer season runs in the Cohutta WMA around the cabin, so wear blaze orange on the forest roads and trails during the October and December firearms days. This is the busiest season here, and it earns it.
Winter: The leaves come down and the ridgelines reappear, so the long views are better now than at any other time of year. The woods are quiet, the creek runs clear, and the trails are empty. Snow arrives occasionally and does not last. Fires get lit early. The Lake Conasauga road closes December 29. Check road conditions before you drive up, bring more layers than you think you need, and plan to spend more of the day inside than you would in June.

Availability tends to move in the opposite order of the crowds. Ask us what the country is doing that week.

A small s'mores kit with chocolate pieces, marshmallows, and graham crackers on a wooden table. — Fig. 04Rations for the first fire.

No. 5 — Something for the fire

A small s’mores kit is left for arriving guests.

Chocolate, marshmallows, and graham crackers are set out for the first night. The fire pit is outside. Pick up a bundle of local firewood on the way in.

Check local restrictions and use the fire only when it is safe to do so.

No. 6 — Reading

Field notes from the western Cohuttas.

Sherpa Camp sits in the middle of a great deal of wild country. These notes are written for guests who would rather understand the road, creek, trail, and weather before setting out.