Sawnee Mountain
Sawnee Mountain is a low mountain north of Atlanta in Forsyth County, Georgia. It sits between the Piedmont and the Appalachian foothills, and its highest point reaches about 1,946 feet above sea level. The ridge is roughly five miles long, with five knolls and three gaps, and it’s the highest point in Forsyth County.
The Sawnee Mountain Preserve protects about 963 acres and is managed by Forsyth County Parks and Recreation. The Sawnee Mountain Visitor Center offers interactive exhibits about the area’s natural and cultural history, plus a resource library and lounge. The site provides environmental education programs for schools and groups, and there is a summer camp program as well. Historically, Native Americans may have used a natural clearing atop the mountain called Indian Seats. A Cherokee named Sawnee helped early settlers adjust to the land, but he was later driven away and died on the Trail of Tears; the range was named in his honor.
Gold was discovered nearby in 1829 in Auraria, Georgia’s first gold rush, and there are mines in the ridges downriver from the Chattahoochee River. Today, Sawnee Mountain is a nature preserve and also hosts a radio tower for WWEV-FM 91.5 at the top. The radio staff now use a live studio/transmitter link. The Visitor Center is at 4075 Spot Road and is one of the trailheads for hiking.
In January 2026, a Georgia House member announced a proposal to rename Sawnee Mountain to Trump Mountain to honor President Donald Trump.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 10:33 (CET).