| State Route 180 | ||||
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| Route information | ||||
| Maintained by GDOT | ||||
| Length: | 26 mi[1] (42 km) | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| West end: | SR 60 in Suches | |||
| US 19 / US 129 / SR 11 in Choestoe | ||||
| East end: | SR 17 / SR 75 halfway between Hiawassee and Helen | |||
| Highway system | ||||
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Georgia State Routes
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State Route 180 runs for about 26 miles (42 km) from SR 60 in Suches to SR 17/75 halfway between Hiawassee and Helen in Union County. SR 180 traverses some of the most difficult terrain in Georgia, traveling the gaps of the highest mountains in the state. The route has two sections known as Bald Mountain Road and Wolfpen Gap Road, which are joined by a 2.3-mile (3.7 km) overlap with U.S. 19/129 in the north of Vogel State Park. Much of the highway is in the Chattahoochee National Forest.
Bald Mountain Road, named for the state's highest peak (Brasstown Bald), is the eastern section of the highway and has been designated a National Scenic Byway and a Georgia Scenic Byway. Included in this section is a junction with the Richard B. Russell Scenic Highway and part of SR 180 is included in the Russell-Brasstown Scenic Byway. Bald Mountain Road crosses the Nottely River shortly before the overlap with U.S. 19/129.
Wolfpen Gap Road (11.8-mile western section of the highway) is known to be the curviest road in the state. Sites along this section include various hiking trails and scenery as well as Vogel State Park, access to Sosebee Cove, an intersection with the Coosa Back Country Trail, Lake Winfield Scott (Georgia's highest lake) and Suches, “The Valley Above The Clouds.” The highpoint of the highway is 3,260 feet (990 m) at Wolfpen Gap.
| State Route 180 Spur | |
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| Location: | Brasstown Bald |
| Length: | 2.6 mi (4.2 km) |
State Route 180 Spur is a 2.6-mile (4.2 km) route that connects SR 180 with a parking lot at the visitors center on Brasstown Bald, the highest point in Georgia. It shares the National Scenic Byway and Georgia Scenic Byway designations bestowed upon SR 180. Because of the altitude and steepness of the road, and because it serves no through traffic, it is often closed in winter due to inclement weather.