Information
Initially opened in 2000, the Blankets Creek Bike Mountain Trails are among the most popular mountain bike trails in the United States. They represent a partnership between Cherokee County, the US Army Corps of Engineers (Allatoona Lake) and SORBA Woodstock. There are over 15 miles of volunteer-maintained trails for beginners to advanced riders. Trails are closed during inclement weather. See the link below for trail status. Amenities at the trailhead include parking, pavilions and restrooms.
Blankets Creek will be closed to the public for five separate days in November, December, and January. Cherokee Recreation and Parks, which acts as the official land manager for the Blankets Creek property, will host a wildlife management event at Blanket’s Creek Park for the fourth year in a row. Cherokee County leases the property from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE).
The land in the Blankets Creek area has seen an increase in the deer population over the last few years, leading to scarce food sources and a potential safety issue for trail users. In an effort to control the deer population in that area, Cherokee Recreation and Parks will hold seven different deer management events over five days: November 9th, November 30th, December 14th, January 11th, and January 25th. The November 30th and December 14th events will be split into a morning session and an afternoon session. The November 9th, January 11th and January 25th dates will be morning sessions only. The morning sessions will be from first light to 11:00am and the afternoon sessions will be from 2:30pm to last light. The event is for Cherokee County residents only. The morning session on November 9th will be reserved for youth (15 and under) and disabled hunters only (both will be allowed one chaperone and a maximum of one piece of archery equipment). Those interested in the lottery may register for the limited spots per session by visiting: https://crpa.theottoapp.com/public/org/439/home
Registration periods for the sessions are listed below:
Lottery Pool for Day Events:
| Morning Session | Sunday, November 9th Registration dates: September 22 Drawing will be Oct 28th 5:30 am – 11:30 am | $5.00 | All Ages | Pool closes 10/2725 |
| Morning & Afternoon Session | Sunday, November 30th Registration dates: September 22 Drawing will be Nov. 18th 5:30 am – 11:30 am 2:30 pm – last light | $5.00 | All Ages | Pool closes 11/17/25 |
| Morning & Afternoon Session | Sunday, December 14th Registration dates: September 22 Drawing will be Dec. 8th 5:30 am – 11:30 am 2:30 pm – last light | $5.00 | All Ages | Pool closes 12/7/25 |
| Morning Session | Sunday, January 11th Registration dates: September 22 Drawing will be Jan. 5th 5:30 am – 11:30 am | $5.00 | All Ages | Pool closes 1/4/26 |
| Morning Session | Sunday, January 25th Registration dates: September 22 Drawing will be Jan. 20th 5:30 am – 11:30 am | $5.00 | All Ages | Pool closes 1/19/26 |
Hunters will be selected through a lottery process with a maximum of 20 hunters per session. Hunters may register for more than one session but will only be selected through the lottery for a maximum of one session. There will be a $5 non-refundable registration fee and all funds raised will be designated for Blankets Creek Park. Both the USACE and Georgia DNR Rangers will be on site to assist with the event. If selected for a session, there will be an email sent out with more specific details to come regarding safety, boundaries, rules for the hunt, and more.
Monthly Lottery Permits for Blankets Creek
In addition to the four designated wildlife management event dates, Cherokee Recreation and Parks will also be holding two different permit lotteries for December and January. If selected, this will give archers access to hunt the property from sunrise to 11:00am when the Blankets Creek trails are closed due to inclement weather or undesirable trail conditions. We will draw 30 different people to have permits for December, and January. Those interested may register at https://crpa.theottoapp.com/public/org/439/home
Registration periods for the permits are listed below:
| Monthly Permits: | December (30 people max.) | $25.00 | Pool closes 11/18/25 |
| January (30 people max.) | $25.00 | Pool closes 12/15/25 |
Hunters may register for both months but will only be selected through the lottery for a maximum of one month. There will be a $25 non-refundable registration fee for the permit lottery and all funds raised will be designated for Blankets Creek Park. You must be a Cherokee County resident to be selected. If you are drawn for a December or January permit, you will not be allowed to hunt on any of the designated event dates, regardless of weather or trail conditions. If selected in the December or January permit drawings, there will be an email sent out with more specific details to come regarding safety, boundaries, rules for the hunt, and more.
If selected for one of the designated events or selected for a permit, your selection or permit will be non-transferable to another individual. All state hunting laws must be followed, hunters must have a valid hunting license, hunters must wear 500 square inches of orange, and only archery equipment can be used. State season limits apply.
Contact: Nick Holt, nrholt@cherokeecountyga.gov, 770-501-8002
Amenities
- Over 15 Miles of Mountain Bike Trails
- 2 Pavilions (first come, first served)
- Restrooms