LUMPKIN COUNTY, Ga. — A counter-culture, hippie organization has chosen the Bull Mountain area of the Chattahoochee National Forest for their annual gathering, authorities confirmed.
The Lumpkin County Government released a statement that said “the gathering may be as large as 20,000 people, which will also cause local impacts” across the North Georgia mountains. The loosely organized group is called the Rainbow Family of Living Light.
The event will occur from now until after July 4, the statement said. If that many people were to show up, forest and county roads are expected to become very congested, which could cause road closures or traffic detours near the campsite.
Forest Service roads FS77 Winding Stair Gap & FS83 Bull Mountain on @ChattOconeeNF are temp closed for public safety/traffic related to the #2018RainbowGathering taking place in the area. The Jake & Bull Mountain Trail System remains open to public use. https://t.co/e3mQrTFOSV pic.twitter.com/A1yfMZGkzA
— ChattOconeeNF (@ChattOconeeNF) June 15, 2018
“Please be aware that neither Lumpkin County nor the US Forest Service is legally able to prevent this gathering,” the statement said.
The U.S. Forest Service is working with the Lumpkin County Sheriff’s Office, Georgia State Patrol and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources to manage this event, the statement said.
“We understand there may be impacts to our community, our neighbors and other forest visitors,” Forest Supervisor Betty Jewett said. https://t.co/TAGi4cmvap #2018RainbowGathering
— ChattOconeeNF (@ChattOconeeNF) June 15, 2018
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