Population 0
Source: Census ACS 2023
Cherry Log, Georgia
Gilmer County, Georgia · Population 99
Cherry Log sits in the folded ridges of the Blue Ridge Mountains in northern Georgia, tucked along Aska Road country in southern Gilmer County. With a recorded population of 99 and 52 housing units that the Census classifies as entirely vacant, it functions less as a conventional residential community and more as a named place in the mountains — a CDP (Census-Designated Place) that anchors a stretch of North Georgia countryside known for steep creek hollows, apple orchards, and weekend cabins. The nearest actual town is Ellijay, the Gilmer County seat, roughly a mile east by the weather station's reckoning. Atlanta lies about 90 miles to the south, making Cherry Log reachable for a long weekend but genuinely remote as a place to live full-time.
People & Demographics
The Census ACS 2022 does not report usable demographic breakdowns for Cherry Log at the CDP level — population, age, race, and household figures are either zero or suppressed, consistent with a place this small. The headline figure from the CDP record is 99 residents. For context, Gilmer County as a whole counts 31,353 people, making Cherry Log home to roughly 0.3% of the county population.
Anyone researching demographic specifics for this community should work from county-level data or contact Gilmer County directly.
Economy & Employment
No income, poverty, or labor force data is reported for Cherry Log at the CDP level. The local economy, to the extent one exists in this small node, almost certainly plugs into Ellijay's broader base — apple production and agritourism, seasonal cabin rentals, small retail, and the service trades that support a mountain-tourism county.
Gilmer County's economy has long leaned on its identity as Georgia's apple capital, a draw that pulls visitors from metro Atlanta every fall and supports a modest but durable hospitality sector.
Housing
Cherry Log has 52 total housing units. The Census reports all 52 as vacant — zero occupied, zero owner-occupied, zero renter-occupied. This is not unusual for mountain CDPs where a significant share of the housing stock consists of seasonal cabins and vacation properties that are unoccupied on the reference date used by the Census.
Median home value and median rent are not reported at this geography. Anyone looking at property here is effectively buying into the North Georgia mountain cabin market, where prices track Ellijay and the broader Blue Ridge corridor more than any local comparable.
Schools
Cherry Log students attend Gilmer County Schools, centered in Ellijay. The district runs five schools:
- Ellijay Elementary School — Pre-K through Grade 5, 758 students
- Mountain View Elementary — Grades K–5, 668 students
- Clear Creek Elementary School — Grades K–5, 596 students
- Clear Creek Middle School — Grades 6–8, 917 students
- Gilmer High School — Grades 9–12, 1,174 students
Gilmer High serves the entire county and is the only public high school in the district. Students from Cherry Log feed into whichever elementary attendance zone covers their address, then move through Clear Creek Middle and on to Gilmer High.
Getting Around
No commuting data is reported for Cherry Log. As with most rural mountain CDPs in Georgia, a personal vehicle is a practical necessity. There is no public transit serving this area. Ellijay, the nearest town with services, is about a mile away. Jasper (Pickens County) and Dahlonega (Lumpkin County) are accessible via mountain roads. Atlanta's northern suburbs begin roughly 60–70 miles south on GA-515 and US-76.
Healthcare
No hospitals or clinical providers are reported within Cherry Log itself. The CMS NPI registry can be searched for any providers operating under a Cherry Log address. For hospital-level care, Ellijay is home to Advent Health Murray and the broader Advent Health system's North Georgia network. Residents with serious medical needs typically travel to Ellijay or further south toward Canton or Atlanta.
Provider lookup: CMS NPI Registry — Cherry Log, GA
Library
The Gilmer County Public Library is located 0.5 miles from Cherry Log — a short drive or, from the right part of the CDP, a walkable distance. It serves the entire county and functions as the primary public library resource for Cherry Log residents.
Phone: (706) 635-4528
Parks & Recreation
Cherry Log's setting is its recreation. The Blue Ridge Mountains, the Cartecay River, and the network of Forest Service roads in the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest are all nearby. Two National Park Service units have a presence in the broader region:
- Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area — a string of parkland along the Chattahoochee River corridor south toward Atlanta
- Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park — one of the country's oldest military parks, protecting Civil War battlefields northwest toward Chattanooga, Tennessee
Visitor centers for related NPS sites are located at Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park (46.9 miles), Island Ford (47.1 miles), and Chickamauga Battlefield (48.4 miles).
Natural Hazards
Gilmer County has a substantial FEMA disaster declaration history, and Cherry Log sits in the same mountain terrain that drives most of it. Declarations going back to 2000 include:
- Hurricane Helene (2024) — both a major disaster declaration (DR-4830, September 30) and an emergency declaration (EM-3616, September 26), reflecting the storm's severe inland impact on North Georgia
- Severe Winter Storm (2026) — emergency declaration (EM-3642, January 24)
- Severe Storms and Tornadoes (2021) — DR-4600
- Tropical Storm Zeta (2021) — DR-4579
- COVID-19 Pandemic (2020) — DR-4501 and EM-3464
- Hurricane Irma (2017) — DR-4338 and EM-3387
- Severe Storms and Flooding (2016) — DR-4259
- Severe Winter Storms (2014) — DR-4165 and EM-3368
- Hurricane Ivan (2004) — DR-1554
- Hurricane Katrina Evacuation (2005) — EM-3218
- Severe Winter Storm (2000) — DR-1311
The pattern is clear: winter ice storms, remnants of Gulf and Atlantic hurricanes, and flash flooding from heavy rain in the mountain terrain are the recurring threats. Hurricane Helene's 2024 impact was particularly significant — inland North Georgia saw catastrophic flooding and wind damage, and Gilmer County received declarations under both emergency and major disaster designations within the same week.
Government & Municipal Code
Cherry Log has a municipal code published through Municode: Cherry Log CDP Municipal Code
No local building code is in effect for Cherry Log. Construction and development standards default to Gilmer County regulations.
Weather
The nearest official weather station is Ellijay, 1.1 miles from Cherry Log.
Mountain weather in this part of Georgia can change quickly. Winter ice events are a real concern on the ridge roads, and the remnants of tropical systems — as Helene demonstrated — can bring flooding rains even this far inland.
References
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2022 5-Year Estimates (Tables B01001, B01002, B02001, B03001, B11001, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25001, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25064, B25077, B08006, B08013, B09001)
- National Center for Education Statistics, Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022
- FEMA Disaster Declarations — Gilmer County, Georgia
- CMS NPI Registry
- Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) — Gilmer County Public Library
- National Park Service — Chattahoochee River NRA; Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park
- National Weather Service — NOAA
- Municode — Cherry Log CDP Municipal Code
The law belongs to the people. Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 590 U.S. (2020)