Sassafras Mountain / Monument Falls in Jasper GA: Incredible Views on Estate-Size Lots

Two neighborhoods located in Pickens County, GA, offer truly breathtaking views at 3,000+ foot elevations, not to mention the natural beauty of numerous springs, creeks and waterfalls, which form and flow from these mountain heights, yet they are little known and seldom talked about. Since both are located along Monument Road in the Mount Oglethorpe area (each taking up opposite sides of the road), and share many similarities, I thought I would combine both as one post rather than dividing them out.

Sassafras Mountain Estates lies on the eastern side of Monument Road, facing a series of rolling hills and valleys to the east that catch glorious morning sun and are often swathed in layers of mist. Lot sizes are all 5-acres or more, with many being over 10-acres in size, allowing homes plentiful wooded privacy to go along with their pleasant views. Out of the nearly 200-lots available in the development, I would estimate that less than half have homes built at this time.

None of the homes in Sassafras Mountain Estates date to much earlier than the early 1990's, and many have been constructed in just the past few years. With most of the homes designed and built as custom homes, rather than as builder spec homes, there are a wide variety of home styles and finishes to choose from, from traditional large log "cabins" to more contemporary options.

In the last three-years, there have been only seven houses sold in Sassafras Mountain, ranging in price from $182,500 to $576,000, and an average sale price of $322,785. (NOTE: Four of the seven homes sold were listed as bank-owned foreclosures.) As of this writing, there were eight homes available for sale, in the range of $249,900 to $797,900, and an average list price of $477,687. Two of these homes were also listed as foreclosures.

On the other side of Monument Road is the Monument Falls development. Slightly smaller than Sassafras Mountain, with approximately 100 lots, Monument Falls offers some spectacular views of its own to the west, including some very long range views (60-miles or more). Lots are at least 3-acres or more, with larger acreage lots of 10-acres or more also available.

Homes range in age from the late 1990's to homes built in the last year or two -- most built as unique custom homes, and no two just alike. With only two homes sold in Monument Falls in the past three-years (average for the two of $227,400), sales data is sparse. As of this writing, one home was available for sale ($639,000), with two more under contract of sale, (at a list price of $184,500 and $429,000 respectively), which pricing reflects the diversity in the types of homes available.

There are close to 30-lots on the market between the two developments, from 3 to 20+ acres each, and ranging in price from $40,000 to just under $500,000 -- depending on size and features -- providing numerous opportunities for interested buyers to find a suitable lot for a custom home of their own, if they can't find a home already built that matches their needs.

Traveling up Burnt Mountain Road / Highway 136 to Monument Road (named for the Oglethorpe Monument which used to be located there, but which is now located on Main Street in Jasper), distance from Jasper is likely to be at least 10-miles or more. As with Big Canoe, part of Sassafras Mountain Estates lies in Pickens County and part falls within Dawson County -- something to keep in mind when making a purchase, if county of residence is important in the decision.

For those wanting scenic mountain views and a peaceful wooded setting, away from it all, the larger lot sizes and less restrictive covenants and restrictions than those in Big Canoe or Bent Tree (Monument Falls in fact backs up on Bent Tree), make these two subdivisions an often overlooked alternative to these bigger "gated-communities".