Little Mulberry Park

A PARK TO MAKE HIKERS HAPPY...map

From Little Mulber...

I want to say that I have got to hand it to the Gwinnett County Parks Department for the things they are doing with their parks. Especially, the newer parks. I am going to talk about one of them. Little Mulberry Park gets the first nod. Not because its my favorite (It’s not), nor because it’s the best (I can’t make that judgment), but simply because its very good and has nearly everything a park should have.

The park runs in three phases. First the Park you would expect anywhere. The pleasant paved walkways perfect for new mothers pushing their strollers. Maybe a pretty little pond here. A picnic shelter there. The well placed children’s playground. Open fields for soccer or a game of bocce. The second phase is what draws me to this place. It has this series of trails that encompass about six miles that make you feel like you are in the middle of nowhere. Primarily because you are in the middle of nowhere. The path is well marked and fun to hike with a great walk down and up into a ravine.

At the bottom of the ravine, and in a few places throughout the park stand these weird Stone Piles. The signs state that no one knows why they are here and what purpose they serve, but they are protected within the park. I think they are pretty unimpressive, but apparently it falls with several of Georgia’s Strange Indian phenomena, like the Eatonton Eagle, the Three Mounds, ore the Fort Mountain Ruins. Anyway, they are not too spectacular, but nice to look at.

I was impressed with the Wildlife within the park. I saw what I believed to be a hawk. I stumbled across a pack of deer. I saw many ducks in the water. I ran into four fellow travelers on horseback. Smack dab in the middle of the Second Phase is a wildlife reserve. There is a very pleasant cascading waterfall along the entry path. This part is paved and a nice place of Bicyclists or Roller bladers. The Third Phase has a good size lake. There are places where its legal to fish from and places to picnic. This area is primarily paved and a bit less good for solitude.

Trail Essentials

Approximate Time: 4 hours
Approximate Distance: 7 miles
Trail Surface: Compact Soil, Rocks, Paved
Features: Cascades, Indian Artifacts, Lake Views, Wildlife

Scenic Quality: B
Athleticism: B
Solitude: B
Value: B
Overall Rating: B

Parking: Free (Mar 2007)
Hours of Operation: Open Year Round, Sunlight Hours
Facilities: Restrooms in Phase I and III
Maps: Posted at Trailhead and through the Pathway, online
County: Gwinnett