Arabia Mountain

STONE MOUNTAIN'S OLDER, QUIETER BROTHER...map

From Arabia Mountain



About 20 minutes outside the city, lies a pretty and peaceful Nature Preserve, known as Arabia Mountain. It’s not far from the Stonecrest Mall on East 20. They even have a nice little website.



The hike starts at the Southern Parking lot, though there are other options for parking and starting. The trail starts with stone piles marking the path up Bradley Mountain (960 feet above sea level, about 180 feet up). Then down alongside a pretty private lake, and then back up the slightly shorter Arabia Mountain. I don’t know why they call this the Arabia Mountain, but they do. The surfaces of the mountain are reminiscent of what old movies thought the moon would be like. It has this cold, distant, beauty and charm to it. Maybe that’s why they shot parts of f Pet Semetary II here.



You then cross the street (Klondike) and enter the Quarry Area. There are some good flat surfaces and some interesting cut rock. There are also two office building ruins, which look like some sort of medieval jail. In the middle of the park there is a very active frog pond. For flower lovers, this is one of the few places in the world you can find the endangered species known as Small’s Stonecrop or Diamorpha smallii

There is also a very nice board walk area around and by Arabia Lake. The park is also part of the PATH system, with areas great for Bicyclists.



The map for the hike is on-line here

Trail Essentials
Approximate Time: 3 hours
Approximate Distance: 6 miles
Trail Surface: Granite, Rocks, some Compact Soil, Paved Roads
Features: Ruins, Mountain Peaks, Lakeside Views, Unique Flora
Overall Rating: B+
Scenic Quality: A-
Athleticism: B
Solitude: B
Value: A



Parking: Free
Hours of Operation: Open Year Round, Sunlight Hours
Facilities: None
Maps: Posted at Trailhead & Online
County: DeKalb
Directions
. Take I-20 East to Exit #74 - Evans Mill Rd/Lithonia.
. Turn Right off the ramp onto Evans Mill Road.
. At the light continue straight onto Woodrow Dr.
(Evans Mill Road turns to the right. Do not turn right!)
. Travel on Woodrow Drive for almost 1 mile to stop sign.
. Turn right onto Klondike Road and travel approximately 1 mile.
. Continue on Klondike Road past Rockland Road.
(caution light at intersection)
. To park at north parking lot for the nature center:
turn right at 2nd driveway
. To park at south parking lot:
continue on Klondike Road another 1 mile.
turn left at entrance drive
park here to access the mountain.

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