 |
| From Tribble Mill Park |
There was a day about in the not too distant past when I was the only one of my friends who had a bicycle. Recently that has changed. In looking for something to do, my bicycling friends asked me where did I usually go when I went biking by myself. And I told them about Tribble Mill Park and off we went. I kind of forgot about this place because I had already been there a dozen or so times, but because of their enjoyment I thought it high time I shared it with my readers.
The park sits on about 700 Acres of land about 35 miles from Atlanta and less than 15 miles from my home. The land is on the former site of Tribble Mill, one of Georgia’s defunct mills, and I hear that some ruins are still present there, but I have yet to find them (I think they may be near the Southwestern Corner of Chandler Lake). The main features of the park are two lakes, Ozona Lake and Chandler Lake and the trails, for the most part, go around them.
The main trail is a paved 3.4 Mile loop which basically encircles Lake Ozona (Trail Maps). It does cross over the lake at one place, where you share the road with cars within the park. There is another ironwork bridge on the East side of the Lake. There are additional unpaved paths that I have seen estimated at about 12 miles. The most notable of which is the path around Chandler Lake, which makes for an easy hike or a mildly challenging bike path.
The one negative thing I have heard is that the bike trails are not clearly marked. I think this is part of the fun of it. You kind of explore without really knowing your final destination. But you really are never that far from a navigable landmark, whether it be the shore of the lake, or the Paved Path, or Tribble Mill Parkway (the road cars use). So it is difficult to truly get lost.
The park is also well known for fishing and light boating. There’s ample playgrounds and picnic areas. Gwinnett Parks & Recreation is truly doing a fantastic job building up greenspaces for us to use and enjoy, with Tribble Mill Park being no exception. It’s a good place to take a walk and a great place for mixed use bicycling.
Trail Essentials
Approximate Time: 1-1 ½ hours (paved trail), 1 hour (Chandler Lake Trail)
Approximate Distance: 3.4 mi (paved trail), 2 mi (Chandler Lake Trail)
Trail Surface: Paved, Compact Soil
Features: Lakeside View, Two nice Bridges, Wildlife
Overall Rating: B
Scenic Quality: B+
Athleticism: B
Solitude: B-
Value: A
Parking: Free
Hours of Operation: Daylight hours
Facilities: Throughout the park
Maps: At Trailhead, here
The actual name of the large lake is Ozora Lake. The mill ruins are off the paved hiking trail as you park by the playground and walk the trail to the right. After you cross the bridge over the dam a dirt path takes off on the right down a hill. You will come to a granite outcropping where the ruins of a mill wall and the mill it self can be found if you explore.
ReplyDelete