Stone Mountain Loop Trail

Best Hike I waited too long to write about. Tweet Map

From Stone Mountain Cherokee Trail

When I go hiking, more often than not, I am very goal orientated. I want to climb this mountain, or see this waterfall, or whatever. I realize that there are some truly great hiking trails that don’t have some sort of ultimate goal. Places where hiking is wonderful on its own terms: you get outside into nature, you stretch your legs, and get your heart pumping. The strange thing about these types of trails is that I don’t rush back and feel compelled to write about them right away. This particular trail I hiked for the first time about 5 years ago, and probably walked along its paths better than two dozen times. And I have written extensively about it surrounding home: Stone Mountain Park, but until today I have never told the story of the fantastic nearby walking trail: Cherokee Trail.

This trail has several names. Officially, it is known as the Cherokee Trail on the maps you get at the gate. But it’s often called the Stone Mountain Loop Trail or the Stone Mountain National Recreation Trail. Any way you slice it, it is one of the finest trails in the Atlanta Area. Boys Scouts can even earn a merit badge for completing it. If you search the internet, you will see it listed sometimes as 5 miles, sometimes as 5.5 miles, and sometimes as 6 miles. To clear this up, my belief is that the true white blazed Cherokee Trail is 5 miles long. However, many folks walk a longer loop, which keeps the trail easy avoiding any part of the mountain, but lengthens the stroll to 6 miles. If you enter via the free parking at the Stone Mountain Visitor Center you can start the trail on the connecting trail in question. However, my personal recommendation on how to do the trail is the 5.5 mile way.

Start at the Stone Mountain Walk up trail and walk up the mountain as if you are heading to the top. After walking about ¼ mile, keep your eyes open for two stone markers noting the Cherokee Trail. You can turn right or left here, I prefer right taking the trail in a counterclockwise direction. First you will get some very different views of the mountain as you descend: Rocky, Desolate, and Beautiful. There’s a sign here saying that this might be dangerous when wet and I assure you this is true. Follow the white blaze into the woods below. The bulk of the trail except for the mountain part gives pretty good tree cover making this walk quite doable even in the hottest months. You will meet up with the connecting trail shortly. Those who do 6 mile version tend to do it for those reasons: keeping the difficulty down and staying out of the sun.

The first marker you encounter is known as the old homestead, which is really simply the remains of an old chimney. You will continue out of the forest, across the road by the playground. At the end of the playground there is a nice little pond to look at. You then continue to the lake. The lakeside walk gives some very nice views of the mountain as well as Lake Venable itself. After crossing a bridge, your time with the lake will be over, and soon you will encounter Stone Mountain Covered Bridge, first at a distance on the water, and then at a place where it can be crossed. I normally cross the bridge knowing full well that it’s off the trail. Being just shy of the halfway point around, it makes a good quick break spot.

Back on the Trail, the next feature is the Old Grist Mill, which was moved here from the Elijay area back in the 60’s. If you like the sound of moving water, this part of the trail provides it. You follow the granite runway along a pretty creek. You cross street again and head toward the attractions areas. In this part of the woods, there’s some kind of Garden planted out there complete with a dedication marker, but I have never seen anything planted there. You then will come out of the woods at the main field where the grand Confederate Memorial sculpture can be seen in close proximity. You will then continue back into the woods for the final leg, which includes the walk back up the mountain to the point where it intercepts the walk up trail This part is pretty, serene, and difficult; but worth the effort to get your merit badge.

This is my preferred walking route as you get to nice uphill climbs at the beginning and the very end to really get your heart pumping. Some might add hiking to the top, which would add 40 minutes, 2 miles, and significant difficulty to your sojourn. If combine the two trails, you might just have the very best hike in the Greater Atlanta Area. The only drawback is the $10 parking fee. It has all the other key factors I look for: good exercise, pleasant surroundings to view, moments of tranquility, a sense of accomplishment, and only 30 minutes from downtown Atlanta.



Trail Essentials
Approximate Time: 2-2½ hours
Approximate Distance: 5.5 miles
Trail Surface: Stone, Compact Soil
Features: Mountain View, Lakeside Walk, Ruins, Mill, Covered Bridge, Huge Bas Relief

Overall Rating: A

Scenic Quality: A
Athleticism: A
Solitude: A
Value: A
Parking: $10
Hours of Operation: The Trail doesn’t really close
Facilities: At Attractions area, at Walk Up Trail
Maps: Hiking Map on this Page
County: DeKalb

Mason Mill Park (Decatur Waterworks)

The Old Decatur Water Works and more to come Map
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From Mason Mill Park

I read every email I get and respond to all of them—eventually. The subject of this post was first suggested to be by Chris F via email in 2007. It was also listed as a regret in an email to me by Dave K. of urban outdoors back in 2009. So in characteristic Baboon fashion, I made my jaunt to this location in the Spring of 2011. Better late than never someone once said. The best reason I can give for the delay is that it is really a small park, better suited I had thought for a stop by than an excursion on its own. Mason Mill Park in Decatur, Georgia packs a lot of interesting stuff in a small package, just 20 minutes outside of Atlanta.

Probably, the most famous thing about this park is that it houses the old Decatur Waterworks ruins. Built in 1906, this site provided water to Decatur utilizing South and Burnt Fork Creeks until the 1940’s. Since then the structure has fallen into decay and ruin, but I say that in a good way. They are known by locals simply as “The Ruins,” and like many structures off the beaten path they have also fallen prey to vandalism or graffiti, depending on your perspective. I found the graffiti fascinating, something about the entirety of the work or the irony of a man made structure placed in nature, getting overrun by nature’s entropy, being covered with man-made attempts at communication. I digress, let’s leave it as it is a good place for photos.

The second thing is the Park itself, or rather the Park inside the Park. Apparently, when the waterworks were an operating facility, the company had built a little park out of the greenspaces nearby. As the Mason Mill Park expands it is encompassing parts of the old park. The finest feature of this old Mason Mill Park is the stone bridge that crosses Burnt Fork Creek. The creek is quiet, babbles in places, and has some ruins of a dam structure just a little way North of the Bridge.

The final thing is the Hiking and Biking. I’m not going to write this up as a hiking blog, because the trail is strange, short, and undefined. This is more of the type of place you simply explore around for a while, rather than try to accomplish any one thing. I spent about 2 hours there, and may have spent more, if I didn’t have to meet someone for dinner. On the Bicycling side, this area is nearby and easily explored on Mountain Bike. Also, it appears the PATH Foundation is building a paved connector that will eventually link North Druid Hills to Emory University. There are some that oppose this, and I admit that I like a dirt path more than paved personally, but I understand the average bicyclist wants easy paved roads. And the added interest in the area brings preservation.

Well, there you have it. Mason Mill Park contains the remnants of the Decatur Waterworks, a pretty little creek, and a future bicycle path. That’s packing a lot into a small space. To get to these places within the park, you have to travel to a dirt road at the far end of McConnell Drive past the Tennis Courts, just so you know.

Stumphouse Tunnel

Stay Cool like aged Cheese Map

From Stumphouse Tunnel

Well, it’s hot. The extreme heat (just like the extreme cold) has a tendency to diminish our desire to head outside for a good time. The Urban Baboon is no exception. Most people head to the water. But what if, like my most frequent travelling companion, you simply don’t know how to swim? It seems odd, but the refreshing cool liquid brings fear to some. Well, I know a neat little place just over two hours from Atlanta that can provide a refreshing alternative. I know it’s in South Carolina, but it’s a great place to visit. This little secret is known as Stumphouse Tunnel Park outside Walhalla, SC.

Prior to the Civil War, the State of South Carolina tried to Build a Tunnel through the Oconee County mountains, so that trains could go from Charleston, SC to Cincinnati, OH. That meant clearing a path through Stumphouse Mountain, with a tunnel stretching longer than 1 mile. After spending more than $1 million on the project, the State of South Carolina stopped the project, leaving a 4,363 foot train sized cave in the mountain’s side, some 1500 feet short of the needed goal. The beauty of the tunnel is that inside it stays a fairly constant temperature of about 50 degrees. The conditions are so naturally mild that the University of Clemson used to age Bleu Cheese in there, but have since moved to better controllable simulated environments closer to campus.

It is the centerpiece of the park, but there’s also a pretty magnificent waterfall there call Issaqueena Falls, purported named for an Indian woman who hurled herself from its rocks. And there’s a Nice Hiking Trail along the mountain running along the proposed historical railroad line, going a bit over two miles one way. The path rises and falls along the side of the mountain. A ¼ mile up, there is what is known as the Middle Tunnel, which can be entered on foot, but beware of wildlife. 1¾ mile further, there’s the remains of Saddle Tunnel, which is mostly covered in water. Then you doubleback. The park is also very near Yellow Branch Falls, maybe ½ mile down the road.

The entry to the park is free, so the only drawback is that it is open only from 10am to 5pm. Admittedly, because of this time constraint, we never made it to the third tunnel. And as we drove out at 4:55 pm, we noticed two cars entering the park. Maybe the locals know something I don’t. Maybe they were just there to pickup up people. I don’t know.

So if you are looking for a place to go for the day, down want to travel to far, and are looking to beat the heat, South Carolina’s Stumphouse Tunnel Park might just be the ticket. You get a little overheated, just spend 20 minutes in the tunnel and cool off. It is important to note that none of these tunnels are lit, so a flashlight, although normally useful, is mandatory on this expedition.


Trail Essentials
Approximate Time: 1-2 hours
Approximate Distance: 2.5 miles
Features: Mountain View, Tunnels, Ruins, Waterfall

Overall Rating: B+

Scenic Quality: A+
Athleticism: B
Solitude: B-
Value: A
Parking: Free
Hours of Operation: 10am – 5pm
Facilities: Uncertain (I don't remember any, but let me know, I will update)
Maps: Map, at bottom right of page
County: Oconee County, SC

Morgan Falls Overlook Park

Sitting on the Dock of the Sluice Map

From Morgan Falls Overlook Park

New Parks get me excited. Especially, when they are done well, have something significant to offer, and are located terrifically close to me. Now, this doesn’t mean I get around to seeing them right away, but it does make my list of things to do. The freshly minted city of Sandy Springs (2005) unveiled a newly minted park in late Summer of 2010. So when I had a little time to on my hands, I made my way over to the Morgan Falls Overlook Park.


Now, the park is rather small at 35 acres, but the planners did a lot with a little bit of space. There’s a rather impressive playground and picnic pavilion, but that wouldn’t be the chief reason for the park. The place’s centerpiece is the splendid view of Bull Sluice Lake on the Chattahoochee. In order to enjoy the view, Sandy Springs has erected about a dozen or so bench swings, that make for a great spot to sit and watch the water or the sunset above the Trees.


But there’s more. In building the park, they uncovered the remains of an old homestead, once belonging to the Powers Family. The home had a massive chimney that was kept intact and perches regally near the edge of the small peninsula. So you get some ruins on a picturesque backdrop. Additionally, there is a small floating dock, which gives a good place to fish or to launch your canoe to explore Bull Sluice. The Georgia Tech Kayak Club calls this place home now.


And there’s a little hiking opportunity. There is a paved trail that runs along the lake. It can’t be more than ¼ mile, and runs from swings to chimney, down some stairs, along the pier, and then along the water back to the parking lot. There is also a short compact dirt hiking trail that may be a little difficult to find. It runs up and down the bluff and the entrances are at the street side of the parking lot as you enter or at the backside of the pavilion by the horseshoe rink. For such a short walk, it is decent exercise because of the incline. There are three places marked as overlooks on the trail, but the best view is either of the parking lot at one end, or just above the pavilion on the other. The overlooks may improve in parts of the year with less leaves on the trees. You could very easily combine these two trails to get a very competent 1 mile trail, very near home.


So if you are looking for pretty place for a nice walk without the expenditure of too much time, Sandy Springs overlook park serves up a welcome quick retreat. A few quick notes: First, to reach the park you drive down Morgan Falls road which is unpaved, in poor condition, and may actually make you think you missed your turn. Second, the Morgan Falls Dam is around the bend to the South and the falling water is not visible from this location. And, finally, because of its proximity to the people of the city, there may be few opportunities to be alone with your thoughts.



Trail Essentials
Approximate Time: 15-30 minutes
Approximate Distance: 1 mile
Features: Lake and River Views, Ruins

Overall Rating: B-

Scenic Quality: B+
Athleticism: C+
Solitude: C
Value: A
Parking: Free
Hours of Operation: Daylight, not exactly sure
Facilities: At Park
Maps: not needed, at entrance to park
County: Fulton

Sell's Mill Park

Hoschton, we have a problem (not really) MAP

From Sells Mill Park

Sometimes I want a great walk in the countryside. Sometimes I want a quick stop by that leads to great pictures. I was able to find the latter at the recommendation of a reader, who understood my passion for moving water and old buildings. On this particular instance, my merry band of travellers stopped by Sell’s Mill Park in Hoschton, Georgia, about an hour and 15 minutes Northeast of the city.

Now, if you are looking for a heart pumping hike, this is probably the wrong place. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth the effort. The Jackson County Parks department has been doing a stand up job building the living spaces in the area. The old Sell’s Mill was a rather obvious addition to there collection. The mill is rather beautiful and difficult to photograph poorly. I will say that the restoration of the mill makes it look a bit more modern that I would have liked, but it was attractive nonetheless.


The Park itself still appears to be under construction, and at current times has a pavilion, a short walking trail along the creek, and the Mill and Dam area. We stopped by a couple of days after some fairly heavy precipitation, which made for some nifty waterworks. The water itself is brackish like the Oconee River. I wish I knew more about the Mill but can’t seem to locate any information except that it was built in 1914.


On the bright side, the renovated Mill, although not rustic looking is available for rental. So it will be guaranteed a longer life and is available to us, should we need that sort of thing. And the water flowing over the dam is reminiscent of the dam at Roswell Mill, just a little smaller, a little cleaner, and a lot more accessible. Sell’s Mill is a fitting addition to the Metro Atlanta Countryside.



Trail Essentials
Approximate Time: 30-45 minutes
Approximate Distance: 1 mile
Features: Dam, River, Mill
Overall Rating:

Scenic Quality: A
Athleticism: C-
Solitude: B+
Value: B+
Parking: Free
Hours of Operation: Daylight Hours
Facilities: None
Maps: Not Necessary, just along the river and back
County: Jackson

Brushy Mountain Tunnel

Another Georgia Abandoned Tunnel Map

From Brushy Mountain Tunnel

The Greater Atlanta Area is home to a number of interesting things to see and do. Some are better or bigger than any other place in the world. A notable example of this is the longest paved bike trail in the United States, a path that starts in Smyrna, Georgia and leads all the way to Weaver, Alabama, just outside Anniston. The Georgia portion of this path is called the Silver Comet Trail. I have now biked the entirety of the Silver Comet, and what I believe is the most notable spot on the trail is the Brushy Mountain Tunnel.


This 800-foot long, three story high tunnel runs right through Brushy Mountain. The tunnel was originally built in 1912, but simple observation shows walls of concrete. What occurred was that the tunnel was expanded (principally heightened) in 1968 to accommodate modern three tiered freight cars that became more prevalent in the modern era. Seaboard Rail stopped using this passageway in 1988, which allowed the tunnel to take on its new role as an actual destination on the Silver Comet.

The Best way to get there by bike is to get on at Rambo or Paulding and head west which is either 8.5 or 11.5 miles away, respectively. You will drive over the 750 foot long Pumpkinvine Creek Trestle and through the Paulding Wildlife Management Area, which makes up the prettiest stretch of the trail, in my opinion. It is also the longest portion between trail heads at 11 miles, so you need to be prepared because there are no restrooms or places to get water or other necessities. If you continue on to Rockmart, which will take your one way distance up to 18.25, you get what I think is the best slice of the Silver Comet Trail Pie.



If you are looking to hike to the tunnel, or just want a shorter bike trip, the best thing to do is start at Coot’s Lake and travel the 2.6 miles East to the tunnel, which makes for a pleasant 5 mile walk on paved surfaces. The grade to the tunnel is upward from both directions but long and gentle.


I recently set out to capture the entirety of the trail on film and I include a bit longer video of me crossing through the tunnel below. The photos come from a different day earlier this year. As I have come to truly enjoy having the Silver Comet Trail right in our backyard, I think its most interesting attraction, the Brushy Mountain Tunnel, sitting slightly less than an hour away from Atlanta, is deserving of mention in its own right. 


Trail Essentials
Approximate Time: 1-1.5 hours (Hiking)
Approximate Distance: 5 miles (Coot’s Lake to Tunnel and back)
Features: Lakeside view, Large Tunnel

Overall Rating: B

Scenic Quality: A
Athleticism: C
Solitude: B
Value: B
Parking: At any of the Trailheads mentioned, Free
Hours of Operation: Daylight hours
Facilities: At Palding (Standard) or Coot’s Lake (Portables)
Maps: here, not really needed
County: Polk

Tunnel Hill

I see the light at the end of the Tunnel Map

From Tunnel Hill

I got lucky this weekend past. I often put things on my list of possible stops along my travels and they are closed and I feel like a moron. But not so this past weekend, I took a two mile detour off 85 to visit a historic place on a day they are usually closed and I stumbled upon their ultimate celebration. I got this lucky in a cool little town a little under two hours Northwest of Atlanta on my way to Chattanooga. The town in question is the city of Tunnel Hill, Georgia and the sight I wished to encounter was their Great Tunnel


The tunnel runs 1477 feet through the Chetoogeta Mountain. It was completed in 1850 and served as the first rail tunnel through the Appalachian mountains and served to connect Augusta and the new town of Atlanta to the Tennessee Valley and up the Northern Coast. It was dedication in October of 1949 and the first train passed through on May 9, 1850. Prior to that railcars were literally portaged over the mountain. The tunnel over time became functionally small so a new tunnel was built a few hundred feet North of the original in 1928 and this one fell into disuse. The tracks were stripped out of it some years later and it was opened to the public in the year 2000.


We arrived on one of the few Sundays the Tunnel Hill Heritage Center was open. They were doing their annual Reenactment of the Battle of Tunnel Hill. We arrived near the end but the ordnance fire was loud and set a beautiful aural tone. There were all sorts of folks in period attire with a nice little market and some of the best handcrafted birch beer I ever drank. We crossed a small covered bridge on foot and made our way to the tunnel. You can now walk the 1500 feet through the old tunnel to the other side. It is a marvel of pre-civil war engineering and makes for cool shade on a hot Georgia day. It is reasonably well lit, but we sort of wished we had brought flashlights. On the other side of the tunnel there was a tremendous patch of kudzu in bloom, with a gorgeous sweet smell. You also get to tour the small railroad museum and walk very near the Clisby Austin House, a fine antebellum building.


Of keen interest here is the history. First there’s the railroad and the tunnel. Secondly, there’s the Civil War heritage. The Clisby Austin home served to house General Hood of the grey and General Sherman of the blue at different times. One of the quirkier landmarks I’ve seen is here and is the gravesite of General Hood’s Leg, which was blown off in battle. The Battle of Tunnel Hill is said to be the first skirmish of the Atlanta Campaign and the campaign was designed in the Clisby Austin home. The tunnel was also one of the targets of destruction by Andrews Raiders during what has become known as the Great Locomotive Chase, but their pursuers were too close by the time they passed through this site. Having all the confederate and union soldiers walking around really brought this history home.


The tour normally costs $5 (hours and admission). And you get to see all the sites mentioned. On the day we went, it was pretty crowded being the big reenactment day and all, but I imagine on normal days it could be quite tranquil and serene. And with its location so close to the 85 corridor, I mark Tunnel Hill as one of the best little roadside attractions I’ve encountered in Georgia, period.


Trail Essentials
Approximate Time: 1 hour
Approximate Distance: 1 mile
Features: Tunnel, Historic Building, Gravesite, Civil War history

Overall Rating: B

Scenic Quality: A
Athleticism: C
Solitude: C+
Value: A-
Parking: Free
Hours of Operation: Monday through Saturday 9am-5pm
Facilities: At Railroad Museum
Maps: None needed
County: Whitfield

Smithgall Woods

Helen’s Nature Retreat Map

From Smithgall Woods

The third most travelled to destination in Georgia is Alpine Helen. And it might be my most travelled to area because of its receptiveness to the outdoor adventurer. There are several interesting places to hike in the general vicinity. One place eluded me until this year. You see every other time I went hunting was in full force and I simply don’t chance that stuff and find other places to go. But in March of 2010, I was able to make my way into Smithgall Woods Conservation Center and enjoy some of the 23 miles of hiking and biking available to folks such as us.


Unlike most of the area’s outdoor excursions, this one is set up more like a retreat center than a wilderness area. When you enter the wooden fence, you get that feel immediately. I have already mentioned the hunting done on premises, but it is also one of the premier trout fishing destinations of North Georgia. Dukes Creek runs right through the middle of it and its pristine waters make for good fishing as well as a serene backdrop for your day in the woods. The main road, called Tsalaki Trail is paved and takes you to the 5 separate trails designed for the hiker. The trails are mostly short, ranging from .3 to 1.6 miles. We walked four of the five that day, and with the walk up and down Tsalaki, we covered just about 6 miles.


The two most interesting trails are the Ash Creek Trail and Martin’s Mine Trail. Ash Creek explores Dukes Creek and includes two wet foot crossings of the stream, so be prepared. The highlight of this trail is the water itself. Martin’s mine trail was our predetermined destination because we thought it would be neat to see gold mine shafts. There were three different shafts, one of which was filled in, that you could look down. In pictures, they look more like holes in the ground than anything fantastic, but I assure you it was a nice treat on our path. On this trail there was also a minor but quite pretty waterfall, and waterfalls always seem to deliver. The short wetlands path had a nice boardwalk and almost seemed like you weren’t in the North Georgia Mountains. The nearest trail was a simple nature trail, which was ok, and the furthest trail is the Cathy Ellis trail, which we didn’t traverse. There is no dominating mountain climb or deep valley to enter, so I would rate all these trails as very easy, with the possible exceptions of crossing the water on the Ash Creek Trail or the actual climb up to the waterfall, which aren’t difficult, but certainly aren’t simple.


Along the way there are a few other interesting sites. At the Nature Center, there’s a small museum inside and a couple of captive birds or prey outside. Along the Paved Road, you encounter a small covered bridge, called Bay’s Bridge, which was placed there as gift from husband to wife by the Smithgalls, the sites original benefactors. There was also a bee farm, so I encountered my first warning sign that read “Caution Bees.” These added nice extra diversions to our day at Smithgall.


So if you are looking for a getaway from your getaway in Helen, and want a simple but serene day in nature, Smithgall Woods fills this role admirably. Because of the relatively easy trails, I would rate this as a top family destination, and if you include the hawks, bees, and museum, kids are sure to enjoy it. If you fish, you probably already know about this place. I’d advise you call ahead about the possibility of hunting (706.878.3087), it seems the hunting dates are grouped around Helen’s busy Oktoberfest season. Because of the paved middle road, you could bring your bicycles to get from trail to trail. If you go, you ought to take the 2 mile car trip afterward to visit Dukes Creek Falls.


Trail Essentials

Approximate Time: 4 hours (all trails)
Approximate Distance: 6 miles
Features: Waterfall, Riverside views, Marshland, Old Goldmines, Covered Bridge, Wildlife, Bees.

Overall Rating: B

Scenic Quality: B+
Athleticism: B- (mostly because of distances)
Solitude: B
Value: B
Parking: Standard State Park Fee ($5, March 2010)
Hours of Operation: 8a-6p Mo Tu Th Fr 7a-6p We Sa Su
Facilities: At the visitor center
Maps: At visitor center, here
County: White

Hurricane Shoals Park

Roaring Waters & Historic Buildings map

From Hurricane Shoals Park

The ideal place for me to visit has a number of different attributes. Two of which are a location within a reasonable distance of my home and something interesting to see. If it is free, then all the better. I was doing a little research on another place when I happened across a location in Jackson County, two counties up from Gwinnett and about an hour and fifteen minutes Northeast of Atlanta, that meets all these criteria. The place is the county’s one and only park, known as Hurricane Shoals Park in Maysville, Georgia.

Now, I work off Hurricane Shoals Road in Lawrenceville and I always wondered how the word Hurricane ever got associated with someplace this far inland in Georgia. And my visit to Hurricane Shoals did answer that. It is a derivation of the Indian Word Yamtrahoochee meaning something like “tumbling or roaring waters.” Over the years, these roaring waters were updated and Anglicized as the more poetic Hurricane Shoals, without any actual Hurricane. Interestingly enough, 90% of the time you would visit you get a peaceful and serene tumbling of water in a most bucolic setting along the North Oconee River. But I tend to chase water after heavy rain, so I got to see first hand what the Indians meant by the name (Video at bottom of post).

The water is the first draw to the park. And there are the ever present picnic spots and playgrounds. They also have one of the nicest Miniature Golf Courses I’ve seen in a public place and a disc golf course also. But the other big attraction is a Pioneer Village, that is one of the nicer collections I have seen in the area. There’s about 15 old buildings, many of which you can walk inside. They include a church, a courthouse, several log cabins, a corn crib, a smokehouse, an outhouse. I would put their collection right up there against most all the villages of this kind I have seen. And the true boon is the general accessibility; we were able to enter at least a half a dozen.

If you want to construct your visit as if it were a hike, it was very reminiscent of New Echota, though the trails are not even laid. If you park by the shoals, you walk up the road, across the covered bridge (did I mention the Covered Bridge? I’ll discuss that at a separate entry), and a short ways up on the left there’s the pioneer village. You make a circle around the buildings then head back to the covered bridge cross and walk across the shoals on a thin bridge. On the other side is the minigolf course and the mill. After heading along the water, where the stone runway is evident, you can recross the bridge and explore the other side of the water’s edge. Walking in this manner will put you above 1 mile but shy of 1.5 miles and you get your exercise. Besides the furious water, there were ducks and other wildlife and plenty of places to sit back and get your fill of nature.

So if you’re a county and you are only going to do one park, my advice is do it big. The folks in Jackson County knew this and built Hurricane Shoals Park for us to enjoy. My understanding is that what I saw was only a small fraction of what was to be seen (I didn’t even make it to the Mill as I had an appointment to make and dawdled a long time marveling at the rushing water). I would like the folks who built this fine park to take this post as my sincere thank you for giving us Georgians something so nice. I promise I will be back.

Trail Essentials
Approximate Time: 1.5 hours
Approximate Distance: 1.5 miles
Features: Ruins, Tumbling Waters, Covered Bridge, Pioneer houses

Overall Rating:

Scenic Quality: A+
Athleticism: C
Solitude: A-
Value: A
Parking: Free
Hours of Operation: April thru October 9am-9pm (March & November 9-6 weekends only
Facilities: throughout the park
Maps: None
County: Jackson