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View Full Version : Best hikes near Atlanta, GA?



steffen.johnson
01-13-2016, 22:37
Hey everyone I will be flying into the Atlanta, GA area in the spring for a business/school trip and will have quite a bit of free time to myself to do some day hikes. I was wondering if anyone could recommend some decent day hikes in the 5-10 mile range roundtrip. I would like to try at least one trail at the very beginning of the AT. Also I have a rental car so it would be fine if I had to travel a bit to the trailhead. Thanks

HooKooDooKu
01-13-2016, 22:57
Near Atlanta is the Silver Comet Trail and the Silver Comet extention. Together, the go from just inside I285 to the Alabama state line (where it becomes the Chief Ladega Trail to just north of Anniston). This is a Rails-to-Trails, and paved the whole way. Might not make for great hiking, but if you can get your hands on a bike...

Malto
01-13-2016, 23:04
Kennesaw mountain national battlefield Park. About 30 miles of trails. Great for trail running.

http://www.mappery.com/kennesaw-mountain-national-battlefield-park-official-map

No Directions
01-14-2016, 07:08
It will take you a couple of hours to get to the AT from Atlanta but there are some good trails closer. Kennesaw Mountain has a large network of trails within the park. Pine Mountain Trail in Cartersville has a network of connecting trails with a nice overlook at the top of the mountain. Red Top Mountain State Park has 2 loop trails that run along the shore of Lake Allatoona. Chattahoochee National Recreation Area has several locations with trails along the Chattahoochee River. Fort Mountain State Park is a little farther but has a good 8+ mile loop trail. Stone Mountain Park has a trail that circles the mountain. If you happen to be on the southside of Atlanta then I like the Pine Mountain Trail (yes there are 2 Pine Mountain Trails in GA) in FDR State Park. It's a 23 mile trail with several backcountry campsites.

Uncle Joe
01-14-2016, 10:37
You could out and back from Springer parking lot to Three-Forks. Another place with nice trail is Elachee Nature Center near Gainesville. It's right off the interstate (985) so fairly easy to get too. Around maybe 10mi of trail but very nice and relatively secluded.

LetsGoWalk
01-14-2016, 18:54
Closest to Atlanta I believe would be Stone Mountain or Kennesaw Mountain --- both approx 30ishh minutes away from Atlanta, at least from where I live in Atlanta.

Stone mountain is a fun 1 mile hike up to the top and then there's a nice 5-mile trail which encircles the mountain (cherokee trail). That would be approx 7 miles if you did both. There's a famous carving of Confederates on one side of the face of the mountain.

Kennesaw Mountain is fun too -- their website says they have 18 miles of trails. There's big and little Kennesaw Mountains as well and battlefields, etc. There's a bunch of canons. It's a Civil War battle site.

There are only places a little further away from Atlanta, like Red Top Mountain. I haven't been there yet, but will go at some point.

Amicalola Falls is approx 1 1/2ishhh hours away from Atlanta, depending on where in Atlanta you are. I'd say my drives have been roughly 1 hour 40ishh minutes or so. Amicalola Falls is of course the start of the Appalachian Approach Trail. Probably would be a little more more to just drive to Springer or wherever else on the AT in Georgia.

Or if you want to just explore Atlanta, go walk on the beltline!! An urban hike ;)

gpburdelljr
01-14-2016, 19:58
There is an 8.5 mile loop from Vogel State Park to Blood Mountain. Blood Mountain is the highest point on the Apallachian Trail in Georgia. There is. $5 fee to enter Vogel State Park.

http://www.atlantatrails.com/hiking-trails/hiking-vogel-state-park-to-blood-mountain-via-the-appalachian-trail/

Vogel State Park is about a 2 hour drive from downtown Atlanta.

Dogwood
01-14-2016, 20:52
If you can get away for about 1.5-2 days you could drive up to Dahlonega on Day 1, check out town, arrange to drop off your vehicle at Amicalola Falls SP with the Hiker Hostel, stay the night at the Hostel, and get them to drop you off at USFS Rd 42 at Springer Parking area, and hike about 9 miles back to your car at AF SP. Gets in the AT southern terminus, a tad of the AT, goes by the Springer MT Shelter, and takes in a great waterfall at A F SP. Drive back the almost 2 hrs to Atlanta.

I like the Kinnesaw Mt Loop and Chattahoochee River day hikes for closer to Atlanta no shuttle needed day hike suggestions.

If you take the suggestion to park at Three Forks( FS RD 58) you could do a 4.5 mile RT to Long Creek Falls too but in the other northern direction.

steffen.johnson
01-14-2016, 22:23
Thanks all so much for the advice and trail ideas I will be researching this weekend and get back to you when I get some questions. How far is the official start of the appalacian trail from atlanta and where is it located?

Aram
01-14-2016, 22:48
from downtown atlanta:

East to stone mtn (15 miles)
N.W. to kennesaw mtn and redtop mtn (30 miles)
North to Sawnee mtn (30 miles)

those 3 are the most pedestrian but are actually mountains and actually have views. Also, besides stone mtn, they are part of the Appalachian range. If you want to see atlanta go to stone or kennesaw, if you want a taste of the mountains go to sawnee and view north towards n. ga mountains!

better yet drive 1.25-2 hours north to North Georgia. Unless your heart is set on the southern most portion of the AT I recommend hiking blood mountain from neels gap (129) or preaching rock/big cedar mtn from woody gap (60) because they give some of the best views along the GA Appalachian Trail. Hogpen gap (348) also has great views along the drive/road.

The last excellent option would be brasstown bald (Arkaquah trail) or just drive to the almost top. Save this for a picture perfect day when you can see everything.

When in doubt... Blood Mountain

dervari
01-14-2016, 23:28
Just west of Atlanta is Swetwater Creek State Park They have a nice trail system.

Sent from my SM-T800 using Tapatalk

LetsGoWalk
01-15-2016, 00:40
Thanks all so much for the advice and trail ideas I will be researching this weekend and get back to you when I get some questions. How far is the official start of the appalacian trail from atlanta and where is it located?

The southern terminus of the AT is at Springer Mountain -- there's a parking lot .9 miles from the summit. I've hiked there from Amicalola Falls (8.5ish mile hike) but never driven directly there, so I don't now how the drive is like up forest service roads.

Just plugged into google maps Springer Mountain and my home address in midtown, Atlanta and it gives me 3 routes, ranging in driving estimates of 2 hours and 5 minutes to 2 hours and 17 minutes. If you are leaving or returning during rush hour, prepare for a ton of traffic though! Driving in and around Atlanta is horrible.

If you want to stay near Atlanta and also get nice views of Atlanta, I'd go with Stone Mountain or Kennesaw Mountain for sure.

LetsGoWalk
01-15-2016, 01:04
I mentioned the BeltLine -- here's some more info on that: http://beltline.org/visit/trails/
Used to be unused rail lines and now it's a great 33-mile system of connected paths and trails that links Atlanta neighborhoods and parks and has cool stuff to see along the way.

I'd recommend checking out Piedmont Park -- It's gorgeous and our equivalent to New York's Central Park -- and then going to explore the Eastside Trail of the BeltLine which is right there. There's also a section of the Eastside trail which is unpaved and more like a traditional hiking experience (the Eastside Hiking Trail Northern Extension is what the website calls that portion).

steffen.johnson
01-18-2016, 15:55
Thanks to EVERYONE who submitted replies I will be researching within the next few weeks to get my plans together as well as picking up my big 3 for hiking!

Badger Ski
01-18-2016, 18:05
Benton MacKaye

Dogwood
01-18-2016, 19:23
Another hike I like when I only have a few hrs and need some Nature to decompress from a hectic morning offering easier hiking, oodles of history and architecture is Old Roswell Mills/Vickery Creek trail complex in Roswell GA close to downtown Atlanta. I park in the Old Mill Park parking lot off Mill Rd and make a 5+ mile loop that includes higher elev views, a cool tumbling wide creek, pedestrian bridge across the creek, waterfall/dam, historic mechanical steam generating equipment more than 150 yrs old, etc....and nearby pizza or a sandwich post/beer post hike at Diesels.


http://www.georgiatrails.com/gt/old_roswell_mill


http://www.yelp.com/biz/old-mill-park-roswell