Thing 2 wanted to hike Kennesaw Mountain at sunrise. Since it was right after we’d changed our clocks forward, we thought it would be a great idea. Although we woke up a bit late, we hustled out the door and onto the highway in record time.
The Hike
From the parking lot, the 1-mile trail to the top of Kennesaw Mountain begins to the right of the visitor center. The path is wide and ascends quickly. I hadn’t stretched before taking the trail so I was trying to catch my breath. Thing 2 was trying to reach the summit by sunrise so we hiked at a fairly fast pace. I should also mention that I was lugging the nicer camera with me, adding to the weight on the trail. Fortunately after one-third of the way to the top, the path flattens out for a short while when it follows an old road bed. Here the width of the trail spans at least 8 feet wide.
The entire trails climbs up the eastern side of the mountain so we had the beginnings of the sunrise at our backs. A hiker with two dogs passed us when the trail steepened again. This time, several stairs appeared. At about two-thirds to the top, a bench with a view of the sunrise met us. We sat down for a while and rested.
Picking up our pace again, we made the final push to the top. Arriving at the mountain road, open to shuttles only, the path turns into concrete. A few historical cannons met us which felt really out-of-place. I mean, we’re walking in nature under these trees with birds singing; yet we could hear the bustle of Kennesaw below us. Now with the cannons, my senses couldn’t figure out where I was. Present day? Past? City? Country?
The View
At the top, placards detailing the Battle of Kennesaw told us more about the mountain’s history. We looked out at the sunrise. To the right, we could see Stone Mountain looming out of the ground. Further to the right, we could see the skyline of Atlanta.
About this time, a park ranger arrived and took our pictures. He said the best time to see the skyline is in the late afternoons. Usually, the sun’s glare is too bright in the mornings. Because it was somewhat cloudy, we had a pretty good view.
Bunches of rocks were underneath us. A jogger came up and rested for a few minutes while other people made the climb.
History
About 4,000 soldiers died during one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War. Coming down from Chattanooga, General William T. Sherman attacked the Confederate forces here in June 1864 with 8,000 Union troops. The Rebels, under the leadership of General Joseph Johnston, held their ground. Although the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain was a Confederate victory, General Sherman was still able to capture Atlanta later that summer.
Now a National Battlefield Park, the visitor center features a museum and a 35-minute film regarding its history. For more information, click here.