The Chattahoochee River is Atlanta’s unofficial playground. Run by the National Park Service, the Chattahoochee National Recreation Area operates several units. The Cochran Shoals Unit at Interstate North lies just off of the top end of I-285 (Atlanta’s beltway affectionately called the Perimeter). Although close to a major interstate, the area allows visitors to feel miles away from civilization.
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I’ve heard so much about Helton Creek Falls that we made a trip of it after hiking at nearby Vogel State Park. The well-marked entrance is located on Hwy 129/19 just one mile south of Vogel.
However, we thought we were in the wrong place driving through a residential neighborhood of houses perched alonside a creek. Soon, the road turned gravel and a hand-painted sign announced the falls were just 2 miles ahead.
The most difficult part of the trip was the bumpy, rocky dirt road. In the distance, we saw the falls and came to a parking area. For such an out of the way place, there were 6 or 7 cars. The total loop to the falls is just 1/3 of a mile. We climbed down the path and the temperature was instantly cooler. When we reached to the falls, we took a left to descended down the wooden stairs to the base of the lower falls. (more…)
Springtime has come to Atlanta so hubby and I took the dog to Arabia Mountain for Monadnock Madness Month.
We parked at the Davidson-Arabia Nature Preserve to use the restrooms, get a map and visit the nature center. The guide on duty suggested we walk the 1-mile path (mostly on a boardwalk along Klondike Road) to reach the mountain since parking at the mountain is usually at capacity on the weekends. (more…)