Socially distanceable hikes, bikes, and swimming holes in the Atlanta area

Today we take a break from reading to get out and move around. Here are some suggestions. I have left off well loved places like Sweetwater because we figured it would be too crowded. Most of these we did on week days to avoid crowds but I will put weekend friendly under the picture if I think it is possible to socially distance in this location on the weekend. All of them are kid friendly. I will indicate if they are handicapped accessible. I will put SH for short hike. If you have additional suggestions of places to go, please comment.

Hiking

It’s amazing how many places there are in this city nearby that I’ve not known about in the last twenty years even though I am fairly crunchy. Here are some suggestions.

Frazier Forest: 1815 S Ponce De Leon Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30307 (SH) If you go to the Frazier Center entrance, go up the driveway to the next parking area on the left. This is a nice little wood, very lovely, and there is a rope swing in a bamboo forest. This can be accessed by Harold St. in Lake Claire, but you can’t bring bikes into the woods. You can lock them on the street and follow the sign.

Deepdene Park: N Ponce De Leon Avenue Northeast, Atlanta, GA 30307 (SH) It’s funny how we live across the street from here practically and had never been. It’s gorgeous. We went in the spring because we were told it was a good place to spot crawfish, tadpoles and salamanders. This is easily accesible from the Olmstead Park bike trail that runs on Ponce.

Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve: 2580 Pine Bluff Dr. Decatur, GA 30033 (SH) This is a little hidden gem with more extensive hiking trails than you think and overlooks of wetland areas tucked away in a residential neighborhood.

Lullwater Preserve: 1463 Clifton Rd, Decatur, GA 30033. On the campus of Emory University, this spacious park includes a trail around the lake that people walk and bike on. You can act like the undergrads and bring a soccer ball or lie out on a towel under the shadow of the university president’s mansion. Although there will be a lot of people there on the weekends during Covid, there is enough space where you can spread out. It is somewhat handicapped accessible if you have an off road chair.

Cascade Springs Nature Preserve: 2852 Cascade Rd SW, Atlanta, GA 30311 (SH) This is a nice little hike with a lovely little waterfall we discovered trying to avoid crowds. When we were there, someone had lit candles and left pineapple and orange offerings to the orishas which I liked and took pictures of but my dog broke my camera.

Dolls’ Head Trail at Constitution Lakes Park: 1305 S River Industrial Blvd SE, Atlanta, GA 30315: This is a cool hike where people have displayed old doll babies, signs, old pieces of machinery and other artifacts that they have dug up and found on the property. Fun for the kids to see all the old, creepy stuff. Lovely wetlands with boardwalk.

Biking

You are probably not a whackadoo like I am who in desperation of feeling free tried to use a sedan bike rack on the back of a hatchback by cutting the styrofoam off a Max Liquidator kids’ water soaker and using it to protect the window. It didn’t go well so just go ahead and bite the bullet and pay around $250 to get a hitch on your car. I recommend Hitch House: 3920 N Peachtree Rd, Atlanta, GA 30341. You need an appointment because they have to order the part and then it takes less than 15 minutes to have it installed. Then enjoy the wonders of bicycle exploration.

Michelle Obama Trail: 2946 Clifton Springs Rd, Decatur, GA 30034. Just park in the right back corner of the GSU Decatur campus parking lot and you will see the entrance. A beautiful, long, flat, very unpopulated trail that we saw a deer on, it’s a lovely place for a ride and a picnic. There is a lot of full sun so go when it’s cooler.

Proctor Creek Greenway: Gary Ave. NW and Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway NW and Drew Dr. Just park on the street in front of the Bankhead MARTA station and the trail entrance is right there. 1335 Donald Hollowell Pkwy, Atlanta, GA 30318. ALthough this trail isn’t finished yet so it’s a bit shorter than we wanted, it will get your heart rate up. When they finish it, it is going to be amazing and I hope there will be a view of the quarry.

Chattahoochee River Sites: I am putting this here because they are a combo of hiking, biking and swimming hole. I don’t know about you, but i have lived in Atlanta for twenty years and have always found the river sites confusing because there are a bunch of them right near each other, and I never bothered to memorize their names and details. Until yesterday…when in an effort to keep my kid off of screens, I dragged him around to a bunch of them. Here is what we found:

Cochran Shoals: 1956 Eugene Gunby Rd, Marietta, GA 30067. This is hiking and biking but not so much water access because the river is fast moving. People did bring tubes to this site, although most brought them to the site next door in walking distance which is Chattahoochee River NRA Johnson Ferry South Unit: 4630 Columns Dr. SE, Marietta, GA 30067. The bike trail/walking trail is great, flat, shaded. I felt like I was riding on Cumberland Island, but it was shorter than we wanted. There were some break off trails that you could ride on maybe a lot further but my son is a if it’s not on the straightaway, I don’t want it kind of kid. Handicapped accessible. It was crowded but manageable with a mask. It did take me twenty minutes to try to pay the parking fee with my phone using their app etc (the only way to pay) until I just gave up. Everyone else was having problems too. I didn’t get a ticket.

Akers Mill: Palisades West Trail: 932 Akers Ridge Dr. SE Atlanta, GA 30339. This is probably my favorite of all the places listed, and we have been there twice. It’s easy to miss the turn in so look for the big fake water wheel at your turn in off the main road. The first parking area is closed but keep going straight until you dead end into the last one. There were a million people at Cochran Shoals yesterday and no one here, but there will be lots of folks when you get down to the river. Go on a weekday. Follow the trail sign down to the river and take a left. You will see teenagers throwing themselves off a twelve foot rock called jumping rock on the other side of the river. Keep going and you will get to a place where there are bathrooms and life jackets for loan on a rack to use for getting in the water. Keep going a little more and you will find a very small and delightful beach on the right where there is enough room for three families to socially distance. The water is calm enough here kids can swim while you watch the rafters and the hawks. So beautiful!

Paces Mill Unit: 3444 Cobb Pkwy, Atlanta, GA 30339. We got frustrated with the lack of straightaway trail at Cochran Shoals so we came over here. If you want a long, beautiful bike ride, along a stream the whole way from one river entrance in Johnson Ferry all the way across for a 45 minute walk to Powers Ferry, this is the trail for you. The parking lot will be crowded with rafters but the trail is fine and diversely populated. If you are facing the park from the parking lot, the trail head is on the left. I will tell you there are some major hills on this trail that kicked my butt so I only made it to Bill Callahan and not all the way to Powers Ferry, but I will go back and try again. We met a family of five from Mary Lin who were doing the whole trail there and back yesterday. Kudos to you!!!! There are a lot of cool under bridges with high quality graffiti art.

Swimming Holes

Morningside Nature Preserve: Herbert Taylor Park: 1343 Pasadena Ave. NE, Atlanta, GA 30306. Although I suppose this technically counts as a watering hole for dogs, my son loved it too. The hike up at the entrance is beautiful. Stairs to go down to get to the creek. LOTS of people bring their dogs, like 100 joyful dogs splashing in the water while our crazy pocket pit tries to kill them all. We will be leaving her home next time. But it is super pretty and a wonderful place for a stream hike with a couple deep spots.

Poole’s Mill Bridge Park: 7725 Pooles Mill Rd, Ball Ground, GA 30107. I highly recommend this beautiful park in Forsyth county. Bring a tube for each person that wants to slide to protect your back side from the rocks, water shoes, and your kids of all ages to slide down the manageable rock slides. It is slippery so be very careful and stick to the mossy areas. But even I slid on the rocks and I am a chicken and it was fun. Super family friendly and very nice but not at all diverse. There is a covered bridge, a still river to swim in and a rope swing. Don’t go on the weekend.

On the way home from Poole’s Mill stop off at 4 Fat Cows Ice cream in Alpharetta. 64 N Main St, Alpharetta, GA 30009. Get the champagne and chocolate covered strawberries ice cream. To die for!!!

Lake Oconee: Eatonton, GA

And finally, our favorite lake in the area is Lake Oconee. It is so beautiful and chill. A lot less populated than Lake Lanier. (I also like Lake Jackson south of the city for the same reasons.) We recently stayed in a 2 BR 2 BA very adorable airbnb duplex with its own Lake Cove and dock for around $165 a night. The owner who lives on the other side of the duplex is like the nicest airbnb owner I have ever had. If you are interested in staying there, message me and I will send you the specifics. The house next door is black owned and our airbnb person was not homophobic or seemingly racist. It is right across the street from the marina where we rented a boat..so amazing!!!!!! and there is a cool place to hike and see a 50,000 year old Native American efffigy called Rock Hawk. You can also go on a author’s history tour because Eatonton was the birth place of Flannery O’Conner, Alice Walker and Joel Chandler Harris (Uncle Remus stories, former owner of the Wren’s Nest in Atlanta)

Well, that brings us to a close. Have a great 4th of July weekend and you know everyone and their mother is going to be at Woodstock and Cumming for the fireworks with no face masks and traffic jams for days so maybe stay home and create homemade altar rituals that beseech that we in this country come to understand our history and change.

Happy and safe trails to you and yours!