Well the wife is out of town and then the boy will play? LOL…read more When I mean play, I mean get the opportunity to do somethings that I have been meaning to do. I wanted to go back to hiking paths and climbing mountains, like i used to do when I lived in the Adirondack Mountains. Getting here was a bit of a challenge. The GPS was a little off, but following the car in front t of me helps a lot. They looked like a bunch of hikers due to the stickers all over their car... Arrival to the parking lot was all gravel. The trailhead had some signage which was incredibly helpful. I took several pictures of the map and the direction I wanted to go. Seeing on a map and reality are two different things. At least I had some marker points to refer and go by. Down over the bridge you are met with a steady uphill climb some switchbacks and some rocky terrains to go over. The first Awesome fixture was the Fatman Squeeze. A hulking boulder with some tight side paths to go up on both sides end up at the same place. Then venturing on to the gravel path which takes you to the cell towers. Once past that the. Looking for the sign that leads you to the overlook. There it was. Beautiful over look to the mountains in the area.since we were facing the south the real mountains could not be seen. Couple of things to share, need to remind people that the canopy can be stuffy and humid. Be prepared to sweat, a LOT. Isn't that why you came? To overcome this mountain challenge??! Bring water. If your dog is strong enough to climb, other than that this can be challenging for their paws and your back, if you have to carry. Make sure your shoes are tied on tight. There are a lot of roots and loose rocks that can make a day go bad if you are not paying attention. Tightly tied shoes will alleviate the shift in the ground. Most importantly. Take your time, pause, reflect. Love, appreciate. Sweat. Have a good time...

When a friend asked if I wanted to do some hiking at pine mountain, I said sure! I made my way…read morethere and after 20 minutes of looking I thought to myself, this place is big! It also didn't help that my friend was waiting at the west loop trail and I was near Allatoona dam. After getting myself situated, parking at the lot located off of komatsu drive se (access komatsu via E. Main Street right off of 75), we made our way up the west loop trail to get to the David G. Archer overlook. Don't get me wrong, there are miles of trails here at pine mountain, but from the parking lot to the overlook is just under 2 miles. It breaks down from the parking lot as follows (taken from the pine mountain Rec area trail system map): West trail head/parking to west loop - 0.18 mi West loop to summit overlook- 1.57 mi Summit overlook to David G. Archer summit - 0.16 mi The view at the top gives you a beautiful look at expansive greenery, with Allatoona lake visible (although more visible in the fall). During clear days you're able to see Atlanta and its skyline in the distance (keep in mind Atlanta is easily less than 50 miles away. From here, we turned around and went back to our cars, although if you want, you can continue on past the summit and hike down to the East trail. Trails are marked very well with blazes so you have to try to get lost (see photos for blaze colors). There's forest, outcrops, easy and huff/puff portions of the trails, but I don't think it's a hard hike by any means. Pet friendly hike that leads to a great view with as much trail as you're interested in challenging. Do yourself a favor and give pine mountain (not to be confused with pine mountain near Columbus, GA) a chance! I know I'll be back!

Great Place! We would definitely recommend Red Top! Especially beautiful in the fall!read more

The park is situated on Lake Allatoona and offers a variety of outdoor experiences, including…read moreswimming, water skiing, fishing, boating, and camping. Over 15 miles of trails wind through the park's forested landscape, catering to all levels from ADA accessible paths to more challenging hikes

Pine Mountain is a great hiking area. There are several trails for hiking here. Today we had…read moresmall group (9 of us) that did the west and east loops. Great workout of about 5 miles and 1300 total feet of elevation gain. Our trails were the Hiking Poles, Pocket Knife, Backpack, and Boot trails. These are the new names of the trails, but the old blazes were still visible on the trails. In fact, many places the blazes were visible and the new signs were not. Also we had stop at the David Archer Overlook at the top of Pine Mountain, the overlook view was good but not great. See pics. The overlook was the only place with lots of people. On the trails only a few folks and couple of mountain bikers. The trails are incredibly well maintained here. Am surprised this is first review of Pine Mountain. Logistics: Easy access to I-75 use exit 288. Lots of free parking here. We hiked Pine Mountain in the morning and went to Tellus museum in the afternoon. See my review of Tellus. All in all Pine Mountain is beautiful and worth a visit.

This is an interesting park that you can find at the foot of the Allatoona Lake damn on the Etowah…read moreriver. It's also the on the edge of the former town of Etowah and the home of Cooper's Furnace - a huge truncated-pyramid of stacked, mortared stone originally used to smelt iron ore. The furnace is still standing but now cordoned off - also, while it's apparent that visitors could at one time get closer to the Allatoona Damn, on this day the road and access to that part of the park was blocked-off with no trespassing signs (it's unclear if on other days the area is accessible or not, we visited on the day after Thanksgiving). The area is lush with vegetation and includes a pavilion, play-area with one of those crazy jungle gyms, bathrooms, fixed barbecue boxes and picnic tables. It's a surprisingly large park that's only open for day visits so no camping. It's also a bit weird to access - you get off of i85 South of the park then travel first West, then North to get under the highway. Next you travel a road alongside the Etowah river to get to the park itself with is East of i85. Once in the park make sure you checkout the trails and overlook - we were just scoping it out and plan a return to walk the trails - on this day we weren't in the right shoes or clothing. It's apparently a pretty good fishing spot too so make use you bring your pole.

A cool spot owned by the US Army. There were people there back packing, camping, flying kites,…read morewalking with their pets, playing on the playground, and cooking out. It's something for everyone. Out kids enjoyed the park and wanted to play on the playground. We would have let them but there were tons of gnats in swarms everywhere. Also the playground equipment was super dirty. There is an old iron works as soon as you enter the park but it's fenced off to prevent people from going all the way over to it.

My son and I chose a beautiful Saturday in October to explore the Etowah Indian Mounds on the…read morescenic north end of the Etowah River near Cartersville, Georgia. The site is an easy drive about an hour north of Atlanta, with plenty of free parking in a lot at the Visitor Center. The Visitor Center has restrooms and a small gift shop. The fee for adults to enter the 54-acre archeological site is only $6 per person. Built and occupied in three phases, from 1000-1550 CE, the prehistoric site is tranquil and calm. One can almost hear whispers of Native Americans as the breeze ripples through the tall grasses. There are three mounds (A, B, and C), that are accessible by wooden steps and hand rails. The mounds are well maintained and there were families picnicking on blankets at the summit of Mound A. Several picnic tables are also available near the river. The nature trail is tidy with signs educating the public on native woodland creatures and birds in the area. We saw many bluebirds and a couple Monarch butterflies lingering towards the end of fall. Definitely worth a peaceful morning or afternoon exploration and historical hike. The grounds are open 7am-5pm. Note: Plenty of dining options in Bartow County. We had brunch at the popular Doug's Place (about a 10 minute drive.)

The best of a historical site…read more Easy to navigate. Specific and interesting signs and small museum. A piece of Georgia history work seeing. Bring some water. The mounds expose you to the sun with no shade. The river walk is all shade. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did. I'll never forget bringing my friend from out of town to visit.

This is a wonderful learning environment for kids. The staff were so attentive and helpful. It was…read morethe perfect activity for our 2 year old grandson and his grandparents!

Bear Creek Nature Center is a hidden gem in Chattahoochee Hills, GA. This is a small animal refuge…read more/ hiking location (with a waterfall nearby) / and conservation center. This non-profit organization is home to numerous reptiles, amphibians, and birds. They even have the only live bats at a nature center in all of Georgia. Admission is $5 per car/driver and $3 for each additional person in your group. This is a great spot for families. They even let my kids pet any small animal in the facility of their choosing. We were given a personal tour of the place and the hike was good for all members of the group. Since not too many people know about this place yet, there was no issue parking. The staff were friendly as well. You can also follow the latest updates of their animals on their FB page. I hope to go back again soon.

Cooper's Furnace is an old relic from the Civil War era. To get here, get on River Road and go all…read morethe way until it ends. Then you'll see the furnace, the picnic area, bathrooms, and the start of the trail. Cooper's Furnace isn't very impressive if you've seen any pyramids. It's just a big stone structure. If it was 10 times bigger, it would've been more impressive. The trail is only about 1.5 miles. But I haven't walked it. Instead, I stayed in the Day Use Area. The area is nice. They have a river, clean bathrooms, and picnic area. If you're an outdoorsy person, it's a decent place to come out, walk the trail, eat some grilled stuff, and lazily hang out near the river. The best part is it's free. They seem to have a place near the entrance, but on Saturday, no one was there taking fees. Not many people seem to come here. Perhaps it's just a place to hang out for nature-loving, bored people in Cartersville.

We came here for a mountain biking program for my daughter and I brought my bike to ride as well…read more The trails are also for hiking and dogs are allowed. The parking lot is huge and gravel, and there is a bathroom area out front. From there, the property goes back pretty far and has a nice charm to to it. There are huge open areas and pretty bridges. The trails are clearly marked and the map out front helped me plan my route. I did a blue trail that is just over 4 miles called Wildcat. It ran in one direction on certain days and the opposite on others. It was harder than I thought, but I enjoyed the challenge. The scenery was great except for when it backed up to a neighborhood, but otherwise you felt like you were in the middle of nowhere.

Ah the Hunting Grounds. Hearkens back to days when things were named for what they were: Due West…read moreRoad, Waffle House, Waycross GA. And while there's plenty of huntin' here, you also can ride/run/walk/stroll/gaze at ACP. Take your pick from 35 miles of well-maintained trails, ranging from 1-mile loops to open fields and advanced bike runs, while resting along the way on those sparse strategically-placed benches. Or just sit down in a field as you gaze at a horizon ready for you to explore. Home to several high-profile circuit bike races and high school cross country meets spring through fall, there's still plenty of time for the rest of us to do less-professional type activities, as fast- or slow-paced as desired. Park volunteers continuously improve the trails and a decent county support system helps make this a gem on the northwest edge of Cobb County. You shouldn't be surprised to see a few out-of-state plates in the lot here throughout the week with the biking trail selection. Weekends are packed as far as parking goes but still manageable if you squeeze in somewhere. Once you're out in the woods you still might go miles without seeing a fellow traveler. Five sections range from 4 to 10 miles depending on the loops, so plan on minimum 45 mins walking or running headed off in any direction. News flash, yes there really is an Allatoona Creek. Head toward the back on the main gravel road through the big field and you'll eventually hit the back bridge. Gaze at the sometimes more than trickling creek on your way toward the loop touching the outer edge of Lake Allatoona. Grab a pit stop at the buildings on your way out because there's only the "historical" bathroom variety on the trail otherwise. A few picnic tables allow for food breaks by the parking lot as well, but mainly this park is built for munching an energy bar halfway through the course. Late September through December is hunting time, with hunters-only till 10 AM Sept-Oct, and all day Nov-Dec. Fear not trail-lovers, park at Pitner Dog Park Nov-Dec to enjoy 4-5miles of Turtle Back and Red Baron without sniper fire. Directional markings for different days keep the traffic flowing in opposite directions, and foot traffic can trade tire tracks on your backs for poison ivy on your ankles as you go against bike traffic. No parking fees is a welcomed oasis among fee-based national parks nearby, for those primarily enjoying the trails instead of history. You could come six days a week and hit a different section if you liked. Stay motivated as you pass several HS XC teams practicing afternoons in the fall, and parking donations for meets and races help keep the park in excellent shape (along with that crop of helpful volunteers). No worries if you're visiting on a race day; you can still park and visit for no charge. I'm amazed I live about a 5K from here. Having a premier regional trail destination within a 6-min drive is a bonus I try to frequent as much as possible!

This is an incredible park very close to downtown Cartersville, Georgia…read more The park has a public pool which is well maintained and clean, basketball courts, tennis courts, pickleball courts, football, baseball and soccer fields, an oval running track, lots of asphalt and gravel trails and a beautiful pond in the center with ducks and turtles. An amazing walking trail to honor the US veterans, and all laid out in a beautiful manner. I really enjoy coming here to ride my bike or walk my dog.

Wonderful park, but park staff likes to organize harassment campaigns against persons otherwise…read moreenjoying the facilities. Very unsavory behavior.

Definitely one of my favorite places close to home. Since my daughter was little, we have come to…read morethis park to enjoy the playground, a picnic, walk or a festival. Often I just drop by to enjoy a moment of serenity. However, some people are brave enough to go into the water. I personally am not that adventurous. The park and the beach however, are clean since years ago it became forbidden to feed the ducks. No more bird poop around the beach anymore. Very beautiful place.

Lake Acworth is a great spot tucked away in the middle of suburbia that offers the locals and…read morevisitors a little taste of the outdoors and includes trails, bridges, docks and of course, a beach! We have visited Lake Acworth via Cauble Park on numerous occasions and always tend to enjoy ourselves. The water is always calm and clean, on the surface at least. The lake is well maintained and surrounded by the park, woods, a neighborhood and a highway. So, always something different to look at whether you are hanging on the beach or kayaking around the water. While most of our visits are for walking and enjoying the beach, I have visited for fireworks and other community events. The lake and park hold up well. There are onsite restrooms and such as well, which make trips here a bit easier. You will find folks enjoying all things from building sandcastles to walking the pups, grilling out, fishing or just chilling. When I visit, we tend to do it all, except the fishing part. Overall, Lake Acworth is a cute spot for a chill afternoon. Low energy needed to enjoy yourself here. Keep in mind that the main access point is through Cauble Park, which for non-Acworth city residents charges by the vehicle, usually no more than $20.