Cook's Trail in Athens, GA (Blog Hike #212)

Trail: Cook’s Trail

Hike Location: Sandy Creek Nature Center/Sandy Creek Park

Geographic Location: north side of Athens, GA (33.98694, -83.38215)

Length: 4 miles ONE WAY

Difficulty: 4/10 (Easy/Moderate)

Dates Hiked: April 2007, November 2012, May 2013

Overview: A long but fairly flat hike along the banks of Sandy Creek.
Trail Information: https://www.accgov.com/Facilities/Facility/Details/36
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=720643
Photo Highlight:

Directions to the trailhead: On the north side of Athens, take the Perimeter Road to US 441 (exit 12).  Exit and go north on US 441.  Take US 441 north 1.1 miles to Old Commerce Road and turn left on Old Commerce Road (there is a blue sign for the nature center at this turn).  Where Old Commerce Road takes a sharp right, turn left to enter the preserve.  Park in the first parking lot on the right in front of the Environmental/Nature Center (ENSAT).

The hike: Constructed in 1990 as part of the Oconee River Greenway project, the Cook’s Trail comprises one of the longest sections of uninterrupted trail devoted solely to hiking in greater Athens.  The trail is named for Dr. Walter Cook, a professor of forestry at the University of Georgia who also co-founded the Sandy Creek Nature Center.  When combined with the nature center trails and the paved North Oconee Greenway, it is possible to hike the 10 miles from Sandy Creek Park near the Jackson County line into downtown Athens without ever walking along the side of a road.

            Forming the northern link in such a route, the Cook’s Trail connects Sandy Creek Park in the north with the Sandy Creek Nature Center further south.  Since this is a linear trail, you will need to either arrange a car shuttle or walk the trail both directions for a total of 8.2 miles.  One word of warning is necessary about this trail.  Since the trail passes mainly through wetlands along Sandy Creek, mud and insects can become a real nuisance in season.  While bridges and boardwalks will carry you over the worst of the wet areas, you will find this trail much more pleasant to hike after a few weeks dry weather than right after a soaking rain.

South trailhead for Cook's Trail

            From the ENSAT parking lot, exit to the left (east) on a fine gravel trail, cross the main park road, then pass through the Andrews House parking lot to arrive at the Cook’s Trail trailhead.  Here an information board tells you a little about the trail.  The trail immediately enters the woods and heads moderately downhill for the bottomlands, which are reached at only 0.1 mile.  For the next 0.1 mile, the hillside rises to the left and the pond lies to the right.  Wherever side trails exit to the left or right heading for other parts of the nature center, continue straight.

Cook's Trail along Sandy Creek

            At 0.2 miles, the last of the nature center trails, the Screech Owl Trail, exits to the left.  From here until the park the Cook’s Trail will be your only choice.  The trail curves right, passes over a couple of wet areas on boardwalk, then passes under the US 441 overpass of Sandy Creek.  There is no easy access to the road here.  Just beyond US 441, the trail crosses Sandy Creek for the first of three times on the first of four steel-arch bridges.

Bridge over Sandy Creek

            As noisy US 441 fades behind you, the trail heads upstream along the east bank of Sandy Creek with the creek bubbling along on your left and bottomland forest on your right.  1.1 miles from ENSAT, the trail reaches Big Beaver Swamp, which it crosses via the longest boardwalk on this trail.  Around the boardwalk, you can see remnants of the old treadway used by hikers before this boardwalk was constructed.  Notice how gushy this soil looks, and be thankful someone volunteered the time and effort to make your trip through Big Beaver Swamp cleaner and more enjoyable than your predecessors.

Boardwalk on Cook's Trail

            At 1.5 miles, the trail crosses Sandy Creek for the second time.  Benches are placed throughout the trail to provide a resting spot almost wherever needed.  At 2.1 miles, the trail passes the halfway point, marked by one of the nicest of these benches, and reaches Oxbow Lake.  Oxbow lakes consist of former streambeds that have since been abandoned by the creek in favor of a path of less resistance.  While they are more common along major rivers such as the Mississippi or the Ohio, you do not have to go that far to see this geological phenomenon. 

            Just past the Oxbow Lake, a large structure that appears to be a lodge can be seen across the creek.  At 2.5 miles, the trail drops to intersect what appears to be an old roadbed, crosses the creek for the last time, and then passes through the first of three pipeline clearings.  While not natural in origin, these clearings provide good opportunities to view birds and other wildlife.      

Hiking through a clearing

            As you get closer to Sandy Creek Park, the forest becomes younger and scrubbier with a denser understory.  As you cross the second pipeline clearing, you can look to the left across the creek to see a cattle farm and, on my visit, several cows grazing on the grassy hillside.  At 3.6 miles, the trail climbs moderately to a bluff some 30 feet above the creek.  Here a nice bench and a plaque commemorate the trail to Dr. Walter Cook.            

Entering Sandy Creek Park

            The trail descends gently, passes through the last of the pipeline clearings, then passes through a gate in a chain link fence to enter Sandy Creek Park.  Where the Lakeside Trail exits left, heading for Chapman Lake in Sandy Creek Park, the Cook’s Trail curves right, heading away from the creek.  The Cook’s Trail concludes with a gradual 0.2 mile climb to the Sandy Creek Park campground parking area where restrooms and drinking water are available.  Unless a car shuttle has been arranged, you must now retrace your steps 4.1 miles back to Sandy Creek Nature Center to complete the hike.