Hike Location: Dauset Trails Nature Center
Geographic Location: south of Jackson, GA (33.23511, -83.94514)
Length: 1.1 miles
Difficulty: 1/10 (Easy)
Date Hiked: February 2020
Overview: A gently rolling loop through a small zoo and
arboretum.
Center Information: https://www.dausettrails.com/
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=782038
Photo Highlight:
Hike Video:
Directions to the trailhead: Between Atlanta and
Macon, take I-75 to High Falls Road (exit 198).
Exit and go east on High Falls Rd.
Drive High Falls Rd. 4.4 miles to Mount Vernon Church Road (passing High Falls State Park on the way) and turn
right on Mt. Vernon Church Rd. The
signed entrance to Dauset Trails Nature Center is 3.2 miles ahead on the
left. Turn left to enter the Center and
park in the paved parking lot near the Visitor’s Center.
The hike: Owned and maintained by the private
not-for-profit Daughtry Foundation, Dauset Trails Nature Center protects 1400
rolling acres of woods, fields, and ponds.
The Nature Center’s name is a contraction of its founders’ last names:
Hampton Daughtry and David Settles. The
Center started in the early 1980’s as a single loop trail, but today it
features 20 miles of trails, most of which can be used by both hikers and
mountain bikers. The Center is open from
9am-5pm every day except major holidays, but the entrance gate closes to new
entries at 4pm.
The
Center’s grounds are divided into two distinct regions. An interior region surrounded by a fence
contains some hiker-only trails, the Visitor’s Center, an animal exhibit area,
and an arboretum. The exterior region features
most of the hiking/biking trails, and it is less developed than the interior
region. This hike is comprised of a trip
through the animal exhibit area on the Animal Trail and a trip through the
arboretum on the Tree Trail, thus exploring all major points of interest in the
interior region.
 |
| Start of the Animal Trail |
After
walking out the front door of the Visitor’s Center, turn left and walk across a
driveway to reach the signed start of the Animal Trail. A wooden portal stands at the start of this
concrete/asphalt trail, and some daffodils greet you here in season. The Animal Trail winds among the numerous
animal cages, and animals on exhibit include owls, hawks, coyotes, foxes, and a
fantastic bald eagle. All animals on
exhibit here are rescued or injured animals that would not survive in the wild,
so they get to extend their lives by educating people about their habits. The animal exhibits also contain the home of
General Beauregard Lee, a groundhog that does for Georgia what Punxatawney Phil
does for Pennsylvania.
 |
| Home of General Beauregard Lee |
At 0.25 miles, you reach the bison
pen, which featured a couple of bison, some deer, and some turkey vultures on
my visit. Past the bison pen, the trail
leading to the exterior region exits right just before the Animal Trail reaches
the east end of the earthen dam that forms the Visitor Center pond. Turn right to leave the Animal Trail and walk
across the dam. A large number of Canada
geese were enjoying this pond when I hiked here.
 |
| Bison pen |
 |
| Visitor Center pond |
Just before
you return to the parking lot, look to the right for the start of the Tree
Trail. The Tree Trail is unmarked except
for 31 numbered posts that identify common trees in the forest; post #2 is
visible just uphill from the trail’s start.
Tupelo, sassafras, hawthorn, and sweetgum are among the trees these
posts help you identify.
The Tree Trail winds its way
gradually uphill with the wire fence that separates the interior and exterior
regions standing just to the west. Leaf
litter covered some roots and rocks on my visit, so be careful where you step. When I came here on a Saturday afternoon in
early February, I passed numerous families with kids on the Animal Trail, but I
had the Tree Trail to myself. I guess
animals are more interesting to learn about than trees.
|
| Lotus Pond |
At 0.7
miles, you reach a small pond the trail map calls Lotus Pond. This pond appears to contain some water
lilies in late summer. Next the trail
loops through a loblolly pine planting before arriving at the other side of
Lotus Pond. The open grassy area you
drove through on the park entrance road appears to the right as you pass an
area with some picnic tables. A little
more winding brings the trail back to the parking area to complete the
hike. While you are here, check out the
reptile exhibit in the Visitor’s Center, or take a hike on one of the longer
shared-use hiking/biking trails in the exterior region.
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