Chattahoochee National Forest: Warwoman Dell Picnic Area (Blog Hike #263)

Trail: Warwoman Dell Interpretive Trail

Hike Location: Chattahoochee National Forest, Warwoman Dell Picnic Area

Geographic Location: east of Clayton, GA (34.88219, -83.34986)

Length: 1.2 miles

Difficulty: 4/10 (Moderate)

Last Hiked: April 2009; pics taken June 2013

Overview: A loop hike exploring the nooks and crannies of Warwoman Dell.
Area Information: http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/conf/recreation/hiking/recarea/?recid=10519&actid=71
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=721952
Photo Highlight:

Directions to the trailhead: From Clayton, take Warwoman Rd. east for 3 miles to the Warwoman Dell Picnic Area on the right.  Take a sharp right to enter the picnic area.  Park in the first gravel parking area on the left.  If this parking area is full, you can proceed to a second parking area about another 700 feet past the first one.

The hike: Most dells are located in relatively isolated areas and require a long hike to access them.  With Warwoman Dell, you can just drive right in.  Yet with the tall hemlock trees, dense understory, and moist environment, you might feel like you are in a more remote area (until you get back to the parking lot, at least).

            The name “Warwoman” comes from the Cherokee nation which once owned this land.  The Cherokee gave certain “Beloved Women” extraordinary power to attend council meetings and make decisions concerning pardons.  In particular, one of these women named Nanye-hi in the Cherokee tongue (Nancy Ward in English) had ties to this area via a Moravian mission.  Most historians think this dell is named after her.

            In addition to the short interpretive trail described here, the long Bartram Trail, 37 miles of which lie in Georgia, passes through the dell.  For more on the Bartram Trail, see the next hike.  Serious hikers will want to take on part of the Bartram Trail, but for people wanting a quick stroll through the interesting dell, this trail will fit the bill.

            From the first gravel parking area, start by walking along the main picnic area road deeper into the dell.  In about 400 feet, you will pass a concrete trout hatchery built by the 1930’s Civilian Conservation Corps on the right.  Interpretive signs give more information about the hatchery.  Ignore the Bartram Trail as it exits right and heads for North Carolina and continue along the gravel road.

Old trout hatchery

            Just before reaching the second parking area, the interpretive trail, marked by neon-green rectangular plastic blazes, begins on the right.  More interpretive signs describe the flora and fauna of the dell.  At 0.2 miles, the trail curves left and comes out at the rear of the picnic area.  To continue along the interpretive trail, turn right to exit the picnic area.  When the trail forks to form a small 0.5 mile loop, turn right again to begin following the loop counterclockwise.

            The trail heads gradually uphill with the steep dell wall on the right.  At 0.45 miles, a short spur trail leads right to a small waterfall.  At only 12 feet high, this waterfall pales in comparison to some of the others nearby.  Still, this waterfall is a single vertical drop, and it’s a much more interesting way for water to enter the dell than seeping in underground.

Water falling into Warwoman Dell

            Continuing around the loop, the trail stays near the creek, allowing the opportunity to look for aquatic wildlife and insects.  At 0.7 miles, you close the loop and return to the rear of the picnic area.  To continue, walk through the picnic area and cross a wooden bridge, passing the restroom facility.

            On the other side of the bridge, you will come to a major trail intersection with three options.  The left trail leads quickly back to the second parking area and could be used to short-cut this hike.  The right trail is the Bartram Trail, which steeply leaves the dell and heads for South Carolina.  This hike uses the center trail, which is still marked with the neon-green plastic markers.

            For the next 0.3 miles you will be hiking on the bed of the abandoned Blue Ridge Railroad.  A large wooden interpretive sign gives many details about the ill-fated railroad.  Begun in 1852, the railroad was intended to connect Cincinnati, Ohio with Charleston, South Carolina and provide Midwestern agricultural goods better access to distant markets.  Construction was halted at the start of the Civil War and never resumed.  No tracks were ever laid on the bed here in Georgia, but the effects of the construction can be seen nonetheless.           

Hiking on Blue Ridge Railroad bed

            At first the surroundings look somewhat natural, but soon you are walking through a narrow trench with steep, jagged rock walls rising about 15 feet on either side.  A couple of wet areas need to be negotiated, but stepping stones have been carefully placed to get you across.  Better yet, one of the wet areas lies at the base of a small waterfall created by the rocky walls.

            At 1 mile, the trail abruptly turns left and leaves the old railroad bed.  The trail descends using a single switchback and begins paralleling the railroad bed.  From this perspective, some of the substructure of the railroad such as a concrete culvert can be seen.  The stream through Warwoman Dell can be heard downhill to your right.  At 1.2 miles, the trail makes a final steep descent to return to the floor of the dell.  Turn right and cross the wooden footbridge to return to the first parking area and complete the hike.