Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve: Mountain Top Trail (Blog Hike #250)

Trail: Mountain Top Trail

Hike Location: Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve

Geographic Location: south of Lithonia, GA (33.66008, -84.12406)

Length: 1.2 miles

Difficulty: 4/10 (Moderate)

Dates Hiked: October 2008, December 2012

Overview: An interesting hike, mostly on bare rock, to the summit of Arabia/Bradley Mountain.

Preserve Information: http://www.arabiaalliance.org/

Hike Route Map: http://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=626099
Photo Highlight:

Directions to the trailhead: On the east side of Atlanta, take I-20 to Turner Hill Road (exit 75).  Note: this is the exit for Stonecrest Mall.  Exit and go south on Turner Hill Rd.  Take Turner Hill Rd. south 0.5 miles to Mall Parkway and turn right on Mall Parkway.  Take Mall Parkway west 1.25 miles to Klondike Rd. and turn left on Klondike Rd.  Take Klondike Rd. south 3 miles to the signed preserve entrance on the left; you will pass the preserve’s Nature Center on the way.  Turn left, and park in the only parking lot.

The hike: Easier to scale and much less touristy than its big brother Stone Mountain, Arabia Mountain stands as a (somewhat) natural oasis in highly developed southern Dekalb County.  The first land to be acquired for this preserve came in 1973 with the formation of Davidson-Arabia Nature Preserve to protect Arabia Mountain and other land east of Klondike Rd.  In 1996, the Nature Center located west of Klondike Rd. was acquired, and various other purchases have been made since then to arrive at the present-day total of 2000 acres.

            Considering you had to drive past a major shopping mall just 3 miles from the preserve, you might not expect a very serene or memorable hiking experience on Arabia Mountain.  While it is true you are unlikely to find the trail completely unoccupied, when I hiked this trail on a nice October afternoon, I only passed 2 other people on my hike.  Alone or not, a trip up Arabia Mountain is one you won’t soon forget.

            While the main attraction is obviously the mountain, there is plenty more to see in the preserve.  As mentioned above, the area west of Klondike Rd. features the Nature Center and an interesting 2 mile trail (described elsewhere in this blog) to a small pond.  Still, most people will want to climb the mountain, and to do that you will need to take the 1.2 mile hike described here.

Emerging onto the granite

            Start at a large information board that contains some photos and descriptions of fauna on and near the mountain.  The trail heads gradually uphill through the woods and soon emerges onto the bare granite rock.  Get used to walking across the large bare rock outcrop: you’ll be doing it for most of this hike.

            A series of cairns (piles of rocks) marks the trail to the summit.  Try to stay near the cairns, as this area receives the highest foot traffic.  Lichens and plants that live on the rock are adapted to the harsh conditions on the rock but get damaged easily by foot traffic; staying near the cairns minimizes the area affected.  Also along this stretch of trail you will notice some right angle dents in the rock.  These do not look natural, and they are not.  Rather, these cuts remind us of the commercial quarrying operations that took place here in the not too distant past.

            At 0.4 miles, you reach a sign entitled “What is that red stuff?” that describes some of the unique mountain organisms.  Take a good look at this sign not only because it is informative but because you will need to find an identical one on the other side of the mountain.  From the sign, the trail begins the ascent up Arabia Mountain in earnest.  The climb is not long nor overly steep, but depending on the weather it can be a real adventure.  In the winter, this can feel like a real Mount Everest climb complete with cold and wind; in the summer, heat radiates off of the bare rock creating an oven effect; and after a rain the rock may be very slippery.  Be sure to come prepared for the appropriate weather conditions.

Cairn along the climb up Arabia Mountain

            At 0.6 miles, the trail arrives at the summit of Arabia Mountain.  The view from here is not as extensive as from Stone Mountain, but then again, you didn’t have to work as hard to climb it.  A lake on private property can be seen to the right (east), and lots of trees can be seen in the distance in any direction.  There are two geological markers at the summit, one from the USGS and one from the Georgia Department of Transportation.  Take some time to find both and admire the top-of-the-world feel you get from this summit.

Metal marker at summit

View east from summit

            The cairns end just before you reach the summit.  An unofficial trail heads down the north side of the mountain, but most people turn around at the summit and retrace their steps 0.6 miles downhill to the parking lot to complete the hike.