Memorial Park in Athens, GA (Blog Hike #228)

Trails: Bear Hollow, Pool, and Birchmore Trails

Hike Location: Memorial Park

Geographic Location: Athens, GA (33.92781, -83.38649)

Length: 2.3 miles

Difficulty: 4/10 (Easy/Moderate)

Dates Hiked: November 2007, December 2011

Overview: An easy to moderate hike with unique natural and man-made sights.

Park Information: https://www.accgov.com/memorial
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=721630
Photo Highlight:

Directions to the trailhead: Take the south arm of the Athens Perimeter Loop to Milledge Avenue (exit 6).  Exit and go north on Milledge Ave.  Take Milledge Ave. north 0.7 miles to Gran Ellen Drive, which is one block past the traffic light for East Campus Ave.  Turn left on Gran Ellen Drive.  The park entrance is 3 blocks ahead on your left.  Park in the large blacktop parking lot between the park office and the restroom.

The hike: You’ve probably heard of the San Diego Zoo, the Bronx Zoo, and maybe even the Cincinnati Zoo, but have you ever heard of the Athens Zoo?  While it lacks the size and scope of its larger more famous counterparts, Athens-Clarke County operates its own zoological gardens as part of Memorial Park, located on the south side of Athens.

            Truth be told, I stumbled on the Athens Zoo for the first time by accident myself.  During my second week at the University of Georgia, my department held a picnic lunch to welcome new members at the Memorial Park picnic shelter.  When I came here for that lunch, I noticed some signs indicating trails in the park, and I endeavored to return when I had more time and daylight.  2 years and 4 months later, I drove into the park for the second time, intending to explore the trails.  To my surprise, one of these trails led through the zoo, and my first encounter with the Athens Zoo had arrived.

            There are a total of 3 trails at Memorial Park, each of which is less than a mile in length.  The Bear Hollow Trail (the one through the zoo) and the Pool Trail are paved and lead through the park’s developed areas.  The Birchmore Trail, named for local naturalist and writer Fred A. Birchmore who donated land for that trail, is a true nature trail that explores the park’s less developed wooded areas.  Combining these three trails creates the pleasant 2.3 mile hike described here.

Entrance to Bear Hollow Trail

            Begin at the far end of the parking lot at a large white sign that says “Bear Hollow Trail Entrance.”  The Bear Hollow Trail is a paved 0.3 mile trail that takes you through the zoo.  Pass through the zoo entrance gate, drop a dollar or two in the donation box, and pick up a trail map.  The trail alternates between pavement and boardwalk as it winds downhill.  If you’re anything like me, you’ll enjoy walking from cage to cage, wondering what will be in the next one.  Highlights include a bald eagle, a small alligator, a pair of black bears, and a large collection of owls.  The zoo also contains an exhibit hall which is open on the second and fourth Sunday of every month.

Bald eagle in Athens Zoo

            At the end of the exhibits, the trail intersects a blacktop trail which exits downhill to the right.  Follow this trail downhill through the exit gate to intersect the concrete Pool Trail.  Turn right to begin the Pool Trail, which goes around a small man-made lake with a pleasant fountain.  On the far side of the lake, leave the lakeside trail to follow another concrete trail which leads right and slightly uphill to some restrooms.

            From these restrooms, take a sharp right turn and begin to follow a narrow unmarked dirt trail which explores the southern-most section of the park.  After maintaining a level elevation for 100 feet, the trail turns left and begins climbing.  Ivy was beginning to encroach on the right side of this trail upon my visit.  As the top of the hill comes into view, the trail curves left as it reaches its highest point.  The fenced area to the left is the dog park, and an alternate starting point, Woodland Hills Drive, ends on the right.  From here, the trail drops back downhill to return to the restrooms and close this short loop.

            Back on the Pool Trail, a wooden bridge leads across the pond, while the concrete trail proceeds around the rest of the pond to meet the bridge on the other side.  The picnic shelter directly ahead and uphill was the site of my first visit to this park.  Continue around the Pool Trail and close the loop where the blacktop Bear Hollow Trail heads uphill to the right.  Retrace your steps uphill on the Bear Hollow Trail through the zoo to arrive back at the main park road.

Trailhead: Birchmore Trail

            Returning to your car at this point would create a 0.7 mile loop on mostly paved trail.  To see the undeveloped area of the park, turn left on the park road and find the trailhead for the Birchmore Trail, which is marked with an information board and a white marble monument.  The Birchmore Trail begins by heading steeply downhill, but only for a short distance, to reach a small stream, which is crossed on the first of many wooden bridges.  The stream bubbles pleasantly here over bare rock.

Rocks in Bubbling Stream

            For the next 0.3 miles the trail heads downstream into the extreme southwest portion of the park.  All throughout this trail the forest is a mixture of hardwoods and pines.  When a housing development comes into view ahead and to the left, the trail curves sharply to the right and climbs to reach an intersection with Gran Ellen Drive.  The road is crossed, and the trail reenters the forest on the other side, using an interesting set of steps carved from a downed tree to help climb the hill.

Climbing to cross Gran Ellen Drive

            After paralleling the road for several hundred feet, the trail curves left and begins heading up a steep sided ravine.  An old pond/reservoir (dry on my visit) is visible downhill to the right.  The trail heads north, climbing gradually through the ravine, which is characterized by young scrubby forest with a dense understory.  The hum of traffic from Lumpkin Street can be heard uphill to the left along this section of trail.

            At 1.6 miles, the trail curves right and crosses the creek on a high wooden bridge.  Notice the steep stream banks here caused by large amounts of erosion in the underlying clay soil.  Across the creek, the trail climbs using a couple of sets of steps built into the ground to reach the highest point of the hike.

            Just after crossing a narrow wooden bridge, you reach the Birchmore Wall, the highlight of the hike.  Built by Fred Birchmore to ensure his privacy, the wall consists of a combination of concrete block and rocks and stands between 5 and 14 feet tall.  The trail traces around two sides of the wall, so you will have plenty of time to admire this massive structure.  At only one point is the wall low enough to allow an average person to peep over the top and see the yard and house.  Though not natural, the wall is a unique structure well worth the walk through the woods to observe.

Trail alongside Birchmore wall

            From the end of the wall, the trail curves right and begins heading moderately downhill, back into the ravine.  At 2.1 miles, the trail crosses Gran Ellen Drive for the second and final time.  Small brown signs stating “Birchmore Trail” are placed at various points along this trail, and one helps you find the trail on the opposite side of the road here.  The trail curves right, crosses a final wide wooden bridge, and climbs one last hill to arrive at the park road, the end of the Birchmore Trail.  Turn right and walk a short distance down the park road to return to the parking lot and complete the hike.