Red Top Mountain State Park: Iron Hill Trail (Blog Hike #954)

Trail: Iron Hill Trail
Hike Location: Red Top Mountain State Park
Geographic Location: east of Cartersville, GA (34.14004, -84.69901)
Length: 3.6 miles
Difficulty: 4/10 (Easy/Moderate)
Date Hiked: May 2023
Overview: A loop hike along Lake Allatoona passing an old iron mining community.
Park Information: https://gastateparks.org/RedTopMountain
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=936837
Photo Highlight:

Hike Video:

Directions to the trailhead: Northwest of Atlanta, take I-75 to Red Top Mountain Road (exit 285).  Exit and go east on Red Top Mountain Rd.  Drive Red Top Mountain Rd. east 3.2 miles, crossing Lake Allatoona and passing the park's Trading Post in the process, to the signed trailhead parking for the Iron Hill Trail on the right.  Pay the entrance fee and park in the large gravel parking lot.

The hike: For my general comments on Red Top Mountain State Park, see my blog entry for the Homestead Trail, which is this park's signature trail.  This park and mountain are named for the high iron content in this area's soil.  Iron was mined here during the 1800's, and the Iron Hill Trail takes you through one of the old iron mining communities.  While little of the former community remains, the wide trail on gradual grades makes for easy hiking, and this park's location on the fringe of metro Atlanta means this trail gets plenty of use.  Try to plan a weekday visit in the winter for best hiking conditions and maximum solitude.

Trailhead at rear of parking lot

            From the rear of the large gravel parking lot, follow signs for the trailhead, which means heading down a two-track gravel road and then turning left.  A slight descent brings you to an intersection with the Iron Hill Trail, which goes left and right.  I chose to turn left and use the trail going right as my return route, thus hiking the loop clockwise.  The Iron Hill Trail is marked with blue trail markers, but the trail is wide and obvious for its entire distance.

Starting the Iron Hill loop

            Soon the parking lot comes into view uphill and to the left, and a highly eroded now-closed trail going up to the parking lot shows you why the initial turns/route were necessary.  The wide gravel trail descends gradually and crosses a gated park maintenance road at 0.25 miles.  More gradual descending brings you to the base of a highly eroded hillside at 0.5 miles.  Although no signs indicate such, this appears to be the site of the old iron mine: the steep exposed dirt and rock here look anything but natural.  Fittingly, a black vulture looked down on me here, and it is fun to imagine what this site might have been like when the mine was active.

Old ironing site

            Continuing around the loop, soon Lake Allatoona comes in sight to the left, and partially obstructed views of the lake will keep you company for most of the rest of the hike.  Small wooden distance markers appear in 0.5-mile increments.  At 0.9 miles, the trail curves sharply left to follow the park maintenance road for a short distance before resuming its wide gravel character again.

1.5-mile marker

            Next comes my favorite part of the hike: the trail winds its way uphill to cross a narrow peninsula that juts west into Lake Allatoona.  Plenty of benches provide ample opportunities to sit and rest in the nice mixed deciduous forest, which makes this hike bearable even on a warm day.  Now on the north side of the peninsula, more winding brings you to where the trail appears to join an old road at 2.6 miles.  Just past this point is a side trail that exits left to this hike's best Lake Allatoona view.  Some old partially broken concrete picnic tables stand here, adding to the historic flavor of this hike.

Lake Allatoona

            Near 3 miles, a pair of side trails exits right.  The first side trail leads to the old maintenance road, while the second side trail provides a small short-cut for this hike.  Stay left both times to remain on the official Iron Hill Trail.

Climbing back to the trailhead

            After passing a final lake view and a short wooden boardwalk, the trail climbs away from the lake.  Only about 50 feet of elevation is gained, and the climb is really quite easy.  At the top of the hill is another trail intersection.  The trail going right is the small short-cut you passed earlier, and the trail going left leads to the park's main campground.  Continue straight to close the loop in less than 0.2 miles.  Turn left to return to the parking lot and complete the hike.

Cloudland Canyon State Park: Waterfalls Trail (Blog Hike #953)

Trail: Waterfalls Trail
Hike Location: Cloudland Canyon State Park
Geographic Location: east of Trenton, GA (34.83562, -85.47959)
Length: 1.6 miles
Difficulty: 9/10 (Difficult)
Dates Hiked: May 1998, May 2023
Overview: An out-and-back with 600 stairs to 2 major waterfalls in Cloudland Canyon.
Park Information: https://gastateparks.org/CloudlandCanyon
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=935762
Photo Highlight:

Hike Video:

Directions to the trailhead: In extreme northwest Georgia, take I-59 to SR 136 (exit 11).  Exit and go east on SR 136.  Drive SR 136 east 6.6 miles, ascending Lookout Mountain in the process, to the state park entrance on the left.  Turn left to enter the park, pay the entrance fee, and drive 1.4 miles on the main park road, continuing straight at each intersection.  Park in any of the parking lots near the Interpretive Center.

The hike: For my general comments on Cloudland Canyon State Park, see my hike on this park's West Rim Trail.  The hike described here takes you to 2 spectacular waterfalls deep in Cloudland Canyon.  The 600 stairs on this hike make it one of 4 hikes in Georgia required for scouts to earn their Canyon Climbers badge, and they provide a strong workout for most people.  For people willing and able to make the journey, the rewards are immense, and this hike is easily one of the best dayhikes in Georgia's state park system.

Main trailhead

            Before you head to the waterfalls, take a quick detour to the park's Interpretive Center.  The Interpretive Center has some interesting exhibits, but the main attraction is the park's main canyon overlook, which is right behind the Interpretive Center.  This viewpoint looks down the canyon all of the way to its mouth, and it gives you a bird's eye view of where you are going to be in a few minutes.

Main overlook

            After taking in the view, walk southwest along the canyon rim, passing a few more overlooks.  Some rhododendron just starting to bloom brightened my path when I came here in early May.  Keep the park cabins to your left, and just shy of 0.6 miles reach a trail intersection.  The aforementioned West Rim Trail continues straight here, but you need to turn right twice to begin descending the iron-grate stairs into the canyon.

Top of the stairs

            Next you pass under a large rock overhang and descend the longest flight of stairs to reach another trail intersection at 0.7 miles.  The option going left leads to Cherokee Falls, the upper of the two waterfalls in this canyon.  You will want to go that way either now or on your way back up.  I chose to save Cherokee Falls for the return trip by turning right and continuing to descend.

Large rock overhang

            Steel stairs turn into stone stairs just before you reach the bottom at 0.8 miles.  The Sitton Gulch Trail exits right here; it leads 2.2 miles downstream to a trailhead near Trenton and does not form a loop.  To get your first waterfall, turn left and walk through a wet area to reach the base of Hemlock Falls in a few hundred feet.

Bottom of the stairs

            At 88 feet high, Hemlock Falls is the taller of the two waterfalls in this canyon.  The ledge-type falls occupies a stark amphitheater with vertical rock walls surrounding you on three sides, but greenery and boulders partially obscure the plunge pool.  An observation platform with benches invites you to admire the waterfall while resting for the climb back up.

Hemlock Falls

            When you get up the ambition, start retracing your steps back up the stairs.  Benches spaced about 75-100 stairs apart provide ample opportunities to rest, but the climb still requires exertion.  1 mile into the hike, you return to the midpoint trail intersection.  Continue straight to head for Cherokee Falls if you did not take that side trip on the way down.

Cherokee Falls

            Perhaps surprisingly, the next set of stairs leads down instead of up, and at 1.1 miles you reach the base of Cherokee Falls.  Even though Cherokee Falls is only 59 feet high, I find it more aesthetically pleasing than Hemlock Falls due to its gently curving rock walls and larger plunge pool.  After admiring this waterfall, retrace your steps to the main trail, then turn right to climb the remainder of the stairs to the parking lot to complete the hike.  Congratulations!  You climbed all 600 stairs at Cloudland Canyon.

Joe Wheeler State Park: Champion, Wheeler River, and Day Use Trails (Blog Hike #952)

Trails: Champion, Wheeler River, and Day Use Trails
Hike Location: Joe Wheeler State Park
Geographic Location: west of Rogersville, AL (34.81160, -87.33247)
Length: 2.8 miles
Difficulty: 5/10 (Moderate)
Date Hiked: May 2023
Overview: A semiloop with good Wheeler Lake views passing 2 state champion trees.
Park Information: https://www.alapark.com/parks/joe-wheeler-state-park
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=935611
Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: 

Directions to the trailhead: In northern Alabama, take I-65 to US 72 (exit 351).  Exit and go west on US 72.  Drive US 72 west 22 miles to the entrance for Joe Wheeler State Park on the left.  Turn left to enter the park, and drive the winding main park road to the park's lodge at the road's end.  The trailhead is located at the far (west) end of the lodge parking lot.

The hike: At 72 feet high and 6342 feet long, Wheeler Dam in northwest Alabama is the longest of the 9 Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) dams on the Tennessee River.  Like most TVA dams, Wheeler Dam was built in the 1930's for the main purpose of hydroelectric power generation, and it is capable of generating up to 411,800 kilowatts of electricity.  The dam forms Wheeler Lake, which at 68,300 acres is the second largest lake in Alabama (second only to Lake Guntersville, another TVA lake located 60 miles upstream).  The park, lake, and dam are all named for U.S. Representative Joseph Wheeler, who represented this area in the late 1800's.

            Joe Wheeler State Park came to be when the State of Alabama purchased 2550 acres from the TVA in 1949.  The park underwent a major upgrade to resort park status in 1973, and the results of the upgrade still entertain visitors today.  Amenities include a fantastic resort lodge and restaurant, an 18 hole golf course, a 140-slip marina, and a developed campground.  For hikers, the park features several trails including the Champion Trail, which is named for 2 state champion trees that the trail passes.  Combining the Champion Trail with 2 other trails forms the barbell-shaped semiloop described here.

Trailhead near lodge

            Only a small triangular sign with the universal hiker symbol marks this trailhead, but the dirt trail heading into the woods is obvious.  Marked by blue rectangular paint blazes, the Champion Trail climbs a short distance before splitting to form its loop.  To get to the state champion trees quickly, I continued straight and used the trail going left as my return route, thus hiking the Champion Trail counterclockwise.

Hiking the Champion Trail

            A state champion tree is simply the largest tree of its species in the state, and soon you come to the Alabama state champion September elm, which is marked by a small official-looking sign.  The American elm population has been decimated by Dutch elm disease, but this elm is doing better than most.  After topping the ridge, the trail descends steeply while crossing the park's cottage access road.  Look for the blue blazes downhill and across the road to stay on the trail.

Wheeler Lake

            At 0.4 miles, the Champion Trail turns left where a spur trail to the lakeshore exits right.  First take the spur trail to the right, which leads to a nice (and windy, on my visit) viewpoint along the shore of Wheeler Lake.  Back on the main trail, the trail climbs moderately to pass the state champion Chinkapin oak at 0.7 miles.  This oak is indeed quite impressive, although I have seen larger oak trees in other states.

State champion Chinkapin oak

            0.8 miles into the hike, you reach a trail intersection.  The Champion Trail continues to the left, and you could go that way now if you are running short of time or energy.  To see more of this park's trail system, turn right to begin the Wheeler River Trail.

Starting the Wheeler River Trail

            Marked with yellow rectangular paint blazes, the Wheeler River Trail dips through three steep but fairly shallow ravines.  Despite this trail's name, only partially obstructed views of the lake emerge through the trees to the right, and there are no more large trees like the ones you saw on the Champion Trail.  After climbing out of the last ravine, the Wheeler River Trail ends at an intersection with the Day Use Trail, which goes left and right.  Turn right to begin a counterclockwise journey around the Day Use Trail.

            Marked with red rectangular paint blazes, the Day Use Trail passes through the park's disc golf course, which has its own system of unmarked trails.  At 1.6 miles, you reach a sunny grassy ridgetop area that overlooks a parking lot and picnic shelter with the lake in the background.  Continue around the Day Use Trail to complete its loop, then backtrack on the Wheeler River Trail to get back to the Champion Trail.  Some benches on the Wheeler River Trail invite you to sit and rest on your way back.

"Overlook" of day-use area

            Upon returning to the Champion Trail, turn right to continue the Champion Trail's loop.  The trail crosses one final low ridge, and it crosses the cottage access road one more time.  Upon closing the loop, turn right and walk the short entrance trail back downhill to the lodge parking lot to complete the hike.