The always burgeoning sprawl of the Atlanta area is usually not known for its great outdoor experiences, yet the metropolitan area does contain many worthwhile and unique outdoor opportunities.
Sweetwater state park is the site of civil war era factory town, New Manchester, that was burned down as the Union army overtook Atlanta. The only remains standing are the ghostly ruins of the factory right next to Sweet Water Creek (which looks more like a river). The wooded area is far removed from any bustling sprawl and contains three beautiful hiking trails of various challenge. The longest one loops six miles around the 2,000 acres. The park is located 15 miles west of Atlanta off I-20 at exit #12.
Historic Oakland Cemetery is truly a city of the dead invoking a time now gone yet also timeless. The elaborate florid architecture of tombstones and mausoleum speaks poetry among the sculpted gardens and the ancient trees . Many of the city’s movers and shakers are buried here from civil rights pioneers, Confederate generals, Gone with the Wind author Margaret Mitchell and 25 mayors. Oakland leaves a strange stirring experience that is unforgettable. The Cemetery is located off Memorial Drive near the capital.
Nearby Grant Park offers a relaxing retreat from the harsh steel and concrete of downtown. The park’s winding paths and huge oak trees offer a relaxing retreat in the middle of the loud imposing steel and concrete of downtown. The park also contains the attractions of the Atlanta Zoo and the circular epic Civil War painting Cyclorama. The surrounding neighborhood is made up of beautiful meticulously detailed Victorian homes. Grant Park is located off Memorial Drive near the capital.
Mount Arabia nature preserve is part of a trinity of unusual stone and granite mountainous formations in the Atlanta area, which also includes Stone Mountain and Mount Panola. Mount Arabia is like teleporting onto another planet. The mountainous landscape offers a vast amount of trails from the serene to the moderately challenging. Arabia’s appeal over the popular Stone mountain is its isolation and avoidance of at touristy vibe. The preserve contains rare plant life and abundant wildlife. Experiencing the area is seeing nature in sheer intensity which can provide the possibility for a humbling meditative experience. The preserve is located east on I-20 off exit 74.
Kennesaw mountain offers both a vigorous hike, history, and a brilliant view of the Atlanta skyline. The mountain was the site of a bloody civil war battle where the confederates fended off the Union army from atop . Also nearby are other civil war parks memorial parks such as Picket’s mill and Cheatham Hills. These areas not only offer history but are an oasis in Atlanta’s continual engulfing sprawl.
