Afoot and Afield: Atlanta. MARCUS WOOLF

      

      While it is true that Christopher Columbus might never have discovered the “New World” if he’d had a guidebook, it’s also true that few of us have the gumption or wherewithal to spend two years wondering where it is we are wandering. Thankfully, Marcus Woolf has done more than enough wandering for all of us, and the result is a wonderfully engaging guidebook that ensures your explorations of Atlanta’s many wild and less-wild trails are well planned and memorable for the right reasons.

      —Michael Hodgson,

      former president of SNEWS, the premier trade website and magazine for the outdoor industry

      If you have the spirit and gumption to hit the trails but maybe not the time to spend all day looking for them, this book is for you. Woolf’s comprehensive guide will not only get you on some of the finest trails in the Southeast but will also prime you for deeper forays into the vast wilderness just beyond your Atlanta doorstep.

      As an outdoor photographer, I have often asked Marcus for tips on this or that hiking area, since I know he has been to all of them. As a rock climber, I can also appreciate the inclusion of some great cliffs and boulder fields in this book—areas that can add diversity and adventure to the Atlanta hiker’s experience.

      —Andrew Kornylak,

      outdoor photographer, climber, and Atlanta resident

      Afoot & Afield Atlanta: 108 Spectacular Outings in North-Central Georgia

      Second edition, first printing

      Copyright © 2016 by Marcus Woolf

      Project editor: Holly Cross

      Cover and interior photos by Marcus Woolf, except where noted

      Maps: Bart Wright, Lohnes + Wright

      Cover design: Scott McGrew

      Original text design: Andreas Schuller; adapted by Annie Long

      Copyeditor: Rheana Murray

      Proofreader: Lisa C. Bailey

      Indexer: Sylvia Coates

      Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

      Woolf, Marcus.

      Afoot & afield Atlanta : 108 spectacular outings in North-Central Georgia / Marcus Woolf. -- Second edition.

      pages cm

      ISBN 978-0-89997-787-4 -- ISBN 0-89997-787-1 -- ISBN 978-0-89997-788-1 (eISBN)

      1. Hiking--Georgia--Atlanta Metropolitan Area--Guidebooks. 2. Atlanta Metropolitan Area (Ga.)--Guidebooks. 3. Natural history--Georgia--Atlanta Metropolitan Area. I. Title. II. Title: Afoot and afield Atlanta.

      GV199.42.G462W66 2015

      796.5109758'231--dc23

      2015008839

      Manufactured in the United States of America

Published by:		WILDERNESS PRESS
		An imprint of Keen Communications, LLC
		2204 First Avenue South, Suite 102
		Birmingham, AL 35233
		800-443-7227; fax [phone]
		[email protected]

      Visit wildernesspress.com for a complete listing of our books and for ordering information. Contact us at our website, facebook.com/wildernesspress1967, or twitter.com/wilderness1967 with questions and comments. To find out more about who we are and what we’re doing, visit our blog, trekalong.com.

      Distributed by Publishers Group West

      Cover photos, clockwise from top: View of Atlanta from Kennesaw Mountain, Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park (Trip 69); Amicalola Falls, Amicalola Falls State Park (Trip 24); view of Cloudland Canyon, Cloudland Canyon State Park (Trip 7)

      Frontispiece: Panther Falls, Rabun Beach Recreation Area (Trip 59)

      All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, or by any means electronic, mechanical, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher, except for brief quotations used in reviews.

      SAFETY NOTICE Although Wilderness Press and Marcus Woolf have made every attempt to ensure that the information in this book is accurate at press time, they are not responsible for any loss, damage, injury, or inconvenience that may occur to anyone while using this book. You are responsible for your own safety and health while in the wilderness. The fact that a trail is described in this book does not mean that it will be safe for you. Be aware that trail conditions can change from day to day. Always check local conditions and know your own limitations.

      FOR EVAN AND MIKE

      The author backpacking on the Appalachian Trail (Trip 33)

      Acknowledgments

      The generosity and kindness of many people made this book possible. I would first like to thank my wife, Wendy, and my parents, brother, and grandfather, whose love and support were the greatest things I carried on each hike. Big thanks to Tom, Joe, Andy, and Karen, who accompanied me on trails and pushed that measuring wheel. Much gratitude goes to Michael Hodgson, who has guided me in my journey to be an outdoor writer and whose support is invaluable. Thanks, Rob and Tigree, for sharing your home.

      Personnel with Georgia State Parks, the U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, and other organizations provided critical information for the book. Special thanks go to USFS representatives David Kirkindall, Larry Luckett, and Larry Thomas. There is probably no greater source of information concerning Chattahoochee River history than National Park Service Ranger Jerry Hightower. And I thank Chris Hughes, formerly with the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, for supplying me with its Historic Resource Study.

      Researching Georgia battlefields was a highlight of working on this project, and two great sources of knowledge were Rebecca Karcher and Jim Staub, former park rangers at Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park.

      Also, a big round of applause to all the people working to educate the public about Georgia’s natural resources, such as Sandy Straw, former naturalist with the Len Foote Hike Inn. And another round to organizations such as the Georgia Appalachian Trail Club and its volunteers, who put in all the hard hours to maintain trails and ensure that we can have quality experiences outdoors.