- East Palisades Trail/Bamboo Forest–Indian Trail–Sandy Springs 4-5 Mi.–ModerateEast Palisades Unit--Indian Trail, Sandy Springs, GA
Distance: Approximately 4-5 miles
Difficulty: Moderate
Group Hiking Pace: 2.5 – 3 MPH
Hike Start Time: 8:30 am
Fee: $5Let’s head ITP to take in a hike offering a nice walk along the bank of the Chattahoochee, some pretty good climbs and descents, a picturesque overlook of the river, and even a stroll through a small bamboo forest. This is one of CRNRA’s most scenic and popular hikes in the ATL and is well deserving of the attention.
Our pace will be 2.5 - 3 mph with a limited number of stops. The distance we will cover will be 4.5-5 miles. Note that the AllTrails link below lists this hike at 4.2 miles, but we will be adding a couple of out and back spurs to get the distance up a wee bit.
There is a fee of $5.00 unless you already have the appropriate pass (CRNRA; US NPS). This park doesn’t have a credit card machine or have cash envelopes to the best of my knowledge but does have a posted barcode that you can scan with your phone. But if you are not comfortable with that approach or want to save a few mins, you can pay online in advance by using the link I have provided below. That is what I plan to do …
Please note there are multiple parking areas for this park. Both lots are small and fill up quickly given the popularity of this hike. We will be congregating and commencing from at the Indian Trail Parking lot. As always, it’s probably best to use the pin map available in the event info for directions to the park and the meeting spot. It will get you right to where you need to be using google maps - give or take a few meters😜
The hike will start at 8:30 am, and I figure it will take us about 3 hours at most with an extended stop at the bamboo forest. I do start events on time so please do not be late for the consideration of all attendees.
Doggies are very welcome and encouraged to join. 🐕🦺 Woof!
Below are some helpful links for you to review if you want to get a flavor for what you are thinking about signing up for. Of course and as always, if you have any questions in advance please let me know and I will do my best to answer them.
AllTrails (general info about the trail itself):
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/georgia/east-palisades-trail
Day Pass:
https://www.recreation.gov/sitepass/2626
Hope to see you there, and of course please remember that you will be participating entirely at your own risk as Suwanee Take-a-Hikers assumes absolutely no liability (nada, zero, zilch, zip, jack squat) for adverse events which may occur during meetups. Cheers! 😊
- Sawnee Mountain Preserve – Indian Seats and Mountainside Trails - ModerateSawnee Mountain Preserve Visitor Center, Cumming, GA
Sawnee Mountain Indian seats is a great trail with a beautiful overlook located just up the road a ways in Cumming GA. While the distance is relatively short 3.9-mile loop (approximately), please don’t underestimate this one as there is some substantial elevation gain to it. We will add on a portion Mountainside Trail to get about 6-7 miles total.
The trail is soft surface/compact soil, wide, and pretty easy to navigate. At the top of the incline are the Indian Seats rock outcroppings allowing a super overlook view with the N. GA mountains in the distance. I plan to pause there for 15 minutes or so to rest, refresh, and take in the scenery before completing the loop back to the trailhead.
Let's meet at the visitors center off of Spot Road. Be sure to come to the correct lot as there are more than one that offer access to access to this trail. DO NOT go to the lot off of Bettis Tribble Gap Road. Please follow the link that I post in the event, preferably using google maps, to ensure you come to the right place.
Parking is free, and free is good! 😁
Note that this hike is cross posted in Lawrenceville Hikers.
Unfortunately, doggies are not permitted on this trail. The hike will start at 09:00 am, and I figure it will take us about 3 hours hours with the pause at the scenic overlook. I do like to start events on time so please do not be late for the consideration of all attendees.Below are some helpful links. Please note that the alltrails one is not the exact way we will approach this trail but it will give you a good idea of what the trail is like, etc. Of course and as always, if you have any questions in advance please let me know and I will do my best to answer them.
AllTrails (general info about the trail itself):
Indian Seats Trail Loop | Map, Guide - Georgia | AllTrails
Atlanta Trails (general info about the trail itself):
Sawnee Mountain Preserve: hiking the Indian Seats Trail (atlantatrails.com)
Hope to see you there, and of course please remember that you will be participating entirely at your own risk as Suwanee Take-a-Hikers assumes absolutely no liability (nada, zero, zilch, zip) for adverse events which may occur during meetups. Cheers! 😊