Stone Mountain Park, located east of Atlanta, offers plenty of adventure for the outdoor enthusiast, with a lake for fishing, playgrounds, biking for all ages, 15 miles of hiking and hiking trails, and historical features can support a family. busy for days. To explore the beautiful landscape that the park has to offer, the hiking trails are the best; the two most popular are the Walk-Up Trail and the Cherokee Trail.
The only way to get to the top of Stone Mountain is via the Shy Lift by hiking the 2.1-mile round-trip Stone Mountain Walk-Up Trail with a 700-foot elevation gain. The trail begins near the park’s Confederate Hall, crossing the railroad track to the park’s flag display, where the hike quickly begins to take a steady elevation change where, near the top, the inclines become very steep. The trail surface is made up of gentle strips of rocky terrain where shallow pits of earth dot the landscape, home to grasses and pine trees. The trail is an exhilarating exercise, but the magnificent views of the surrounding area and the historic carvings along the trail make the effort very rewarding. The rugged 5-mile Cherokee Trail loops through the base of the mountain through a pine forest with elevation changes of 468 feet primarily due to the trail crossing the lower western section of the Walk-up Trail. Beginning at the old Grist Mill, the trail winds through the wooded banks alongside Stone Mountain Lake with spectacular views of the lake passing over the park’s historic wooden covered bridge. After crossing the earthen dam, the trail continues along the shores of Lake Venable with views of the towering mountains with their massive dome reflecting in the rippling waters of the lakes. After the trail crosses Robert E. Lee Blvd at the playground, it begins some gradual inclines past a small waterfall and the stone fireplace of a long-gone log cabin. Arriving at the base of the stone-walled mountain, the trail begins a steep incline up the stone wall until it crosses the footpath, where it descends on the other side and returns to the pine forest. As the trail enters the auditorium area, the views of the Confederate carvings on the mountain face are beyond spectacular. The trail re-enters the woods until it reaches the Grist Mill to complete the loop.
In addition to long, strenuous trails, Stone Mountain Park has some short scenic trails for personal enjoyment. Across the historic bridge to Indian Island is the 1-mile loop of King’s Trail. This trail is family friendly with some slight inclines as it traverses the wooded shores of the north and east shores of Stone Mountain Lake before turning inland through the center of the island back to the parking lot. The Nature Garden Trail may be a short 75-mile loop, but it’s packed with some of the park’s best natural beauty. The trail winds through mature oak and hickory forest that features mostly easy terrain and crosses several mountain streams with roots and rocks along the way. Along the trail are numerous benches with interpretive signs identifying native shade-loving plants and flowering shrubs. A more moderately rated trail with some steep inclines is the 1.5-mile Trail of the Muscogee loop, named for the native Indians who once occupied this area. The trail begins with a slow, gradual climb through hardwood forest crossing some ditches and rolling hills before reaching the lake. The return portion of the trail along the lakes shoreline becomes more technical with frequent changes in grade with roots and native granite covering the trail. The site of the 1996 Summer Olympics for archery and cycling is now the park’s songbird habitat. The 1.75-mile loop trail winds through meadows and forests where native plants thrive.
To learn a little about the history of Stone Mountain, visit the Quarry Exhibit, which was developed to tell the story of an industry that extracted the granite from the mountain for use around the world. Over the years, more than 7.5 million cubic yards have been quarried from the mountain and virtually every state has a building with Stone Mountain Granite. As time has passed, the exhibit explains the paper changes in technology made in the process of disposal. Due to the pandemic, museums and some exhibits are closed at this time.
For a bit of excitement away from Stone Mountain Park, The World of Coke Museum in downtown Atlanta is a great place for all ages that showcases the history of the Coke company. The complex covers 20 acres with multiple interactive exhibits, from sampling beverages from around the world to the new Scent Discovery exhibit. Tasting Coca-Cola drinks from around the world can be a treat in itself, as a Coca-Cola Ambassador explains facts and details about each product Coca-Cola offers in other countries. The sense of smell is put to the test by guessing the origin of a variety of odors while educating yourself on the anatomy of smell, from reception to perception. The 3-D Theater is a multi-sensory movie experience that takes the family on a journey around the world in search of Coca-Cola’s secret formula. Bottle Works allows you to get an up-close look at the equipment and processes found in a full-size bottling factory while learning some interesting facts about the history of Coca-Cola bottling. The loft section of the resort showcases the rich heritage of yesterday and today’s artifacts along with 125 years of Coca-Cola memorabilia.