Читать книгу Afoot & Afield: Atlanta. 108 Spectacular Outings in North-Central Georgia онлайн

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HIGHLIGHTS The Chickamauga Creek Trail is easy to access, but traffic tends to be light, and the trail is set deep enough in national forest that you’ll feel as if you’ve found a hidden corner of the world. The trail explores terrain that is a bit unusual because it crosses two ridges that are closer together than most in northwest Georgia, making the valley separating the ridges seem deeper and more secluded than it is. In the valley, clear streams wind among American beech trees, and in spring, trilliums, dwarf irises, and other wildflowers lie near the trail. On the ridges, the forest is much different, with open hardwood forests of hickory and oak. You may encounter deer and wild turkeys.

DIRECTIONS From Atlanta, take I-75 north to Exit 320. Turn left onto GA 136 and go to Villanow. From Villanow, continue on GA 136 west 3.4 miles and turn right onto Ponder Creek Road. Go 0.6 mile and bear right onto Forest Service Road 219. Go 1.8 miles to where FSR 219 ends at the parking area.

You can also access the Chickamauga Creek Trail by driving to the parking area at Waypoint 4, where Forest Service Road 250 crosses the Tennessee Valley Divide. To get to there from Atlanta, take I-75 north to Exit 320. Turn left onto GA 136 and go to Villanow. From Villanow, continue west on GA 136 for 5 miles to the top of Taylor Ridge at Mattox Gap. Here, turn north onto FSR 250 (not paved) and take it 2.6 miles to the junction with FSR 250A. Park in the small clearing on the side of the road. The trail is at the northeast end of the parking area marked with a FOOT TRAVEL WELCOME sign.