By Jessica
Finding adventure doesn’t have to send you traveling across the world or even across the country. Georgia residents are fortunate enough to have many adventures waiting just around the corner. Here are my top 10 adventure spots in Georgia (in no particular order). Some are free and others cost a chunk of change. No matter what type of adventure you’re interested in, you’ll find something on this list.
- Rocktown: Located at the top of Pigeon Mountain on the border of Georgia and Tennessee, this is a playground for kids and adults alike. Whether a serious rock climber or just like playin’ around, Rocktown is a great place to spend a day or weekend adventure. Read more about Rocktown. Cost: free!
- Skydive the Farm: In Rockmart, Georgia, there isn’t much going on … except for your run of the mill jumping out of an airplane! Choose tandem or the Accelerated Free Fall (AFF) program. Both offer a huge thrill and an unforgettable experience. The jump masters at The Farm are professional, personable, and a hoot! You’ll have a blast! My fav jump master is Edvaldo, the Brazilian. Cost: Tandem $159 on special and AFF $269. If you have a group of friends interested in jumping, ask about their group discounts. You can even camp out at the farm.
- Lookout Mountain Hang Gliding: Head to Lookout Mountain and get a great view from the air. Take hang gliding lessons and start the day on the baby slope (if you are physically active and can tote a glider on your shoulders) or just hang on for the ride and do the tandem flight. If you’ve never hang glided, it is a serene and peaceful experience (the tandem flight, that is). The Introductory Experience is much more labor intensive but an awesome time. Flying on your own, even only a foot off the ground, is an exilerating experience! Camping is also available near this area. If you’d rather, plenty of cabins are available for rent in the nearby town. Cost: Introductory Experience $199 (which includes the tandem) and tandem only $149. Also ask about group rates. Read more about hang gliding at Lookout Mountain.
- Petty John’s Cave: Great cave for new or non-cavers, this cave is located on Pigeon Mountain. In fact, if you’ve been to Rocktown, you will pass by the sign for Petty John’s. Be sure you know SOMETHING about caving before heading here and at the very least bring three sources of light, food, and water. This cave goes about 6 miles in, so there is a potential to get lost in the cave. And if you enjoy yourself, consider doing more caving. The Dogwood City Grotto is a local cavers organization that hosts trips each month. Cost: free.
- Tallulah Gorge: Take a hike, literally! Head to north Georgia and hike the Hurricane Falls staircase trail to the bottom of the gorge. It’s a strenuous hike so be sure you are up for it. Obtain a permit (free) before hiking to the bottom of the gorge. Rock climbing and repelling are also allowed, with a permit. Leave the pups at home for this hike. Pets are not allowed down to the gorge (but are permitted on the rim trails). Cost: $4 for parking. Camping, biking and fishing are also available. Also check out the suspension bridge (check out the monthly full moon hikes over the bridge).
- “Little Grand Canyon”: Providence Canyon, known as the “Little Grand Canyon,” is located near Lumpkin, Georgia. The views are spectacular and although the name implies small, it is not (it is little compared to the Grand Canyon). Take a hike on the trails or reserve a backcountry backpacking site. Either way, be sure to bring your camera! Cost: $3 for parking and $6 for backcountry camping sites.
- Brasstown Bald: At 4, 784 feet above sea level, this is the highest peak in Georgia. From the top, you can see four states. To make this an adventure, don’t drive to the top, hike it. Better yet, plan a backpacking trip to include Jack’s Knob. Cost: $3 if you drive to the parking lot and free if you take a longer hike to get there.
- Sea Kayaking: Head to Tybee Island area and take a trip on the water. For a laid back adventure, choose the Salt Marsh Paddle. For more excitement, surf the Triangle and choose the rough water kayaking package. Cost: $55 for Salt Marsh Paddle (half day) and rough water kayaking starts at $135.
- Raft the Chattooga: Sections III and IV of this river offer adventurous white water rafting. Rapids are rated from class IIs to IVs. Section IV is more intense and requires experienced guides. Check out overnight trips. This is a great way to cool off and get adventurous on those hot Georgia summer days. Cost: Varies during season and outfitter but ranges from $80 to $130 for day trips.
- Wilderness Canoeing: Head south to the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge for canoeing and camping. Paddle through the “Land of the Trembling Earth” and witness the alligators and herrings firsthand. The swampland touts 120 miles of canoe trails with seven designated camping areas along the trail. Cost: To camp along trail is $10 a night.
While these adventures made my top 10 list, many came in close. Georgia is full of adventure, if you take the time to look for it. Have recommendations for other top 10 adventures in Georgia? Leave a comment and let me know!
By Jessica
Many favorite backpacker trails are also favored by horseback riders. Can backpackers and horseback riders share the same trails? Is there animosity between the two groups or do they coexist in their passion to enjoy the outdoors? I’m not sure how horseback riders feel about backpackers? Are they annoyed by our presence on the trail or do they enjoy running across us on the trail? While I don’t know how they feel about us, I know there are mixed feelings among backpackers regarding horseback riders. And I’m saddened to report it.
Some hikers do tout a sense of snobbery against horseback riders. Their point is that hiking is much more strenuous an activity than horseback riding. Thus, hikers have a sense of entitlement to the trail, sort or we-work-harder-so-we-deserve-more attitude. But I’m not necessarily in this group of hikers. I love riding horseback riding. While I wasn’t fortunate enough to have one of my own, my best friend growing up did have horses. And we rode together ALL the time. So, I appreciate the fact that horseback riders want to enjoy the trails as much as hikers and backpackers. And I also realize that horseback riding is much more strenuous than it looks. I even enjoy seeing horseback riders on the trail. I just love horses and I get a kick out of being near them. (My dog is not so much a fan though. I’m not sure if he thinks they are big dogs and that’s what sets him off, but he seems more interested in fighting them than anything.)
Another and I feel quite legitimate case that backpackers take against horseback riders is the damage they cause to the trail. Horse hooves tear up the trail making backpacking less pleasant for those behind them. And speaking of horse behinds, horses leave quite large, quite unpleasant “gifts” on the trail that backpackers face the challenge of dodging.
While a similar case can be made against dogs on the trail, the damage and “gifts” dogs leave are much less severe. Plus, my dog, like most I would imagine, goes OFF the trail to take care of his business. But horses don’t go off trail. They their business while they are walking, ON the trail. And I understand that it would be too much to ask a horse to stop, go off trail, do their thing, and then return to the trail. I’m not necessarily OFFENDED by the horse gifts, but it does detract from the beauty of the trail, not to mention the unpleasant smell.
So what’s the answer? Should there be designated horse trails and backpacker trails so that the two will not cross paths? Either that or we all have to take this as a lesson in tolerance.
By Jessica
During our last backpacking trip, we came upon two separate campfires that had been left unattended and were still burning (not just smolder, flaming!). We were shocked and upset by the irresponsible campers that left these fires still burning. And worried that such instances could have caused a forest fire! Of course, we put the fires out to avoid that scenario, but it has prompted me to write this friendly reminder about how to properly extinguish campfires.
Before you leave your next campfire, be sure that you have properly extinguished it. This process is not hard, but it does involve more than pouring water on the flames. And remember that hot coals can reignite after you leave. Here are the steps to putting out a campfire (the RIGHT way):
1. Pour water on fire to extinguish flames and coals
2. Scatter ashes and coals and continue dousing with water.
3. Turn over large logs and rocks to extinguish any embers hiding beneath them.
4. Wait 30 to 45 minutes. Place hands over fire and be sure no heat is still emitting from the old fire. If you still feel heat, douse with more water, check for more embers and wait to check heat again.
5. Do not leave your campfire unattended and be COMPLETELY sure your fire is out before you leave you campsite.
Remember these quick tips next time you camp out. Smokey the Bear was right, “Only YOU can prevent forest fires!”
By Jessica
David and I have been trying to plan a weekend backpacking trip since Valentine’s Day. But work and weather always seemed to get in the way, until this weekend, that is. So, we decided to head north to the Cahutta Wilderness … a favorite area of both of ours. My friend from the Atlanta Outdoor Club (AOC) joined us and of course, Monte was there too. From Kennesaw, the drive to the trailhead took just over an hour. We reached the trailhead around 11:30 am and started getting our trekking poles and packs ready. We paused just long enough to get a group photo at the trailhead, and then we were off.
Rice Camp Trail in the Cahutta Wilderness is a relatively short trail, only 3.9 miles, and dead ends into Jacks River Trail. The trail is rated easy to moderate by most trail books and Web sites, which we found to be an accurate account. The first couple miles follows streams (first a tributary of Rice Camp Branch and then Rice Camp Branch itself).
We tried to count the water crossings …
but weren’t sure which ones were truly stream/river crossings and which spots just happened to be really wet. Needless to say, be prepared for wet crossings. We all brought water shoes but never used them. Waterproof or Gortex boots seemed the best fit for the trail. Most water crossing were shallow or easily traversed by hopping rocks.
After the almost 2 miles along the streams, the trail takes a sharp turn to the left and starts uphill. The incline was not steep enough or long enough to up the difficulty rating from the easy to moderate level. The trail is also wide and flat, making for easy footing with a backpack. (These characteristics also made the trail enticing for horseback riders, like the ones we encountered on the trail.) The hike was pleasant although I found myself missing the sounds of running water and the cool breeze coming from the streams.
After the gradual incline, this trail heads back downhill towards Jack’s River. Just as the trail started the descent, we noticed smoke and ash in the air. We couldn’t see fire and I didn’t know of any prescribed burns scheduled for the area (then again, I hadn’t called to find out). We all tried to get a cell phone signal to contact the Ranger station and ask about the smoke, but no one had a signal (even with three different cell phone carriers being represented). So, we decided to take the safe route and head back toward less smoky ground.
Once back at the stream, we chose a nice campsite just on the other side of the stream from the trail.
You can’t miss it on the hike it but it relatively private for being so close to the trail. We set up tents, cleaned up a bit, and settled in for a nice evening by the stream. I filtered water and wrote a bit in my hiking journal while Charina rested and David prepared a place to hang the bear bag for the evening.
We ate dinner soon after. David and I had red beans and rice with summer sausage, Charina dined on gourmet Ramen noodles, and Monte enjoyed a “meaty bone” brought in from home. After we ate and cleaned up, we relaxed, chatted, and watched the sun go down. The temperature dropped with the sun, and while cool enough for a fire, we adhered to policy and didn’t start one (despite the fact that there was an established campfire ring at our camp site).
We all retired early, which was probably smart since it was daylight savings time and we lost an hour of sleep that night. In the morning, we took our time making breakfast and packing up camp. We only had a short hike back to the car, so there was no rush. It was an easy and enjoyable hike out of the woods, but we were all a little sad to leave the peaceful campsite. Once home, we all had chores waiting for us and busy Mondays looming ahead.
This trail was very pretty with the water crossings and a few small waterfalls in areas. Had we followed the trail to the end, we could have enjoyed Jack’s River Falls, which is a great place to cool off after a hot summer’s hike. This trail seemed less traveled than Jack’s River Trail, and is easy enough for beginner hikers to take on. Overall, we greatly enjoyed this trip and the trail. We hope to return to it soon, and this time we plan to complete the entire trail!
Tips for Rice Camp Trail:
Prepare to encounter horseback riders on the trail. And remember that the trail might be a bit torn up by the hooves!
Campfires are not allowed in the Cahutta Wilderness Area.
Call the Ranger station before your hike or backpacking trip. We discovered that the Ranger station wasn’t open on the weekend and there was no cell service either. Had we called ahead of time, we would have known there was a scheduled burn that weekend, and would not have been alarmed by the smoke and ash we saw on our hike.
