From easy walking paths to strenuous trails, here are hiking options in and near Athens
The Athens area has an abundance of hiking and walking trail options, from shaded canopy paths to more intense trails.
Most trails are dog-friendly as long as dogs are on a leash that's no more than 6 feet in length. If you want to take a hiking day trip, you'll also find plenty to choose from at the Appalachian Trails or even the popular and challenging Tallulah Gorge.
Here are hiking options in or nearby Athens, Ga.
The State Botanical Garden of Georgia
2450 S. Milledge Ave., Athens.
Hours: Trails are open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. everyday.
Pets: No dogs are allowed.
Seven trails are color-coded and offer unique hiking experiences. The White and Orange trails runs alongside the Middle Oconee River. The White trail is hilly with steep streams, and is the longest and most difficult trail to hike. Other features include amphibolite geology and floodplain forest and Piedmont prairie restoration areas. Birding is very common among the trails, as the State Botanical Garden is designated as an Important Bird Habitat.
For more information go to: https://botgarden.uga.edu/visit-us/gardens-and-collections/trails-nature-areas/ .
Oconee Heritage Park
2543 Macon Hwy., Watkinsville.
Hours: Open daylight hours.
Pets: Dogs on leashes are allowed.
Dogs on leashes are allowed on the 364 acres of open trails. The equestrian trail is about 4.5 miles long, and the joint-use trail with biking is 0.8 miles long.
For more information go to: https://www.oconeecounty.com/941/Heritage-Park.
Sandy Creek Nature Center
205 Old Commerce Rd., Athens
Hours: Sunrise to sunset daily.
Pets: Dogs on leashes are allowed.
Twelve trails averaging at about half mile each are open to the public. These trails are a great option for a chance to see wild flora and fauna. The Kestrel Trail runs alongside the Oconee River, giving hikers water scenery.
For more information go to: https://www.accgov.com/3136/Trail-Descriptions.
Sandy Creek Park
400 Bob Holman Rd., Athens
Hours: 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Pets: Dogs on leashes are allowed.
Sandy Creek Park has more than 14 miles worth of trails to explore. The 7.5-mile Lakeside Trail moves along the the shore of Lake Chapman. The 5-mile Cook Trail/Oxbow Loop run along side the creek, where the Oxbow Loop takes you back to your starting point to the Cook Trail. They're part of the Athens Greenway and Riverside Parks system. The 8.4-mile Buckeye Horse trail does not loop around, so you'll have to come back the way you started.
For more information go to: https://www.accgov.com/7875/Trails.
Memorial Park
293 Gran Ellen Dr., Athens.
Hours: 8a.m. to 5:30p.m.
Pets: Dogs on leashes are allowed.
The Birchmore Trail, named after Fred Birchmore, is a short trail located at Memorial Park in the heart of Five Points. The 1.25-mile trail crosses over small streams alongside hardwood ravine.
For more information go to: https://www.accgov.com/5805/Memorial-Park-Trails.
Watson Mill Bridge State Park
650 Watson Mill Rd., Comer.
Hours: 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Pets: Dogs on leashes are allowed except on the Horse Trails.
With five trails to choose from, Watson Mill offers a variety of hiking options that are not that steep in slope. The 2-mile Nature Trail runs alongside the South Fork River and Big Clouds Creek and the old powerhouse. The 2.5-mile Biking & Hiking Trail is under shaded canopy, and runs along hardwood and mixed forests with views of the South Fork River. The 1.5-mile Beaver Creek Trail is 6 feet wide and runs along side the creek, and is under shaded canopy. Ridge Loop Trail is 0.75 miles long and is heavily wooded under shaded canopy. The Horse Trails are 12 miles of horse trails that are open to hikers.
For more information go to: https://gastateparks.org/WatsonMillBridge/Trails.
Oconee Forest Park
Located behind the UGA Intramural Fields at 110 Lake Herrick Dr., Athens.
Hours: Sunrise to sunset daily.
Pets: Dogs on leashes are allowed.
For a light hike near campus, the Oconee Forest Park offers seven trails that are easy to navigate on 60 acres of forested land. Some of the trails end at Lake Herrick, while others loop around near a pond.
For more information go to: https://warnell.uga.edu/oconee-forest-park.
Ben Burton Park
615 Mitchell Bridge Rd., Athens.
Hours: Sunrise to sunset daily.
Pets: Dogs on leashes are allowed.
Nestled in the forest, the 1.4-mile trail is an easy hike next to the Middle Oconee River.
For more information go to: https://www.accgov.com/benburton.
Walker Park
200 Trail Creek St., Athens.
Hours: 8:00 a.m. to sunset.
Pets: Dogs on leashes are allowed.
With over 13 miles of trails, two trail heads are part of the Oconee Greenway Trails.
For more information go to: https://www.accgov.com/2762/Walker-Park.
The Oconee River Greenway Trails System
215 Old Commerce Rd., Athens. See this list for more trailheads.
Hours: Sunrise to sunset.
Pets: Dogs on leashes are allowed.
The five trails make up about 3 miles of natural surface hiking-only trails, and 8 miles of concrete, multi-use trails that are designated for non-motorized use.
For more information go to: https://www.accgov.com/greenway.
Firefly Trail
1170 E. Broad St. or 286 S. Poplar St., Athens. See this list for more trailheads.
Hours: Sunrise to sunset.
Pets: Dogs on leashes are allowed.
Many points of interest through this 4-mile flat trail. The trail starts from downtown Athens at Broad St. and goes to Spring Valley Rd. The trail crosses over North Oconee River, and goes to downtown Athens near the multi-modal bus station. The Greenway and Firefly trails meet in Dudley Park near Downtown Athens. There's another 1-mile section of the trail, which is scheduled to all be connected at some point, in downtown Winterville. For more information go to: https://www.accgov.com/firefly.
Oconee Veterans Park
3500A Hog Mountain Rd., Watkinsville.
Hours: 5 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Pets: Dogs on leashes are allowed.
A paved 2-mile loop around Oconee Veterans Park. Unpaved trails go through the woods, however, fallen trees are down on those trails.
For more information go to: https://www.oconeecounty.com/758/Oconee-Veterans-Park.
Southeast Clarke Park
4440 Lexington Rd., Athens.
Hours: 8:00 a.m. to sunset.
Pets: Dogs on leashes are allowed.
The natural surface is about 1.5 miles, and the paved surface is about 0.5 miles.
For more information go to: https://www.accgov.com/2778/Southeast-Clarke-Park.
Harris Shoals Park
191 VFW Dr., Watkinsville.
Hours: Sunrise to sunset.
Pets: Dogs on leashes are allowed.
The two mulched trails connect to a short trail that will take you through the Watkinsville Woods. Combined the trail is about 0.9 miles. A trail connects to sidewalk at the Jackson Terrace exit on Main St. near Jittery Joe's.
For more information go to: https://www.cityofwatkinsville.com/162/Harris-Shoals-Park.
Fort Yargo
210 South Broad St., Winder.
Hours: 7a.m. to 10 p.m.
Pets: Dogs are allowed on leashes.
The historic site offers three hiking trails totaling nearly 12 miles. The Yellow Trail is 7 miles of natural surface that is good for viewing wildlife. The trail is a good mix of wooded area and views of Fort Yargo Lake. The Wilkins Greenway Trail is paved and ADA accessible. It is 2.2 miles round trip. The Orange Trail is 2.5 miles roundtrip on a natural surface that runs alongside Fort Yargo Lake. For more information go to: https://gastateparks.org/FortYargo/Trails.
Watkinsville Woods
Go to Jackson Terrace for parking. Foot access is from South Main and Harden Hill.
Hours: Sunrise to sunset.
Pets: Dogs on leashes are allowed.
A 6-acre nature park, the .6 miles of wooded trails offers native trees, an historic spring and once-covered rock known as "Pulpit Rock." For more information go to: https://www.cityofwatkinsville.com/181/Watkinsville-Woods.
Popular places to go hiking a short drive from Athens
Blood Mountain: North of Helen, and on the tallest peak on Georgia's Appalachian Trail side, Blood Mountain offers great views and a rugged hiking experience with lots of trails to choose from with over 1-mile hikes to over 16-mile hikes. For example, you can hike to scenic Byron Reece Trail at Neels Gap, and hike through a lush, mossy creek valley. Open 24 hours a day, it's about 1 hour and 30 minutes to drive from Athens. Dogs on leashes are allowed.
Preacher's Rock: Preacher's Rock is a 2.5 mile hike ending near Big Cedar Mountain. You'll reach the peak of the trail after about mile 1, at about 3700 feet of elevation, with views of the valleys and mountains mostly southwest of the hike. Free parking is at Woody Gap Trailhead. Open 24 hours per day, it's about 1 hour and 45 minutes to drive from Athens. Located at Richard B. Russell Scenic Hwy., Blairsville. Dogs on leashes are allowed.
Tesnatee Gap: A popular day option on the Appalachian Trail, the 2.5-mile hike to Cowrock Mountain offers plenty of great scenery. The trail peaks right before mile 1 at over 3,800 feet of elevation. Open 24 hours a day, it's about 1 hour and 45 minutes to drive from Athens. Dogs on leashes are allowed.
Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve Trails: As part of the Davidson-Arabia Mountain trails, you can hike the Arabia Mountain Trail starting at the South parking lot of the AWARE Wildlife Center and hike northeast. It's described as having "rolling hills, woodlands and secluded lakes," according to its website. Open dawn to dusk, it's a little over 1 hour to drive from Athens at 3350 Klondike Rd., Stonecrest. Dogs on leashes are allowed.
Tallulah Gorge: The seven trails at Tallulah Gorge range from about 2.5 miles to over 10 miles of "strenuous" hiking. The trails range from having no soil, all rock and very difficult, to a mulched surface with exposed roots and a leisurely walk. You'll need to get a free permit to visit the gorge. It's almost 1 hour and 30 minutes to drive from Athens. The park is open from 8 a.m. to dark. Located at 338 Jane Hurt Yarn Dr., Tallulah Falls, GA. Dogs on leashes are allowed on the rim trails.
This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Hiking in north Georgia: Trails in and around Athens, Ga.
