Afoot and Afield: Atlanta. MARCUS WOOLF
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Use Leashed dogs and good for kids
Best Times Spring, fall, and winter
Agency National Park Service, Chickamauga Battlefield
Recommended Maps Chickamauga Battlefield Trail Guide and Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park (both available in the visitor center)
HIGHLIGHTS During the War of 1812, Helm Hunt served in the South Carolina Militia and fought against the Creek Indians in what is now Alabama. For his service he received 280 acres of land on what is now part of the Chickamauga Battlefield. Hunt and several of his family members are buried in a small cemetery in the southernmost part of the battlefield; their graves date back to the late 1800s. During the battle of Chickamauga, Helm Hunt’s home was used as a hospital. Nurse Kate Cumming wrote in her journal that “there had been fighting in Mr. Hunt’s yard, and many killed there.” Helm, who was born in 1789—the same year the US Constitution was adopted—was buried in the cemetery in 1870.
DIRECTIONS From Atlanta, take I-75 north to Exit 350. Travel west on Battlefield Parkway/GA 2 to Fort Oglethorpe. Turn left at the intersection of Battlefield Parkway and Lafayette Road. Travel 1 mile along Lafayette Road to the park entrance and visitor center on the left. From the Chickamauga Battlefield Visitor Center, travel south on Lafayette Road to the intersection with Viniard-Alexander Road. Turn left onto Viniard-Alexander Road and travel east 0.6 mile to the parking area on the right.
FACILITIES/TRAILHEAD There are no facilities at the trailhead. Restrooms and a gift shop are available at the Chickamauga Battlefield Visitor Center, which is open daily (except Christmas Day) from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
From the parking area, enter the wide gravel path and travel southeast (Waypoint 1). After traveling a little more than 1,000 feet, turn right onto the Yellow Trail, a dirt-and-gravel path that goes south. As you approach Chickamauga Creek, the forest transitions from pines to hardwoods. This part of the park sees relatively few visitors; a group of six deer scampered away as I hiked here in summer.
At 0.7 mile, the trail bends left near the bank of Chickamauga Creek and runs east (Waypoint 2). Along the next section I had an unexpected encounter with a small group of cattle on the trail, no doubt escapees from a nearby farm. The leader sported horns, though I suspect it was a female rather than a male. Still, horns are horns, so I gave them a wide berth as they passed.
The trail crosses a massive field, bearing slightly to the right (east) and continues in the trees at the opposite side of the opening (Waypoint 3). At 1.2 miles, the path leaves the forest and turns sharply left, running north along the edge of a field.
At 1.3 miles, Hunt Cemetery lies a few yards inside the forest (Waypoint 4). The small, square plot is surrounded by an iron fence; you can enter through a gate, but tread lightly and do not disturb the tombstones. Some of the stone markers are quite weathered and difficult to read, but some clearly date back to the 1800s. One family member buried in the cemetery, Jeptha Hunt, served in the 12th Georgia Cavalry from 1863 to 1865, survived the war, and lived until 1895.
From the cemetery, continue into the forest, traveling north through a corridor of brambles and thickets. At 1.7 miles (Waypoint 5), turn left onto a gravel road and continue north in a quiet and much more attractive forest of pines and hardwoods.
You’ll reach a road intersection at 2.1 miles (Waypoint 6). Turn right on the gravel road to go north briefly before bending to the west. Along this road, Maj. Gen. Benjamin Cheatham assembled his troops; they served as reserve forces for Gen. Braxton Bragg’s front line. Continue on this road to return to the parking area.
Hunt Cemetery
WAYPOINTS
1. N34º 54.09' W85º 15.097'
2. N34º 53.494' W85º 15.027'
3. N34º 53.470' W85º 14.801'
4. N34º 53.557' W85º 14.493'
5. N34º 53.736' W85º 14.299'
6. N34º 53.810' W85º 14.648'
11 Chickamauga Creek Trail
Distance 6.2 miles, loop
Hiking Time 3 hours
Difficulty Moderate
Elevation +800'/–820'
Trail Use Leashed dogs
Best Times Spring, fall, and winter
Agency U.S. Forest Service, Armuchee Ranger District
Recommended Maps USGS 7.5-minute Catlett and Trails of the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests
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.
FACILITIES/TRAILHEAD There are no facilities at the trailhead, and there is no fee to use the area. Stream levels are unpredictable, so carry enough water for the day. Be aware that hunting takes place in this area from October through December (deer season) and March through May (turkey season), so during these times stay on the path, wear orange clothing, and avoid hiking in early morning or late in the day. For hunting-season dates, visit the Georgia Department of Natural Resources website at georgiawildlife.com.
At the east side of the parking area, there is a road with a gate (Waypoint 1). Take the trail that begins on the right side of the gate, and follow white blazes. After a short distance, take a wood footbridge over Ponder Branch.
At the power-line break, the loop begins. The hike can be done in either direction, and this description goes counterclockwise. Turn right (south) and take the gentle ascent through the hardwoods and pines. After cutting across the slope of a hill, the trail drops into a ravine and then climbs Rocky Ridge, which boasts nice stands of oak.
At 1.5 miles, travel northeast across a power-line clearing and enter the forest on the opposite side of the clearing. The trail levels and turns left onto an old, grass-covered roadbed that leads to the top of Dick Ridge. At 2 miles, you begin an appealing trek across the east face of a slope where grasses, mountain laurels, and oak trees thrive.
The land to each side of the trail falls away dramatically as you ascend to an elevation of about 1,630 feet on Dick Ridge to cross the Tennessee Valley Divide (Waypoint 2), which separates the watershed for the Tennessee and Mississippi rivers from the Alabama River watershed. East Chickamauga Creek, north of the divide, eventually flows to the Tennessee and Mississippi rivers, while Ponder Creek, south of the divide, eventually joins