Beat the Heat & Traffic! Early Morning Hike at Emory’s beautiful Hahn Woods - Sat, Jul 9 2016

REGISTRATION REQUIRED: Once you've reviewed the event details, and decided you'd like to join us, you MUST sign up at the bottom of this page.



Beat the Heat & Traffic! Early Morning Hike at Emory’s beautiful Hahn Woods


The Basics:
Event Type:Hike
Event Location: NE Atlanta near I-85 Clairmont Exit   Hike: Beat the Heat & Traffic! Early Morning Hike at Emory’s beautiful Hahn Woods  National Weather Service Forecast
Date(s) & Time:Sat, Jul 9 2016  7:30 am >> Sat, Jul 9 2016 10:00 am
Registration Opens: Fri, Jul 8 2016 12:00 pm
Registration Cut Off: Sat, Jul 9 2016 6:00 am
Event Duration:2 Hours 30 Minutes
Difficulty Rating:D2: Easy to Moderate
Distance:5 Miles
Pace:Moderate
Trip Leader(s):
Charlie Cottingham
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Member Cost:None

Participant Info:
Who's Invited: Members Only, 21 And Older Only
Maximum Group Size:15
Minimum Group Size:2
Number Registered So Far: 5 / 0 (To see who's signed up, log in to the Member Area)
Are Dogs Permitted: Yes

Itinerary:

IN A NUTSHELL:  The weather is expected to be great tomorrow morning - in the 70s and low 80s with lots of blue in the sky. Please join me for this 2-1/2 hour moderately paced hike on the lovely trails at Emory here in NE Atlanta. Another big bonus of hiking between 7:30 and 10:00 AM is that we'll also have fairly light traffic both en route to the event and afterward - see precise Directions below.

The 185-acre forested nature preserve at Emory University's Hahn Woods and Lullwater Park boasts an amazing variety of scenery.  These parklands and their 5-miles or more of wooded trails are prized by hikers as "crown jewels" of Emory's extensive campus here in NE Atlanta.  Attractions include old mill ruins & waterfalls along the South Fork of Peachtree Creek, a  210-foot-long swinging footbridge over the creek, Lullwater House with its beautiful Candler Lake, thousands of native trees & flowering plants, and frequent sightings of songbirds, raptors and other critters.  We've even had amazing views of wild otters swimming and cavorting in Peachtree Creek near the footbridge! 


Lullwater Suspension Bridge - Photo by Scott Erich
    
WHEN & WHERE?  We’ll gather at 7:30 AM in the FREE Hahn Woods parking lot at 866 Houston Mill Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30329 where the road dips down and crosses Peachtree Creek—follow our detailed Directions below.  For a zoomable map or satellite view of our meetup spot click on the above rectangular blue & green "Location Icon," and if you use GPS consider entering the included Lat/Lon coordinates as your destination.
 
EVENT PLAN:  After introducing ourselves we’ll begin the hike on the pretty Hahn Woods creekside loop trail.  Then we'll cross underneath the bridge to the other side of Houston Mill Road and follow the trail eastward along the South Fork of Peachtree Creek.  We'll continue through the forest to the Emory President's estate and lake at Lullwater Park.  After a thrilling walk across the creek via its $190,000 swinging footbridge we expect to be back at the cars by about 10:00 AM.  We'll take a moderate pace, stopping occasionally to regroup and for photo-ops and snacks from our packs at several scenic spots—about 5 miles total.  If anyone needs to "split" early from the group, that's fine - just let me know.  It's easy to find your way back to the parking lot from anywhere along our hiking route.

BRING FIDO if you LIKE!  Emory's park property is a popular place for dog walking.  Your well-behaved dog is welcome provided he or she is leashed and under your control at all times.

FOR PHOTOS from our JAN 2011 AOC HIKE at LULLWATER PARK:
Check out Scott & Laura Erich's Picasa SmugMug photo album at the following link:  http://www.jauntsaroundtheworld.com/Atlanta-Outdoor-Club/2011-01-23-Hahn-Woods-Atlanta/

FOR MORE on EMORY'S PARKLANDS:  Click on the following link for a concise history with some fascinating old photos.  Also check out from the library David R. Kaufman's excellent book, "Peachtree Creek: a Natural and Unnatural History of Atlanta's Watershed."  http://guidetolullwaterpark.wordpress.com/history/


Required Items to Bring:


• Wear comfortable well-broken-in Athletic Shoes or Hiking Boots with a coarse tread and comfortable Lightweight Clothing layers appropriate for the weather.

• Hydrate in advance and carry in your pack a filled Water Bottle (or other favorite soft beverages)—or if you have one, your filled "Camelbak" or other hydration system. 

Recommended Items to Bring:
Use our Event Checklists to make sure you have everything you need.


• Consider bringing a Snack or Light Picnic Lunch in a daypack or fanny pack which you can munch on at scenic stops along the way.

• Bring Trekking Poles if you have a pair and like to use them.  A simple Hiking Stick (or single Trekking Pole) is an excellent alternative.

• Since there are so many great photo ops don't forget your SmartPhone or Camera—also perhaps lightweight Binocs if you have a pair, for getting a better look at birds, etc.


How to Get There:
Event Directions:
DIRECTIONS to HAHN WOODS PARKING LOT via the I-85 CLAIRMONT RD EXIT:
1. In NE Atlanta get off I-85 at Exit #91, "Clairmont Road."
2. Take Clairmont Road southward (toward Decatur) about 2.4 miles to the traffic light at Mason Mill Road. (This is the 2nd light past the big Clairmont/North Druid Hills intersection).
3. Turn Right onto Mason Mill Rd and go 0.6 mile to the traffic light at Houston Mill Rd.
4. Turn Left onto Houston Mill Road and go just 0.3 mile down the hill.  Just beyond the bridge turn Right into the gravel Hahn Woods lot where we can safely park during the hike.  In the unlikely event that this lot is full (or has its gate locked) there's also free street-side parking on Mason Mill Road, just a 3- or 4-minute walk away.

STREET ADDRESS & LAT/ LON COORDINATES of PARKING LOT:  To augment the above directions you GPS or Maps.Google.com users may wish to enter as your Destination either of the following:

  866 Houston Mill Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30329
  33.8038,-84.3233

FOR a zoomable MAP or SATELLITE VIEW of the PARKING LOT and its SURROUNDING AREA:  Click on the rectangular blue & green event location icon near the top of this article.


Notes:
* We encourage all members to follow our Etiquette Guidelines while participating in AOC events.

Cost Includes:

No Charge!  Free Event with Free Parking.


Cancellation/Partial Attendance:   Please review the AOC cancellation policy.