Hahn Woods & Lullwater Park at Emory: Mothers Day Hike & BYO-Picnic Lunch - Sun, May 14 2017

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.



Hahn Woods & Lullwater Park at Emory: Mothers Day Hike & BYO-Picnic Lunch


The Basics:
Event Type:Hike
Event Location: NE Atlanta near I-85 Clairmont Exit   Hike: Hahn Woods & Lullwater Park at Emory: Mothers Day Hike & BYO-Picnic Lunch  National Weather Service Forecast
Date(s) & Time:Sun, May 14 2017  10:30 am >> Sun, May 14 2017 12:30 pm
Registration Opens: Wed, May 10 2017 12:00 pm
Registration Cut Off: Sun, May 14 2017 8:00 am
Event Duration:2 Hours
Difficulty Rating:D2: Easy to Moderate
Distance:4 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: 12 / 0 (To see who's signed up, log in to the Member Area)
Are Dogs Permitted: Yes

Itinerary:

IN A NUTSHELL:  Hope you can join us for this easy Mother's Day Hike on the lovely trail network at Emory here in NE Atlanta - see precise easy Directions below.  I suggest that we each bring a light picnic lunch - we can enjoy them together near by the creek near the cars just after the hike - See more below  The late-morning weather is expected to be ideal for hiking - in the 70s with clear blue skies.
  Feel free to invite "Mom" to join you, if you like!  Our choice of trails and pace for this event will be suitable for nature lovers of all ages and fitness levels.  (It takes just a few minutes online to sign your mom up for free AOC membership and register both you and her for the event.)

  The 185-acre forested nature preserve at Emory University's Hahn Woods and Lullwater Park boasts an amazing variety of scenery and "wildness."  These parklands and their more than 5 miles of shady trails are prized by hikers as crown jewels of Emory's sprawling 700-acre campus.  Attractions include historic mill ruins & waterfalls along the South Fork of Peachtree Creek (photo above), the Houston Mill House, Lullwater House (now the Emory President's mansion) with its beautiful Candler Lake - also a  210-foot-long swinging footbridge over the creek (photo below), , 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 a few minutes before 10:30 AM in the FREE Hahn Woods parking lot where Houston Mill Road dips down and crosses Peachtree Creek—follow our detailed Directions below and you can enter my concise GPS Lat/Lon coordinates in lieu of a spelled-out destination address.  For an online zoomable map or satellite view of our meetup spot you can also click the above rectangular blue & green "Location Icon." 

EVENT PLAN:  After introducing ourselves we’ll begin the hike via a pretty loop just downhill of the Hahn Woods parking lot.  We'll cross underneath the bridge to the other side of Houston Mill Road and explore a rustic side trail up the hill the historic Houston Mill House.  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 12:15 PM. For all of us who can stay, we'll take the time then to enjoy our picnic lunches on big boulders beside the creek near our cars."
  During the hike we'll take a moderate pace, stopping occasionally to regroup and for photo-ops and water or snacks from our packs at several scenic spots—about 4 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.


• As I suggest above, if you'd like to enjoy about a 15-minute scenic creekside picnic with us near the cars please bring a Light Picnic Lunch in a small cooler or in a light daypack.

• 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 EXIT:
1. In NE Atlanta get off I-85 at Exit #91, "Clairmont Rd."
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 very unlikely event that this lot is full (or has its gate locked) there's also free street-side parking on ths shoulder of Mason Mill Road, just a 3- or 4-minute walk northward.

CONCISE "LAT/ LON" ADDRESS of PARKING LOT:  To augment the above directions I suggest that you GPS users (or for Maps.Google.com) enter as your destination this concise Lat/Lon Address for our precise meetup spot: 33.8038,-84.3233

(The longer verbal street address for Hahn Woods is: 866 Houston Mill Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30329.)

FOR a zoomable MAP or SATELLITE VIEW of our MEETUP SPOT and its SURROUNDING AREA:  Click 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.