The Full Monty at Kennesaw Mountain (17.5 miles)

We'll do a 17.5 mile full loop of the park, with brief stops along the way to enjoy the sights plus a lunch break mid-hike. Our moving pace will average around 2.75 mph -- brisk but not brutally fast.

 

Our Route: Beginning at the visitor center, we'll go over the mountain and continue south through the park's central and southern sections to the far southern edge at Kolb's Farm. We'll break for a 30-minute lunch at the nearby Subway/Kroger shopping center. After we're rested and refueled, we'll continue looping around the park, making our way to the Grave of the Unknown Soldier, the Illinois Monument, and the New Salem Church ruins as we head north back to the visitor center.

 

What to Expect: This is a challenging hike, coupling endurance with estimated elevation gain in the mid 2000s. We'll cross the mountain once, then climb a number of rolling hills in the central and southern sections. We won't be trying to set any speed records, but some members may find it difficult to maintain an energetic moving pace for such a long distance. In addition to lunch, we will take brief rest/hydration/regrouping breaks as necessary. We'll stay together on the event.

 

Logistics: There are restrooms and drinking water at the visitor center where we'll start the hike. You'll also have a chance to refill your water and use the facilities at our lunch stop and at the Illinois Monument on the way back. 

 

Weather: We prefer not to hike all day in inclement weather, so if the forecast looks yucky we'll likely postpone until a better day.