Annual Spring Adventure Weekend at Beautiful Dauset Trails! Hiking, Paddling, Mtn Biking, Group Meals, R&R and more.

IN a NUTSHELL:  Ask any of the hundreds of AOCers who have enjoyed this big weekend getaway with us in the past.  It's a blast!  Our home away from home will be the lovely lakeside group area at Dauset Trails Nature Center, an easy 1-hour drive south of Atlanta. (See precise Directions, GPS info, etc. below.)  Drive down and join us anytime Friday or Saturday and stay as late as 3:00 PM Sunday. You're welcome to spend either or both nights if you like and join us for as many or as few of our group activities and group meals as you like.  See more details about all the exciting options below and feel free just to "chillax" on the beach if "rest & relaxation" happens to be your thing!
  Our unbelievably low event fee ($25 due to AOC payable by Fri Apr 17th) includes a wide variety of exciting optional activities all weekend: guided dayhikes and (BYO-bike) mountain bike rides, unlimited free use of Dauset Trails' fleet of kayaks & canoes, two delicious group meals (Sat dinner & Sun bkfast), nightly campfires and more! The event fee also covers up to 2 nights tent camping or sleeping in the "Turkey Roost" structures (see more below), but if staying overnight isn't your thing feel free to do your sleeping at home and join us just for the day on Saturday and/ or Sunday - it's just an hour's drive from Atlanta!
  Festive Group Meals are always a big part of the fun!  (See more below.)  We enjoy preparing and serving them at our exclusive-use lakeside Dining Pavilion which boasts a huge charcoal grill, tons of picnic table space, and even heated restrooms, flush toilets and hot showers!  The Pavilion also has electric lights, power outlets and ample free parking.

CAMPING & SLEEPING OPTIONS:  If you'd like to spend either or both nights there are dozens of shaded level tent sites to choose from.  If you prefer a bit more privacy it's fine to pitch your tent (or hang your hammock) in any of the many clearings by the lakeshore or in the adjoining forest.  From our parking area by the pavilion it's less than a 3-minute walk to any of these spots.  Also, sleep inside your recreational vehicle, SUV, etc. if you prefer, as I (Charlie) often do!  You can also sleep comfortably (with or without a tent or hammock) on the deck of a "Turkey Roost" - see more below - on a "first-come-first-serve" basis.

“TURKEY ROOST” COVERED SLEEPING STRUCTURES:  These three open-sided roofed buildings are available to us at no extra charge and conveniently adjoin our tent campsites.  Each Turkey Roost can sleep up to about six (with or without tents or hammocks).  Each has two "stories" of wooden decks (~12 feet wide by ~10 feet front-to-back) with stairs and surrounding safety railings.   To sleep in a Turkey Roost without a tent simply lay your pad and sleeping bag directly on the deck (and if you feel the need pat a little insect repellent on your face and neck as you go to bed). If you have a medium-size or small dome-style tent feel free to pitch it directly on one of the covered decks—no rain fly or stakes necessary!  (Or tie your hammock between two opposite sturdy railings.)

INCLUDED GROUP MEALS and OPTIONAL "POTLUCK-STYLE" MEALS:  Our exclusive-use lakeside dining pavilion (beside our group campsite and parking area) has eight large picnic tables.  It's ideally suited for preparing meals and dining together in a friendly group such as ours and its excellent shelter means that we can be confident of enjoying the trip "rain-or-shine."  Large coolers are appropriate to bring, with plenty of ice to preserve our favorite beverages and food items – the pavilion is the perfect shady place to consolidate them over the weekend.   The king-size charcoal grill by the pavilion is ideal for our usual Friday evening "potluck" group cookout of burgers, brats, steak, chicken, etc.
  For this trip the AOC Trip Leaders will provide the main ingredients and supplies for a big Saturday Evening Dinner (~7:00-8:30pm) and for Sunday Morning Hot Breakfast (~8:00-9:30am).  On BOTH mornings the Trip Leaders will also provide Hot Coffee + hot boiling water, tea, sweeteners & creamers.
   We’ll also host Optional “Potluck-Style” Group Meals at the Pavilion for our Fri dinner (~7:30-8:30pm) Sat breakfast (~8:00-9:30am) and Sat & Sun lunches (~12:30-1:30 both days). For any potluck-style meals that you choose to take part in, simply show up and contribute an ingredient or two of your choice - or a small prepared dish, salad, dessert, beverage etc. (E.g., for Fri Dinner perhaps an hors d'oeuvre plate, pre-cooked covered dish, grilled item, salad, dessert item, etc.  For Sat breakfast: perhaps a dozen eggs, pound of bacon, quart of juice, fresh fruit, half-dozen bagels, etc.) – also please do your share to help with food prep, cooking & cleanup for all of our meals at the Pavilion.
  "PerfectPotluck.com" is a free website that gives potluck meal participants convenient access to a well organized online chart of items that each person wishes to contribute.  You can easily see what there may be too little of or too much of and insert or adjust your own contribution accordingly!  For each potluck meal that you'd like to participate in please (ASAP) use the appropriate online table below to insert food/refreshment items and/or gear & supplies that you would like to bring to share.
For our Friday Evening Potluck "Cookout Dinner" click this link: http://www.perfectpotluck.com/meals.php?t=DJME3771&v=25dc2d02d6

For our Saturday Potluck Breakfast click this link: http://www.perfectpotluck.com/meals.php?t=YLGS4096&v=25dc2d02d6

On Friday evening, for the benefit of those who arrive by about 7:30 PM, the Pavilion's charcoal grill will be lit and implements provided for those who would like to barbecue a REASONABLE-sized personal item of your own: e.g., a steak, chicken breast, or a few burgers, brats, hot dogs, etc.

The Club will provide a limited supply of napkins, paper towels, steel silverware, cooking utensils, etc. for group use at the Pavilion all weekend.  Our Club policy is to minimize the amount of disposables, so to "BE GREEN" please bring your own personal insulated and covered drinking mug and your own personal washable plate and bowl, plus personal knife, fork & spoon.  We’ll provide a hot-water dishwashing station, "camp suds," scrubbing pads, & towels, and will recruit a small crew to wash & dry dishes after each group meal.

"PRE-TRIP PLANNING HAPPY HOUR:"  WED APRIL 8th, ~6:30-7:30 PM, at our AOC SOCIAL: 57th FIGHTER GROUP Restaurant, 3829 Clairmont Road, Atlanta, GA 30341, Phone 770-234-0057.
  Please join us for this informal gathering on the "front end" of our April Social," and no problem if you have to arrive a bit late.  Attendance is optional, but highly recommended esp. for you newcomers to Dauset Trails.  We'll grab a table or two in the partially covered rear Patio/ Campfire area behind the main bar.  After introducing one another we'll address everyone's questions & suggestions about the trip  - also give out some nice handouts & maps and make sure all drivers know how to reach our private group campsite - also can help you arrange "custom carpooling" if you like.  The Nature Center is so close to Atlanta that most of us prefer the freedom of driving down and back independently - but esp. if you live or work near someone else you may wish to consider driving down and back together.  By email after the planning meeting we'll continue to firm up details of our group meals, campfires, schedule of optional group activities, etc.

IN SUMMARY we like to call this a "C-to-the-10TH POWER" AOC EVENT!  It's Convenient, Close, Cost-Conscious, offers friendly Cookouts & Campfires and is a great Carside Camping and adventure experience for outdoor enthusiasts from beginner thru expert.  As discussed above we even have Covered-Camping "Turkey Roost" sleeping structures. 
 We have FREE weekend-long Canoeing and Kayaking - Paddles & Lifejackets included, with the Nature Center's own fleet of boats - plus Swimming, weather permitting - in the lake by our campsite.  There are also great Cycling and Hiking opportunities, including leader-led group Mountain Bike rides and hikes on the huge network of wooded trails—so bring your hybrid or mountain bike if you have one and don't forget your hiking shoes or boots.
  For the benefit of any who may be new to such outdoor pleasures, we'll have experienced AOC volunteers on hand to offer free Counseling in the basic skills of hiking, camping, paddling, and the lore of GA's beautiful native plants, animals, and dark-sky Celestial wonders.
 Another huge bonus of the Nature Center is its free 15-acre “Critter Corral,” a.k.a. the "wildlife trail" and its adjoining visitor center/museum —displaying dozens of GA's native wild mammals, birds, reptiles and fish in a picturesque lakeside setting.
  You newcomers will quickly discover why we AOCers have fallen in love with this in-Credible place! —Charlie Cottingham, a.k.a. "C-square."  :-)

FOR MORE about DAUSET TRAILS NATURE CENTER visit their official website at www.DausetTrails.com.  Phone number: 770-775-6798.  Just 50 miles south of Atlanta, their friendly staff oversees the huge 1400-acre Nature Center and its amazing free attractions and amenities including its visitor center & museum, demonstration farm, and botanical gardens. Reserved and paid camping groups such as ours have exclusive use of the entire lakeside camping area and its numerous included extras. For a color map which includes the extensive hiking/biking trails network go to: http://dausettrails.com/bikemap14.pdf
 An added bonus of Dauset Trails is its proximity to historic Indian Springs State Park and its quaint adjoining village - also to High Falls State Park.  These adjoining parks offer fabulous hiking trails, waterfalls, lakes, botanical gardens, country stores, antique shops, etc.  In 2012 a lovely new lakeside hiking & mtn biking trail was opened that conveniently connects Dauset Trails with Indian Springs.  Another exciting place to explore is nearby High Falls State Park.  It's easy to check out its beautiful waterfalls and trails, and often works out well while we're en route home from Dauset Trails.

FOR lots of NICE AOC DAUSET TRAILS PHOTOS (plus an archive write-up)  of our AOC September 2010 weekend, go to the following link.  Click on "Photo Album." for Courtney & Tom Harjung's superbly done Picasa album:
 http://www.atlantaoutdoorclub.com/events/archivedetails.asp?eventid=2650

September 30 - October 2, 2011 photo album:
https://picasaweb.google.com/116047776368239884613/DausetTrailsWeekend?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCOvXlqrvwc_hfw&feat=directlink

Thanks to Angela Nelson for the above beautiful group "beach & boats" shot taken on our May 2009 "3rd semi-annual" Dauset Trails trip.

 
EASY DIRECTIONS from ATLANTA to AOC GROUP CAMPING AREA & PAVILION at DAUSET TRAILS NATURE CENTER:  The camping area is only about 45 miles (~45 minutes) from the I-75/I-285 interchange on Atlanta's south side. For a zoomable map & satellite view of our special camper entrance gate and its surrounding area click the rectangular blue & green "Event Location" icon near the top of this article.
IMPORTANT:  Please pay close attention to these directions which give the precise mileage of each driving leg and explain our special AOC entrance procedures.  Don't try to rely solely on GPS!  (As an adjunct to these directions you GPS users can enter Lat/Lon 33.2321,-83.9489 as coordinates of our special AOC entrance gate discussed in detail below.)

1. From the southside I-75/ I-285 Interchange (east of the Atlanta Airport) take I-75 South about 35 miles and get off at Exit #198, "High Falls Rd." (If you live on Atlanta’s east side consider this shortcut:   From I-285 Exit #52 take I-675 southward to I-75 South, then it's just 29 miles further to Exit #198 at High Falls Rd.)

2. Turn Left over I-75 onto High Falls Road and go 4.6 miles to Mt. Vernon Church Road (passing through High Falls State Park en route).

3. Turn Right onto Mt Vernon Church Rd and go 3.0 miles to the SPECIAL ENTRANCE for DAUSET TRAILS CAMPERS, a gravel road on your left.  There's normally just a tiny sign on a pine tree here, and the entrance is surrounded by a long bank of pines (on your left) along a rightward curve of the highway. The following Lat/Lon coordinates of this special entrance may be useful as your entered GPS or Google.com/maps "destination":   33.2321,-83.9489  (If you happen to overshoot it, in just another 0.1 mile you'll reach the main Dauset Trails visitors' gate/sign, in which case just turn around (at that paved entrance) and backtrack 0.1 mile to our proper gravel entrance!)

4. From Mt. Vernon Road turn Left up this special gravel entrance and bear leftward for about 100 yards where you’ll find a steel gate. (The gate is just beyond a “check-in bulletin board” and a gravel parking lot for mountain bikers & other “day-use” visitors.)  CRUCIAL DETAIL:  Enter through this gate toward our Camping Area as follows: The gate is "Fake-locked" with an old padlock on a chain.  Simply lift the end of the chain off the nail, open the gate, proceed through it with your vehicle, then reclose the gate just as you found it by wrapping the chain and padlock around the gatepost and re-hooking it on the nail.

5. After rewrapping the chain and "fake lock" drive about 0.8 mile up the gravel road to our covered lakeside campers’ Dining Pavilion ("Group Pavilion #2") and campers’ Parking Area on your Right.  (Just before you reach this group area you'll pass through a second steel gate that is normally left unlocked and open for reserved camping groups.  We like to leave this second gate in the OPEN position all weekend.  If you arrive early and find this second steel gate locked, feel free to ask a ranger at the nearby Nature Center Office to assist you, and you could try reaching them by phone at 770-775-6798.

6. When you arrive, park initially at the pavilion, and consolidate there your coolers, camp chairs, and cooking/dining gear, etc.  If other AOCers have already arrived they can assist you in choosing a campsite. The main tent camping area  is in the forest near the lake, about 100 to 200 yards to the right of the pavilion beyond the little open-air chapel.  The “Turkey Roost” camping platforms are about 50 yards beyond this tent camping area, via the same forested trail.

• Hot Dinner for group Sat evening + Dining Supplies for all meals,
• Hot Breakfast for group Sun morning + Hot Coffee both mornings,
• Weekend-long Camping in shaded Campsites and "Turkey Roost" covered camping structures. (Exclusive use by our AOC gp.)
• Use of large Lakeside Dining Pavilion (with its Restrooms, Hot Showers, Flush Toilets, potable Water & electric Outlets).
• Use of fleet of Canoes & Kayaks + paddles & lifejackets all weekend in lake by camping area & pavilion. (Exclusive use by our AOC gp.)
• Use of Hiking & Mountain Biking Trails and Wildlife Trail (free zoo)!

It is your responsibility to get your AOC event payment in on time.  Please allow at least two days for processing a PayPal or Electronic Funds Transfer transaction.  Cash and mailed checks are no longer permitted.  If you pay by check it must be hand carried to an AOC Officer or Treasurer by the payment deadline.

CANCELLATION POLICY:  If you cancel on or before Apr 17, full payment will be refunded less a $2 administrative fee to cover processing of the payment and refund. No refund for cancellation after Apr 17 unless another AOC member replaces you and pays in full, and then you may request a refund less the $2 administrative fee.  No partial payment for partial attendance will be accepted or returned.  This is considered a "Rain-or-Shine" AOC Event, esp. since we have such excellent shelter in Dauset Trails' spacious dining pavilion and "turkey roost" structures - also since we have quick access to our vehicles.