Early Afternoon Dayhike Combo at Frazier-Rowe Park & Briarlake Forest

EVENT PLAN: Ideal hiking weather is expected this Tuesday afternoon - in the mid-50s with sunny skies and no chance of rain.  Hope you can join us for this 2-hour exploration of Frazier-Rowe Park and its nearby sister park, Briarlake Forest.  Both are only about 8 years old and have quickly become "award-winning favorites." After our first hour at Frazier-Rowe we'll caravan in our vehicles just 5 minutes eastward (via LaVista Rd & Briarlake Rd) for the Briarlake hike.  The above photo is of  the Forest's historic 100+ year-old farmhouse that adjoins our 2nd parking area & trailhead.)  In both parks we'll take my favorite trails that meander through the heavily forested and sometimes rugged terrain, pausing occasionally to take photos and discuss the fascinating native flora & fauna and human history.  As with all AOC events we intend to observe the CDC's COVID-19 guidelines regarding safe social distancing, wearing of masks when appropriate, etc.

WHERE & WHEN? We'll gather for introductions at the Frazier-Rowe Park trailhead a few minutes before 12:30 PM.  See easy Directions & GPS Info below and for a zoomable map or satellite view click the square blue & green "Event Location" icon.  The shady trailhead and Park bulletin board are directly beside "Sprig" restaurant, on the wooded end of the free parking lot at Vista Grove Plaza shopping center.  We should have no problem finishing both hikes by 2:30, well ahead of rush hour.  Feel free to "split early" if you need to for any reason, but if so be sure to let me know where & when you're doing so - we can easily direct you back to your car.

CANINE COMPANIONS are OK.  Bring your well-behaved dog if you like, but please make sure that he or she is leashed and under your control at all times, and in your registration notes indicate size, breed, name, etc.

EXTRA INFORMATION ABOUT the PARKS:  Since their founding in about 2013 dozens of hard-working "Friends" volunteers have built and continue to improve and maintain their extensive networks of scenic trails at both parks.  The founders and chief volunteers also host year-round workdays to do trail work and remove invasive plants such as English ivy, Chinese privet, Japanese kudzu, and Asian "thorny olive." 

Frazier-Rowe:  Named for two neighboring families of different ethnicity who lived in harmony there in the mid-20th century, Frazier-Rowe Park occupies about 12 acres of forest. Its trail network and floral gardens, bridges and other structures have been built, planted and maintained by hundreds of hard-working local citizens and Boy Scout troops, etc.  Our hard-working volunteer group there was awarded a $10,000 grant for additional park improvements - affirming that ordinary people of all ages can make a big difference when working toward a common goal. Hikers there can also easily connect to the pretty trail system of the "Coralwood Nature Preserve " (about 10 more acres of the same forest behind Coralwood Elementary School.)  For Frazier-Rowe info & photos click: http://frazier-rowepark.weebly.com/ 

Briarlake Forest's 20+ acres of shady old homestead property boasts numerous gigantic Oaks and Beeches, some thought to be almost 200 years old.  We encourage AOCers and friends to pitch in with us on our scheduled monthly "work days" as your time permits. For more Info & Photos click:
http://briarlakefop .weebly.com/
http://briarl akecommunityforest.org/

GPS or Google.com/maps Users:  Enter either of the following as your Destination Address for the trailhead at Frazier-Rowe Park where we'll gather - just a few feet from the Sprig Restaurant entrance in the NE corner of the shopping center's large free parking lot:
Street Address:  2860 Lavista Rd, Decatur, GA 30033
Concise Lat/Lon:  33.8256, -84.2893 (being sure to include comma & minus sign)

FYI, our 2nd hike will be at 3330 Briarlake Rd (which we'll car-caravan to from Frazier-Rowe just after the 1st hike, eastward via LaVista Rd & Briarlake Rd).

Frazier-Rowe Park Step-by-Step Directions from the I-85 Clairmont Rd Exit (Exit #91) in NE Atlanta: 
1. From I-85 Exit #91 (GA-23, "Clairmont Rd") take Clairmont Road toward Decatur (south & slightly east) about 1.6 miles to the traffic light at LaVista Road.
2. Turn Left onto LaVista and go eastward 0.9 mile (THROUGH the next traffic light at Oak Grove Rd) to the Vista Grove Plaza shopping center on your Left (at 2860 LaVista Rd).  Look for the Sprig and Subway restaurants on the east end of the shopping center by the woods, and park in that vicinity of the lot.
3. We'll gather at the Frazier-Rowe Park bulletin board & trailhead on the edge of the woods - just a few feet from the Sprig entrance.

Free Event with convenient Free Parking at both parks.