Iron Hill Lakeside Loop Trail at Red Top Mountain State Park

ike Plan:  We will meet at the Old Park Visitor Center on Red Top Mountain Road, with restrooms.After introducing at the Visitor Center we'll caravan in our vehicles about 1 mile southward to the gravel Iron Hill parking lot and trailhead (on the right) where we'll park again and reconvene for the hike. We follow the trail in clockwise direction taking all spurs so that we get the great views of the lake that will be occurring this time of year and both distance and elevation.

 Brief History of the Iron Hill Area:  Iron mining here goes back to before the American Revolution. Several attempts were made between the mid-1700s and 1837, all ending in failure.  Jacob and Moses established the first furnace (a "bloomery") on Stamp Creek that year.  Known as Etowah Bloomary, this forge was replaced in 1841. Mark Cooper bought the mill in 1843 and founded the the city of Etowah.  Because of its ability to produce iron, the city was a major target of the Union Army during General Sherman's Atlanta Campaign. General Jacob Cox took the city as temporary commander of the XXIII Corps, Army of the Ohio, on May 26, 1864 after a brief battle. The destroyed city of Etowah was never rebuilt.