Stone Mountain Sunset Hike - Tue, Mar 19 2013

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Stone Mountain Sunset Hike

The Basics:

Event Type:

Hike

Event Location:

Stone Mountain Park; Stone Mountain, GA; east of Atlanta

Date(s) & Time:

Tue, Mar 19 2013 6:30 pm >> Tue, Mar 19 2013 8:30 pm

Registration Opens:

Thu, Mar 7 2013 7:15 pm

Registration Cut Off:

Mon, Mar 18 2013 5:15 pm

Event Duration:

2 Hours

Difficulty Rating:

D2: Easy to Moderate

Distance:

2 Miles

Pace:

Moderate

Trip Leader(s):

Lisa
Libby G

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Member Cost:

None

Participant Info:

Who's Invited:

Members Only, 21 And Older Only

Maximum Group Size:

Minimum Group Size:

Number Registered So Far:

10 / 0 (To see who's signed up, log in to the Member Area)

Are Dogs Permitted:

Itinerary:

Let's hike up to the summit of Stone Mountain and watch the last sunset of winter. Yes, that's right, the last sunset of winter. The vernal equinox occurs at 7:20 a.m. March 20th, which means that March 19th is officially the last day of winter. Farewell, Winter. Hello Spring!

At 6:30 PM we'll gather by the stone restroom building near Confederate Hall, at the base of the Walkup Trail. (See detailed directions below.) There's plenty of parking available in the big Confederate Hall lot. We'll start walking at 6:40. This is a steep incline, but we'll walk at a moderate pace and take a quick break about half way up. Sunset will be at 7:49, so we will be at the top with plenty of time to spare.

Assuming that it's warm and clear enough, we'll hang out at the top and enjoy one another's company until it's dark. We'll savor the amazing night view from up high, and hike down with flashlights or headlamps.

Optional post-hike meal: The Village Corner (German Restaurant and Bakery) at 6655 James B. Rivers Drive in Stone Mountain, GA.

Thanks to Billy G. for the awesome photo!

Required Items to Bring:

Water, a warm jacket (preferably a wind-breaking shell and additional layers underneath) to wear while we're watching the sun go down. It's windy at the top and it gets chilly once you stop moving. Parking is $10, unless you have (or buy at the gate) a season pass. HEAD LAMP/FLASHLIGHT for the walk down in the dark.

Recommended Items to Bring:
Use our Event Checklists to make sure you have everything you need.

Camera, snacks, gloves, warm hat. It really helps for this hike if your shoes/boots have excellent traction.

How to Get There:

Event Directions:

From I-285 to the Park's "East Gate" entrance:

From the I-285/ US-78 interchange on the east side of town take U.S. Hwy 78 East about 7.7 miles. Bear right at Exit #8 to the Stone Mountain Park "East Gate" main entrance where you'll pay $10 for the daily parking fee if you don't display a valid annual pass. Suggestion, especially if you're new to the Park, ask the gate attendant for a free color map.

Once inside Park, drive to Confederate Hall parking lot:

After entering via the East Gate, first follow Jefferson Davis Drive about a mile straight ahead to the big road fork, crossing the lake en route. Bear right onto Robert E. Lee Blvd and follow it about another mile, bearing left to avoid the West Gate exit. Look for the spacious Confederate Hall parking lot on your left where we park during the hike. We'll gather at our "usual AOC meetup spot," by the stone restroom building at the base of the Walk-Up Trail (about 100 yards toward the mountain from Confederate Hall). For a zoomable map & aerial view of this spot, click on the red "Location Icon" at the top of this article.

Notes:

OPTIONAL FREE PARK ENTRANCE for PEDESTRIANS & BICYCLISTS:

There's no charge for pedestrians or bicyclists to enter Stone Mountain Park or to enjoy the numerous free attractions inside the Park including the nice trails. If you don't have an annual Park Pass and wish to save the daily $10 parking fee, there are usually plenty of free parking spots just outside the Park in Stone Mountain Village. The Village is near the Park's "West Gate" entrance which is quite close to Confederate Hall and the Walk-Up trailhead. One such free parking lot is the "Red Caboose Visitor Center" lot on the Main Street, which has its own paved walking/biking trail into the Park, much like the Silver Comet Trail. To drive to that lot, get off US-78 (Stone Mtn Freeway) at Exit #5, then bear right to exit again about a half mile ahead, turn left onto E. Ponce de Leon Ave, go through the first traffic light onto Main Street and continue about a half mile to the "caboose lot" on your left. In about 10 minutes you can walk or ride your bike eastward into the Park via the paved PATH trail, turn left on Robt. E. Lee Blvd (for ~300 yard) and join the AOC group at the Walk-Up trailhead.

* We encourage all members to follow our Etiquette Guidelines while participating in AOC events.

Cancellation/Partial Attendance: Please review the AOC cancellation policy.