Wednesday hike at Pine Mountain Trail, Cartersville

The Pine Mt. Trail, though short, certainly warrants a D3 rating for it's rather steep, 600 ft. ascent in just a mile of switchback trails, to the scenic overlook.  You'll soon forget the difficulty of the climb when you see the beautiful view from the top. The 180⁰ view covers Lake Allatoona, surrounding hills, I-75, parts of Cartersville, and Plant Bowen, a coal-fired power plant about 7 miles to the west.

We will start our hike at the West Loop Trailhead, walking in a counterclockwise direction until we reach the ridge of Pine Mountain. After a side trip to the summit overlook (where we'll spend a little time) we will follow a connector trailt to the East Loop. We will walk this loop clockwise, back to the connector trail. We will then continue walking on the West Loop, until we return to the trailhead. The total walking distance is about 4.8 miles.

This is not a beginner's hike, as the ascent is quite challenging.  If you have no D3 experience, I may call you to determine your ability to handle the hike.  

For those who would like to join us, we'll be stopping in Cartersville after the hike at SWheat Market Deli - - a fabulous little deli that features a variety of organic meals (with vegetarian options) that have garnered a 5-start rating from Yelp. Check out the deli menu and location at  http://www.swheatmarket.com/  If you're staying for lunch, you can expect to get back to the carpool by 3 pm.

Take I-75 Exit 288, go East (away from Cartersville_,  less than a mile until the road ends, then right at Komatsu sign. Parking area for the West Loop Trailhead is on the left before entering Komatsu.

No restroom facility at the trailhead

The trail is maintained by the City of Cartersville Parks & Recreation Department.