Laurel Ridge Trail
Jan 7th, 2009 by Admin 1
The Laurel Ridge Trail
Location: Allatoona Dam Visitors Center Cartersville, Ga
Difficulty: Easy
Directions from I-75: Take the Rome-Canton exit (Hwy 20) and turn at first intersection onto 20 spur. Continue to the end, trail head will be on right side of road leading to the Visitors Center
Yesterday, we decided to do another one of the hikes near Canton, Georgia and chose The Laurel Ridge Trail The trail It is a short and easy and located near Allatoona Dam. It is a fork that begins at a large boulder outcropping where you can take a right and go .7 mi or left for.5 mi. It does join a gravel road and another trail for .7 mi if you want to make a loop instead of doubling back to complete the trail.
We chose the .5 mi fork and began to descend along the ridge over mossy rocks and roots. There are some cross tie steps for the steeper parts as well as hiking and interpretive signs. We crossed a footbridge and soon met up with a gravel service road. We took a right and continued our descent .3 mi to the Cooper Branch Trail on the right. You can see the hear and see the stream well above the bottom.
We love how well designed the trail itself is and the way the switchbacks weave you close to some of the key features in the area. There are many large rock outcroppings bordering the trail and views of the surrounding hills. It is however a bit close in to civilization for what we are used to and at the same time, great for being this close in. This would be a good trail for beginners or families with small children looking for a quick hike.
