CAMPNPOST

If your like me its hard to think about staying anywhere near the city when you are planning to hike and spend time outdoors in nature. Something about it just doesn’t feel right. My instincts and taste always forces me to think about heading north. There are times however when you need to learn to compromise when you have a family, high gas prices and not a lot of time on your hands.

We are fortunate in this part of the country to have many trails to choose from but if you’re a hiker in the southeast you know or should know that you have to be a little choosy to get the real goods. Heading north is typically your best bet. The area I am going to talk about is not necessarily one of those areas but does provide a bit of an outlet when you have restrictions surrounding your decision. One area I have gone over the years when I am pressed for time or don’t want to make the drive up to the Cohutta’s because gas per gallon costs more than your last electric bill is Kennesaw Mountain.
The best parts of this area and trails are beyond the more populated section between the visitors center parking lot and the scenic overlook. Many people in fact drive up to the scenic overlook portion to take in the sites and the historical aspects dating back to the battles that were stage there during the civil war. Its important to see this if its your first time visiting.
Since I have been several times over the years I typically use this area to get in some trail running. I start at the visitors center and head up the wide paths that lead the overlook but once beyond this point its actually quite peaceful and calm. It thins out a bit as far as people go and the terrain becomes more appealing to me for the purposes of running the trails. Nice boulder outcroppings and single track trails make up a large portion of the remainder of the trek out to Kolb Farm where I end up before turning around and heading back.
If you are not used to running on trails that include a good bit of hopping from rock to rock down the steeper parts or you have not been jogging or running in a little while you may want to pace yourself and slow it down on the rocks that reside on the backside of Little Kennesaw Mountain.
These trails can be pretty fun when you make the best of it and you can almost forget that you are near the city if you try hard enough. If your running it and you keep a good pace you can actually get some decent exercise when you run the entire distance out to Kolb Farm and back.
One of the time I did this was early spring and I have to admit, the current job I had kept me so busy I wasn’t spending enough time exercising as I should have. I hit the trail treating like I had just run it everyday for the last two months and was at full capacity. I made it out there and back up to the lookout when my knee really started to throb. Running on uneven rocks can begin to take its toll if you are out of practice. I was perfect as far as energy and my lungs and muscles on the rest of my body were feeling great but my knee on the right side just wasn’t cooperating.
They close the gates to the parking lot at the visitors center fairly early and I knew but slowing down I was risking them closing up before I got back but I had to for just a little. I ended up walking some then jogging some on the trail down from the overlook parking lot and sure enough they were closed when I got back and I even had a ticket on my car!
As I was getting in my car thinking “what’s my next move to get out of here?” a policewomen pulls up near me.
I explained my situation to her and she went easy on me taking the ticket back and letting me go out.
If your more inclined to get out more into the wilderness I wouldn’t recommend the area but if your more tolerant and can handle people from time to time and looking for a decent local hike this one is worth a shot. I will leave it up to you.

Tags: altanta hiking, atlanta hikes, hiking in the south, Kennesaw Mountain, kennesaw mtn., local hikes in atlanta, southeastern hiking