Welcome back! Here is a new term for you; monadnock. This is a fancy term for a singular rock mountain that stands alone. Georgia has four monadnocks; the most well-known is Stone Mountain, Panola Mountain is another favorite, a local one for me is Kennesaw Mountain, but the one we are discussing today is Arabia Mountain. This unique location is located only 20 minutes east of Atlanta! This is one of Georgia’s most unique gems due to some neat scientific facts that protect this local beauty. This beautiful red plant is called diamorpha (also known as elf orpine), which is only seen in the springtime and usually peaks some time in March.
The diamorpha is a red plant with white flowers that only grows on granite stone; thus, being extremely rare. When hiking on the mountain, hikers are highly encouraged to watch where they step and be mindful of all of the plant-life. The diamorpha does not bloom during the summer and it appears to be “dead.” However, this is when they are keeping their seeds above the ground, but when fall comes around and the weather cools off the plants drop their seeds and begin the germination process.
The mountain is open from sunrise to sunset, and the park features a variety of trails. The park allows dogs on a leash but asks owners to clean up after their pets and make sure they are not disturbing the plant life. The best trail to see the diamorpha is the Mountain View Trail Loop. This is a 2.5-mile trail, and the elevation gain is 190 feet. This would be a good trail to take children around the age of 10 because it is not a difficult hike, does not have steep drop-offs, and is very open so they will not be out of eyesight. From the top, you can see for miles, including a beautiful view of the lake below. AllTrails ranks this trail as “easy,” so it is good for beginners.
Another gem of this area is the Arabia Mountain PATH, which is a 30+ mile recreational trail. A large portion of the trail is boardwalk-styled, and highly accessible to people of varying activity levels. However, there are few hills that may cause difficulty to cyclists.
My experience on the trail was very special because I went with my mom. We brought both of our small dogs, and we all loved the hike. We walked on the PATH trail for about a mile before completing the Mountain Loop, Klondike and Forest Trails with our total mileage reaching approximately four (not including the PATH trail). We were particularly interested in the marks on the rocks from previous quarrying, which made pretty patterns on the rock. Without many trees on top of the mountain, there was little shade, so it was very hot for Georgia springtime. We would recommend bringing extra water for yourself and your pets. That being said, I would not recommend taking pets up in the middle of the summer due to the extreme heat. This is definitely a location I would recommend during the spring to see its immense beauty.
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