The Route
The hike is one we often do in summer -- Jack’s River Falls and the lower part of the Jack’s River Trail in the Cohutta Wilderness Area near Dalton, GA.
We will leave the Language Institute at 7:15 AM and drive on increasingly small roads into the Wilderness Area. At one point, we’ll cross a bridge over the Jack’s River and try to leave one or two cars there. From the bridge, we’ll continue by car to a parking area at the head of the Beech Bottom Trail to begin our walk.
We will start the hike at this trailhead and hike for four miles, half uphill and half down. When the Beech Bottom Trail intersects the Jack’s River Trail, we’ll walk a short distance on the river trail (about half a mile) to the Jack’s River Falls, where we’ll break for lunch. The falls is always a lot of fun as people can swim in the pools there and even dive off the falls into a deep pool below.
From the falls, hikers have two hiking options. Some people prefer to head back up Beech Bottom to the cars, a distance of 4.5 miles. These people can bring cars down to the bridge over the Jack’s River to meet the hikers who chose the other option.
This other option is to walk along the river down the Jack’s River Trail to the bridge we crossed on the way into the Wilderness Area. From the falls, the Jack’s River Trail is about 5.5 miles to that bridge. It’s a pleasant hike down the river and often fun as the trail crosses the river some 20 times and there are a few nice pools to stop and enjoy. From the bridge, we’ll take drivers back to the parking lot to get their cars, and we’ll head back to Atlanta. We usually stop for supper some place on the way back.
The trip will be a long, full day.
Requirements
There are only two requirements for this trip.
First, hikers need to be in fairly good physical condition. The total hike is 10 miles (16.5 km) of walking, so it is quite different from a visit to Stone Mountain or a picnic in Piedmont Park. Furthermore, the hike is in an undeveloped wilderness area, so there are no sidewalks, vending machines or bathrooms. The hike is an athletic outing in a natural area.
The second requirement is that all
hikers attend the announced orientation meeting. This is a
very IMPORTANT requirement as I will try to arrange car pools for students
at this meeting so participants won’t have to rent cars for transportation
(though if several people from a class want to go on the hike, they sometimes
rent a car together anyway).
What to Bring
1. Trail snacks--Many
hikers like to have hard candy or chocolate on long hikes for a little
energy boost from the sugar.
2. Lunch--No food is
available in the wilderness area. Americans bring fruit and
sandwiches, but it seems there are different
traditions in different countries. It only needs to be nutritious.
3. Water--While the
river is very pure, there is a parasite in it which can cause diarrhea
for months. Really. Don’t drink this
water.
4. Sturdy walking shoes--The
trails are uneven and often rocky.
5. Canvas shoes--Hikers
planning to follow the river trail will wade across the river about 20
times. Canvas shoes are most
appropriate for this activity as the rocks are very slick and your
toes will need some protection in the river.
Bare feet or sandals are not practical for crossing the river.
6. Second change of clothes--You
will almost certainly get wet at some point, either at the falls or slipping
into the river on
the river trail. It’s always nice to have dry clothes for the trip
back to Atlanta.