Want to hike in an-out-of-the-way area? Cool. Want to hike in an out-of-the-way area that also used…read moreto be a Cold War nuclear research facility that still contains relic structures of when it operated? If so, Dawson Forest is your place. Dawson Forest is a huge tract of forested land operated by the Georgia Forestry people but owned by the City of Atlanta, bisected by the Etowah River and located just southwest of Dawsonville. It's open to the public for hiking, horse riding and bicycles, although there are some calendar/time restrictions because it's also a hunting area. Get there by taking Dawson Forest Rd from Highway 9 just north of Silver City. At the time of this review, the Yelp map marker is wrong. I submitted a correction but Yelp is not very good with that. Wait, owned by the City of Atlanta? Yep. Apparently they bought the land as a possible site for a second major airport from Lockheed - which used it for the site of the Georgia Nuclear Aircraft Laboratory - but found it was unsuitable. It's been owned by the city since the early 1970's and is maintained as an experimental forest for the use of Georgians. Wait, what!? A nuclear aircraft laboratory!? Yep. The US Air Force commissioned Lockheed to explore the feasibility of powering bombers with nuclear reactors. It didn't pan out, but only after quite a bit of effort. The site contained a nuclear reactor, a hot cell test facility, support buildings and a really bizarre test facility whereby a reactor was elevated by cables between four towers to test ... well, I'm not sure what. But in the process, they managed to kill off all the wildlife in the area. It was quite an operation. You can still find numerous structures on the site including two fenced off areas that contain the hot cell facility and the reactor. I prowled around the hot cell building fence but didn't go to the reactor area. In case you're contemplating mischief, they're pretty serious about the fences. You don't want to go in there. More photos and videos are available on the GNAL Facebook page (everyone has a FB page, even derelict nuclear sites): https://www.facebook.com/Dawson-Forest-GNAL-154640534555862/ Air Force video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXd9JSJbrsU Other than the odd relic nuke structure and the ghosts of millions of murdered critters, you'll find miles of hiking trails (or horse trails, if that's your thing). The trails are accessed either from the main visitor information area (which is just a large board with the usual information set among weirdly out-of-place concrete pads and sidewalks) or from trail heads off the numerous unpaved roads that interlace the site. Most of the roads are quite passable by passenger cars, but some require high clearance and 4WD. At one point as I travelled to the northern half of the forest, I had to cross Shoal Creek. I suppose you could do it in your Honda Civic, but I put my Nissan Pathfinder into 4WD-Low to cross. One note on the roads - you can access (or egress) Dawson Forest from the north but it requires passing through a couple of miles of Georgia Wilderness area and there are signs that pronounce it highly illegal for any citizen to trespass without possessing one of two permits (hunting/fishing license or something else). Neither of which I had and I drove on anyway. I'm a rebel. A second note on roads - there is a trail map available at the visitor info area that along with all the colored trails shows the roads in the Forest, and the names aren't necessarily what shows on Google Maps. Trailmap: https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/dawson-forest-dawsonville?select=_MLh00vz2UpkgKfehZ0xag The main entrance road, for example, is shown as Reactor Rd while Google says it's Dawson Forest Rd. I believe Reactor Rd is the historical name. It makes a bigger difference when it comes to Clark Rd. Google says that road is a continuation of Dawson Forest Rd to the river, while the map has Clark as a dirt road going off to the west from Reactor Rd. I didn't do a lot of hiking - this was mainly a recon mission. But from where I did walk, there appears to be a lot of signage indicating the trails - blue, yellow, purple, etc. I think the trails fairly well marked, although as I was on the blue trail near the Etowah River (at the end of Reactor Rd), I noticed the blue tree markings abruptly ended. Not sure what was going on there. Horse trails are easier to follow, because, well ... horses. I can't believe I didn't know about this place before. Over the past three years or so (before I became obsessed with golf), I've made an effort to visit all the Atlanta regional hiking spots and I totally missed Dawson Forest. If you look on Google Maps, you'll see a very large and prominent green square denoting the Forest. Not sure how I missed that. I'm a big fan of wildlife and wilderness areas open to the public, and Dawson Forest is no exception. The history of the place adds interest. 5 stars

This review is for the Edge of the World hiking trail and park. It is in the Dawson forest as well…read more Parking is minimal (cars were parked on the main highway as well). Beautiful scenery and a boardwalk that runs next to the Amicalola Creek river. Flowers grow along the sides of the river, and there are benches along the way to sit and take it all in or enjoy a picnic. Boating/wading in the water/tubing are also options but there are big rocks jutting in the middle of the river near the boardwalk. Trails lead up and into the woods from the boardwalk...definitely my favorite part! It is a blue marked trail that runs a loop just under 3 miles. It's marked all along the way, and goes inland enough that you can enjoy the peace and quietude, along with changing landscape on a well paved dirt path that goes up and down. It's a good workout...I would call it an easy-to-moderate hike due to the hills and dirt path. Suggest downloading the All Trails app or finding a map so you have a reference during the hike, as it it quite windy and connects with the red/pink trail as well. There are signs for park fees but we didn't have to pay/there was nobody manning it and there was no gate (perhaps due to COVID or the holiday weekend?). Also a pretty drive from the city to

It is a wonderful park with all the amenities to include a large playground area and dog walk…read morearea..an Amphitheater that is under used..party rooms you can rent out..an old historic log cabin..a fishing area..fantastic hiking and biking trails..small waterfalls..and of course the Indian Bluffs..not sure they were Cherokee though..I believe the Creek Indians resided there..Plenty of parking..clean bathrooms..shhh dont tell everybody!! PS keep your eye out for the occasional GeoCache!!

One of our favorite parks we to almost every other week/weekend. We discovered it in 2018 and have…read morebeen enjoying the trail and play area. The trail is a nice view of nature and it's a fairly easy trail to run/walk

10/10!!!! GORGEOUS morning hike. Nicely maintained trail. AMAZING views. Well worth the drive.read more

What would you pay to get up close and personal with a concrete and earthen structure, well five…read morebucks per vehicle may seem reasonable, this ticket also gets you toilet privileges, bbq grills, and a picnic pavilion and some other intangibles. Dams are structures built to primarily obstruct the flow of water usually built across a stream or river constructed by man or beavers, yes there are many type of dams and in some cases provide a life-sustaining resource to people although some seem to obstruct the life of some - it's been rumored that salmon hate dams as do those that work to promote to protect the swimming right of fish. I guess one would have to weigh the pros and cons to pick a side being millions of each species are affected since humans eat fish the fish usually lose. Dams are an extremely important part of this nation's infrastructure--equal in importance to bridges, roads, airports, and other major elements of the infrastructure. They can serve several functions at once, including water supply for domestic, agricultural, industrial, and community use; flood control; recreation; and clean, renewable energy through hydropower. It's nice to know this dam has a revenue stream beside my five buck so the return on the investment is shortened. I came here at the right time on the right day - the generating stations were operating so the lower river was filled and the water was racing to its next destination so probably not the best time to float on a tube or kayak. I was somewhat surprised or maybe amused to see signage on the bank of this river that's designates the shoreline as a life-preserver zone, thankfully the government is providing this knowledge or we might have some people from the gene-pool wondering in to this massive deadly volume of rapidly flowing water, it seems the wildlife in the area understands the danger without barriers or communications. I wish I could of gotten closer to the structure so I could see the water boil from beneath the discharge of the generators but I was happy to see they do have a walk bridge a little downstream of the dam that allows you to cross over and experience the power of the release up close without a life preserver and only requires a little common sense sometimes a "danger sign" isn't needed for the obvious threat. I'm a fan of dams and understand I'm screwed if the dam burst during my visit even though I am parked in a designated paved parking lot far below the water level on the other side of this massive structure even though there is no signage inform me of this fact...

Closest thing to a beach. The kids love it. Want to go back…read moresoon Jsjjsjsjsisksnsksiisjsisjsj

August 16, 2020…read more There is a 5$ fee to get in. This is our third park on Lake Lanier. Perhaps due to recent showers but I thought the water clarity was superior here compared to War Hill or Shoal Creek. You could see schools of fish sized 2-3 inches in length right there with you on the shore. The fish are used to being fed which is why they don't venture far from shore. The beach front is large and there is plenty of parking too. I liked that the park had trash cans right where you park. Good thinking. The water was in the low 80s and very refreshing. I went for a half mile swim by the buoys and played for a couple of hours with our little one in the water. The beach does have a few rocks at the shoreline and if you don't have water shoes you might stub your toe. Just tread carefully. So far this was a winner but there are other parks we have yet to explore.

When searching for a good sunset view of Lake Lanier - we came up empty...or trespassing!?...until…read morewe found Holly Park! This is a FREE park in Gainesville for beautiful, lakeside sunset views! The park includes reservable pavilions, picnic tables and grills, sandy beach and fishing areas, and a small boat launch. Highly recommended for sunset views! Just be careful of the bumpy road with some major potholes here and there.

Main Street Park offers a great green space to enjoy inside the city of Dawsonville. There are…read moreconcerts, car shows, craft festivals and community events here almost every weekend. It has plenty of parking and wheelchair access to so many places. Great job.

This large park is located behind the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame. It was a nice break after a…read morechili dog from the cookout to walk around as the park has over 1.1 miles of paved trails that has benches all along. Lots of goings on here including a playground with a wheelchair-accessible swing, 9-hole disc golf course "Shiners 9" and cornhole boards. Three picnic pavilions with charcoal grills are available to reserved through City Hall. Fitness stations, dog park and more features are coming! Very cool park and well worth a stop when you're in Dawsonville. [Review 20353 overall - 688 in Georgia - 1331 of 2023.]

Such a lovely walk! Feels really populated and safe but you also get to see some beautiful nature!…read moreAlways a great time!

A lovely place to go to if you reside in the Gainesville area. I lived here a couple years back and…read moreregret I didn't do more research into FREE amenities such as this! IT has incredible views alongside Lake Lanier, a pavilion, public bathrooms, bench swings on the lake, a clearing for the lake where many people like to go feed the ducks/geese.. SUCH a great vibe. Definitely worth a visit.

Beautiful and historic. The shoals are so much fun to slide and play in the water. Once a year in…read morethe fall they have a festival called Art in the Park! Believe me, you do not want to miss it! Be sure to save a lot of time for the awesome Village of historical buildings that have been moved to the site and restored. It's well worth many visits!!!!

park is nice but unstaffed most of the time and the area is bare bones. parking isn't convenient…read morefor the pavilions and having to cross the street to large hills with no stairs to access them from the parking areas is difficult for handicapped or limited mobility individuals. The river is fun for the kids but a lack of even a single park employee leads to many insatnces of crowds of loud violent groups taking over and running families out.