Easily accessible water area, lots of shade. Families with kids. Can get very crowded. Should be…read moreable to navigate slippery rocks if you want the water wading experience. Great photo ops on the covered bridge.

Poole's Mill is like a semi-hidden gem of a park. Not only does it have the amazing playground for…read morethe kids with the large dome, play set, and swings, BUT the "hidden" part is the best part of the park itself...the bridge and the water! The bridge and the water with the large rocks is an amazing photo opp not to mention being fun to explore. Such a fun mini-adventure that many people who stop for the playground don't even realize is there. Definitely don't leave this park off of your list it's a great one to visit.

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

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.]

Wonderful park with a creek running alongside. It has a splash pad, picnic table and ample amount…read moreof different spaces where kids and adults alike can enjoy. Our kids had a wonderful time. As a family you will have wonderful time. Don't forget your picnic food and mat.

Great park with lots of trails and paths, some with hills…read more.. Disc Golf Course... Organized sports...

As a resident of Dawson county, I was excited to learn that my grandson's U10 All Star baseball…read moreteam played a weekend championship series at Rock Creek Park. I was so impressed to see the condition of the fields. Grass behind the home plate and in the infield was perfectly precision cut. Bathrooms were impeccably cleaned throughout the day and we arrived at 7:30 am until 6:30 in evening. The concession stands were well equipped with hot dogs, pork plates and an offering of candies as snacks at reasonable-prices, so proud of these facilities. I'd even go as far as saying best facilities I've ever seen in the baseball circuit.

This very tiny gym gets 5 stars from me because it costs $25 for your ENTIRE FAMILY to join for SIX…read moreMONTHS. No contract and no monthly payments. It is super small- 2 treadmills, an elliptical, a few weight machines, a mat, and a yoga ball. I've never had to wait to use anything. Sometimes I have seen a couple of other people in there. The hours are good too. They have a TV. This cost does not include the classes that are sometimes offered. I have taken yoga classes with two different instructors and those have both been really great. My sister attends boot camp and it is also an amazing workout. The classes are usually cheaper if you pay for the whole month in advance. I think they run on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. So, they don't offer classes like LA Fitness or anything with a rotation of constant classes based on varying interests. I think they also offer other classes though. They have a great trail, and at the front of the park- like, it's hard to know it is even attached- their is a pavilion and a place to put in a kayak. Me and the mister have painted in the little pavilion. You don't have to pay to use the front part/boat launch, or the outside trail- just the weight room and classes. Also has a play area.

This trip was pure nostalgia for me and I enjoyed hiking up the falls this time as I'm on a huge…read morehealth journey ! The hike up Amicalola Falls is a 1 to 2-mile round trip depending on your exact route, requiring 1 to 1.5 hours. The trail is famous for its steep incline and roughly 425 to 600 metal and wooden stairs that climb alongside the 729-foot waterfall which was absolutely beautiful! I met some really cool people along the hike and even a new friend & we ended going for lunch and beer after our hike at the overlook. If you've never visited Amicalola falls, start planning now. Your soul will be at such peace and joy afterward !

This amazing state park has it all. Love to visit when I'm in the area. It's $5 to park all day and…read moreif you're feeling energetic, taking the hike from the base of the falls to the top is a great workout and the view from the top is work the sweat. Main scenic trail up starts with a walking path with an incline. You'll have a total of about 650 steps throughout your hike with plenty to landing spots with seats to rest. Every turn is a beautiful scene. Love the sounds of the relaxing water fall with every step! There's also hiking trails you can take and if hiking is not your thing, you can also drive to the top and enjoy the view without breaking a sweat. There are nice pavilions as well if you want to host a party and cabins too if you wanna spend the evening. Beautiful water fall and lovely state park with many trails for you to enjoy the amazing outdoors!

This is excellent training trail for hikers. For some reason, I always feel fatigue on this trail,…read moremaybe because of gravel road surface or more uneven elevation changes.

AHHHHHHHHHH ..... ‍‍!!!! Met up for a group hike and this trail did NOT disappoint. Even on a…read morecloudy morning, the trail was well populated. And even after a heavy rain, the hike was manageable and not too muddy. 10/10 for sure in regards to incline, views and doability.

We were looking for a park to sit and enjoy some food that we had bought did not like to sit in a…read morefood court . I came to the outlet mall and I was looking for some park nearby to have my food . Mostly this park is mostly used for people with boat who will have great access to the lake. It has got a shelter and we came as a family and had our food. The shelter had got few tables and also got one open access grill. When we visited around 1pm the restrooms were locked. I would not recommend if u want to spend some time more in the park. This park is exactly for people who needs to get their boats into the lake .

Beautiful view nice and clean park and there's enough parking even on a busy day. Love coming to…read morethis park with my toddler and baby to relax on our blanket watching the boats go by and the ducks swim