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2B I Thursday, November 9, 2006 | The Red & Black
OUT & ABOUT
URBAN HIKER
Outdoor Escapes Inside the City Limits
By TREVOR WILLIAMS
For The Red & Black
Death has never been so vibrant. November has set
Georgia’s trees ablaze with fiery oranges, yellows and reds,
forming canopies that signify the passing of summer and
advent of winter.
Fall, the blissful transition between scorching heat and
stiff cold, is prime time for hiking aficionados to take advan
tage of the moderate climate and unrivaled beauty of north
Georgia.
Time permitting, a number of outdoor escapes are avail
able within an hour’s drive from the Classic City. But with
gas prices still high and the hectic finals season approach
ing, a local excursion is a cheap and convenient way to get
an outdoors fix.
Athens offers a variety of quick-access trails within the
city limits that satisfy the urbanite’s hunger for adventure.
BIRCHMORE TRAIL
BEN BURTON PARK
FRED A. BIRCHMORE
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TREVOR WILLIAMS The Red * Black
Located on the park access road near the
entrance to Bear Hollow Wildlife Trail at Memorial
Park, the trail head at the Fred A. Birchmore Trail
used to be easy to miss. Now a small, granite
monument gives a short bio about the trail’s
namesake, and a new stone stairway is under
construction to help lead hikers into the forest.
The three phases of the trail combine to cover
more than over two miles, winding over creeks,
ravines and a small canyon.
The trail is the work of 95-year-old Fred A.
Birchmore, a legendary Athens native who biked
around the world in the 1930s.
Birchmore built the trail in the mid-1940s to
provide his children with a place to ride their
horses. He also built what is now known as the
Great Wall of Birchmore - a 16- to 18-foot gran
ite structure behind his house on Milledge
Terrace - by hand.
“It only took five and a half years working 12-
16 hours a day,” Birchmore said. “I didn’t have
much muscle, but I had a lot of determination ...
and of course, I was young then; I was only in
my 70s.”
Runners, bikers and hikers all frequent the
trail, which is also accessible from Lumpkin
Street. At a brisk pace, the trail takes about a
half-hour to complete from beginning to end.
To stay on the main trail, follow the recently
posted brown signs that mark the path. But since
getting lost is virtually impossible while walking
between Lumpkin Street, Gran Ellen Drive and
the park access road, this is the chance to be a
little daring.
The trail runs through an old forest that at
DETAILS
DIFFICULTY: 3
The trail itself is well maintained, so you most likely
won’t roll an ankle on a jagged boulder. Negotiating
the hilly terrain can really get the heart pumping.
ESCAPE FACTOR: 2
Considering the fact that Birchmore is smack-dab in
the middle of a dense residential area, it offers an
astounding degree of seclusion. But if you’re looking
to really escape, you might want to try somewhere
else.
LEAF SCORE: 3
The best places to leaf-peep on Birchmore are near
the trailhead and along the ridgelines looking back
across the small valleys.
INTANGIBLES: 4
Secret picnic areas, the Great Wall of Birchmore and
a filled concrete pond make for interesting scenery
along the way. Besides, it’s not every day you have
an excuse to trespass in people’s backyards.
some points offers great vistas of the changing
leaves. Except for the constant whir of passing
cars and occasional passersby, it feels like a pri
vate wilderness. Birchmore recommends looking
for a 200-year-old Live Oak tree near the canyon
next to Lumpkin Street. He calls it “Old Moses.”
Although the trail is well maintained, with
wooden bridges over creeks and ravines and
stone steps to help hikers handle steep inclines,
the fickle terrain will cause even the avid hiker to
work up a sweat.
For a cool-down session, stroll over to Bear
Hollow and check out some of Georgia’s native
wildlife or visit the ducks at the pond in nearby
Memorial Park.
Still hot and ready to regain some cards?
Take a two-minute drive to Hodgson’s Pharmacy
for a 50-cent scoop of ice cream.
Ben Burton Park is located on Mitchell Bridge
Road just between Atlanta Highway and
Oglethorpe Avenue.
Situated on the Middle Oconee river, the 32-
acre plot is the site of an old hydroelectricity
plant dismantled in the 60s, the ruins of which
are still visible - and climbable - for visiting
hikers.
According to an on-site monument, the plant
was built in 1896 and used 67 years before being
shut down. Now, instead of providing power for
the community, the tall stone structure gives
character to a park that was donated in 1967 for
“the pleasure of the people.”
Although not officially designated as a dog
park, the wildlife preserve’s wide, riverside green
areas attract many dog-owners, as well as fris-
bee throwers, sunbathers and students trying to
soak in the beauty of the season.
Holly Ballenger, a 21-year-old art education
major at the University, enjoys studying in the
outdoors because it helps her be productive
while doing something she enjoys.
“I went to Ben Burton Park (Saturday) and sat
out on the rocks with my friend,” she said.
“It’s incredible with all the leaves changing
colors.”
As much as Ben Burton pleases leisure-seek
ers, it also suits those looking for a more extreme
outdoor experience, like Mark Woods, an Athens
native whose surname fits his love for the out
doors.
Woods, who has hiked parts of the
Appalachian Trail, was introducing his 2-year-old
daughter Sophie to what life is like on the trail.
DETAILS
DIFFICULTY: 2
Although the trails are narrow and rocky at the points
along the river, the second half of the loop is a
breeze.
ESCAPE FACTOR: 4
The population density at Ben Burton is high, but
luckily most of the park’s visitors are there just to let
their dogs run around, not to do any real walking
themselves.
Get close enough to the river and the roar of the
water will even drown out car noise.
LEAF SCORE: 4
More shades of red here than at Birchmore and a
high concentration of trees for a small area.
INTANGIBLES: 2
Ben Burton’s reputation has suffered in the last year
as police have responded to various reports of public
sexual activity at the park.
Go in the daytime and this should not be a concern.
He said that Ben Burton is a rare find in Athens.
“There are hardly any public trails left in
Clarke County,” he said before moving into a dis
course on cotton farming in the area. “It’s mostly
private land.”
The park’s wooded, 1.2-mile loop runs within
splashing distance of the Middle Oconee until
about the halfway point, when it curls back
toward the entrance.
The perch atop the ruined hydroelectricity
plant provides the clearest views of the river and
(unfortunately) the mansions on the other side.
After sitting for a spell, break away from the
water and circle back to the grassy fields.
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