Kennesaw Mountain - Hardage Trail and Illinois Monument - Sat, Sep 26 2026

REGISTRATION REQUIRED: Once you've reviewed the event details, and decided you'd like to join us, you MUST sign up at the bottom of this page.



Kennesaw Mountain - Hardage Trail and Illinois Monument


The Basics:
Event Type:Hike
Event Location: Kennesaw Mountain National Park   Hike: Kennesaw Mountain - Hardage Trail and Illinois Monument  National Weather Service Forecast
Date(s) & Time:Sat, Sep 26 2026  7:30 am >> Sat, Sep 26 2026 12:30 pm
Registration Opens: Fri, Sep 18 2026 7:00 pm
Registration Cut Off: Fri, Sep 25 2026 4:00 pm
Event Duration:5 Hours
Difficulty Rating:D4: Moderate to Difficult
Distance:13 Miles
Pace:Moderate
Trip Leader(s):
Kip
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Member Cost:None

Participant Info:
Who's Invited: Members Only, 21 And Older Only
Maximum Group Size:15
Minimum Group Size:4
Number Registered So Far: 1 / 0 (To see who's signed up, log in to the Member Area)
Are Dogs Permitted: No

Itinerary:

We will start at the Visitor Center and hike over Big and Little Kennesaw Mountains to Burnt Hickory Road.  

We will hike south from Burnt Hickory, turn right on the Hardage Trail and hike to the end at Whitlock Avenue.  We will cross Whitlock Avenue and walk to the Illinois Monument.  Why?  There are bathrooms there, so we will take a short snack break there and start making our way back to the mountain. We will hike the creek trail to the Old John Ward Trail and cross Whitlock Avenue to the Noses Creek trail.  turn back north on Noses Creek Trail. We will rejoin the Hardage Trail at the bridge over Noses Creek, hiking Hardage in the opposite direction.  We will hike the Salem Church trail, cross Burnt Hickory Road and take the Brumby Trail back to the Visitor Center.  

The average pace of this hike will be  2.8+ mph.

Due to the length of the hike we will stay together as a group throughout the hike.

 


Required Items to Bring:

Hiking shoes or boots

Water or energy drinks

America the Beautiful pass or KMNBP annual pass

Recommended Items to Bring:
Use our Event Checklists to make sure you have everything you need.

Hiking poles


How to Get There:
Event Directions:
 

Notes:

There is a $5 parking fee at all KMNBP parking lots.  If you do not have an annual pass you can purchase a day pass at the kiosk.  Be sure to display your annual or day pass on your dashboard, as all parking lots are routinely monitored by park employees.


* We encourage all members to follow our Etiquette Guidelines while participating in AOC events.


Cancellation/Partial Attendance:   Please review the AOC cancellation policy.