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Chattahoochee Lakeside Hike at Overlook Park! Precedes our AOC Annual Picnic at same nice venue.




The Basics:
Event Type:Hike
Event Location: Sandy Springs, GA near GA-400 Northridge Rd exit   Hike: Chattahoochee Lakeside Hike at Overlook Park! Precedes our AOC Annual Picnic at same nice venue.  National Weather Service Forecast
Date(s) & Time:Sat, Aug 20 2016  2:00 pm >> Sat, Aug 20 2016 3:30 pm
Registration Opens: Tue, Aug 9 2016 9:30 pm
Registration Cut Off: Sat, Aug 20 2016 12:00 pm
Event Duration:1 Hours 30 Minutes
Difficulty Rating:D1: Easy
Distance:2.5 Miles
Pace:Moderate
Trip Leader(s):
Charlie Cottingham
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Member Cost:None

Participant Info:
Who's Invited: Members Only, 21 And Older Only
Maximum Group Size:20
Minimum Group Size:2
Number Registered So Far: 15 / 0 (To see who's signed up, log in to the Member Area)
Are Dogs Permitted: No

Itinerary:

WEATHER UPDATE as of Sat AM Aug 20th:  As mentioned previously in this article, this is intended to be a Rain-or-Shine event.  I suggest that we each carry a lightweight poncho, umbrella, etc, and in the event of a severe thunderstorm we can quickly return to the nearby Pavilion where excellent shelter is available. The National Weather Service now predicts a 50- to 60% chance of scattered showers and thunderstorms, but no more than about a tenth of an inch of total rain accumulation between 2:00 and 8:00 PM.

IN a NUTSHELL:  This easy "rain-or-shine" scenic hike has been specially planned to immediately precede our big annual AOC Summer Picnic at "Morgan Falls Overlook Park." See easy Directions and parking advice below.  Members who may be interested in the picnic are welcome to register for the hike, and vice versa.  We can enjoy both events in a single trip without moving our cars. BTW, if you get a "Double-Booking?" auto-email from the Club don't let that worry you!  It 's just reminding us to check to make sure we have time to do both events.

The beautiful new park was opened by the city of Sandy Springs in 2010 on a high bluff overlooking the large flatwater section of the Chattahoochee River known as "Bull Sluice Lake" - just upstream of Morgan Falls Dam.
  The adjoining woodlands boast several miles of shady hiking trails in addition to the nice walkways, lawns and gardens in the built-up part of the park.  Our plan is to enjoy about 90 minutes of leisurely hiking (not more than about 3 miles total) along the lakeshore and via the loop trails that wind through the forest on the hillside overlooking the Park Pavilion.

WHERE & WHEN?  We'll gather for the hike a few minutes before 2:00 PM on the walkway by the Info Kiosk and Restroom Building that adjoin the park's lakeside Dining Pavilion  The AOC has reserved the huge Pavilion for our annual Summer Picnic which will take place there between 4:00 and 8:00 PM.  In case the main parking lot at the Park is full, there's normally plenty of free "overflow" parking about 0.2 mile down the hill just below Morgan Falls Dam (beside the river at the "Dog Park").

OPTIONAL "BYO BOATING" and SWIMMING:  If you have a kayak, canoe, or inflatable watercraft you may wish to bring it to play with off the Park's dock after the hike, etc. - and if so don't forget your paddle & lifejacket!  By the way, although SWIMMING is not prohibited in Bull Sluice Lake (or anywhere else along the Chattahoochee waterway) it is strongly recommended that if you choose to swim that you wear a lifejacket and make sure you're highly visible to passing boaters, etc.


Required Items to Bring:

- Wear comfortable lightweight Walking Shoes or Hiking Boots
- Shorts and a Short-Sleeve Shirt are appropriate to wear if you like.  It's expected to be in the 80s and the trails are reasonably clear of overhanging briars, poison ivy, etc.
- Hydrate in advance and consider carrying a Water Bottle, Camelbak or other hydration system with you during the hike.
- Consider carrying some lightweight emergency Rain Gear (e.g, a poncho, small umbrella, etc.) since we may get a shower or two. 

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

- Consider bringing your own Kayak, Canoe, Inflatable Raft, Beach Float, etc. to play with off the Park dock just after our hike, during lulls in the Picnic activities, etc.  More than a dozen of our Picnic attendees in fact plan arrive in boats which they'll launch at 1:30 PM at Island Ford, several miles upstream of the Overlook Park dock.


How to Get There:
Event Directions:

DIRECTIONS from GA-400 NORTHRIDGE RD EXIT: (This is Exit #6, about 5 miles N of the GA-400/ I-285 Interchange in N. Metro Atlanta.)

1. From GA-400 Exit #6 take Northridge Rd westward about 0.6 mile to the traffic light at Roswell Rd.
2. Turn Left onto Roswell Road and go about 1-1/4 mile to the traffic light at Morgan Falls Road.
4. Turn Right onto Morgan Falls Road, go about 1-1/4 mile and look for "Overlook Park" on your Right (at a sharp left turn of the main road).  Turn Right into the free Parking Lot.  After parking your vehicle look for our hiking group by the Info Kiosk and Restroom Building near the park Pavilion.
NOTE:  If that parking lot is full continue another 1/4 mile via Morgan Falls Road to the riverside gravel parking area below Morgan Falls Dam where free parking is normally available at the "Morgan Falls Dog Park" - then walk back up to our meetup spot by the Park Info Kiosk.

GPS and Maps.Google.com Users:  Feel free to augment the above written directions by entering these Lat/Lon coordinates as your destination address for our meetup spot: 33.9708,-84.3796
The street address of the Park is 200 Morgan Falls Road
Sandy Springs, GA 30350


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

Cost Includes:

FREE Event with Free Parking.  If you stay for our AOC Annual Summer Picnic (4:00 - 8:00 PM) you should pre-register and prepay your $15 event fee.  


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