Gold Branch CRNRA Hike, just prior to Dine & Discover event at nearby Chattahoochee Nature Center
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The Basics: |
| Event Type: |  | Hike | |
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Event Location: | |
Near 6156 Lower Roswell Rd, Roswell, GA 30068
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| Date(s) & Time: | | Thu, Apr 26 2018
5:00 pm >> Thu, Apr 26 2018 6:45 pm
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| Registration Opens:
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Sat, Mar 24 2018 12:00 pm
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| Registration Cut Off:
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Thu, Apr 26 2018 1:00 pm
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| Event Duration: | | 1 Hours 45 Minutes | |
| Difficulty Rating: | | D2: Easy to Moderate | |
| Distance: | | 4 Miles | |
| Pace: | | Moderate | |
Trip Leader(s):
| | Charlie Cottingham
 Email Trip Leader(s)
You must be logged in to get the Trip Leader contact information.
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| Member Cost: | | None |
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| Participant Info: |
| Who's Invited: | |
Members Only, 21 And Older Only
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| Maximum Group Size: | | 15 |
| Minimum Group Size: | | 2 |
| Number Registered So Far: | |
5 / 0 (To see who's signed up, log in to the Member Area)
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| Are Dogs Permitted: | |
No
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| Itinerary: |
IN a NUTSHELL: This early-evening hike in the lovely "Gold Branch" unit of the Chattahoochee River Nat'l Recreation Area (CRNRA) has been planned to immediately precede our AOC participation in a "Dine & Discover" event at the nearby Chattahoochee Nature Center (CNC). Hike registrants are encouraged to register also for the 7:00 Potluck Dinner and "Wild Mushrooms of GA" presentation hosted by our CNC Nature Club friends. We can conveniently enjoy both events by driving just a mile northward after the hike. (BTW, we hikers who also register for the dinner & talk are likely to get a "Double-Booking?" auto-email from the AOC website, which is of no concern since our hike will conclude just prior to the dinner.)
HIKE DETAILS: We'll gather for the hike in the parking lot of the Gold Branch unit a few minutes before 5:00 PM. (See Directions & GPS Address Info, etc. below. A self service $5 cash parking fee is required if you don't display a current US National Park system pass.) Our 1-3/4 hour hike route will take us at a moderate pace along scenic shady trails overlooking the Chattahoochee's "Bull Sluice Lake," for a total of about 4 miles. Along the way we'll pause occasionally to regroup, discuss native flora & fauna, observe the birds & wildlife and take photos.
MORE about our local CHATTAHOOCHEE NAT'L REC AREA and its TRAILS in the GOLD BRANCH unit:
Click here for the CRNRA's main website: https://www.nps.gov/chat/index.htm
Click here for a color Trail Map of the Gold Branch unit. Unit: https://www.nps.gov/chat/planyourvisit/upload/TrailMapGoldBranch.pdf
MORE about the CHATTAHOOCHEE NATURE CENTER (CNC): Located on a beautiful 127-acre site overlooking the Chattahoochee River in Roswell, GA (just upstream of "Morgan Falls") the Nature Center features an amazing variety of gardens, woodlands,meadows, ponds & wetlands, native plants and wild animals that showcase the natural beauty of Georgia. Its professional staff and hundreds of member-volunteers are known especially for their dedication to protecting and promoting our state's native wild flora & fauna. Since its founding by local citizen-activists in the 1970s the CNC has served as a focal point for for environmental education and communion with nature. Visitors who enjoy hiking are urged to explore a network of more than 2 miles of scenic trails via a fascinating variety of habitats.
The Center continues to grow and reach out to citizens as a place to explore new ideas and expand the awareness of the natural world. Its strong grass-roots environmental learning center touches the lives of more than 100,000 children and adults each year. This a unique place where people connect to each other and the land through a shared respect for nature - a safe place where interaction with nature excites the senses and encourages learning.
On the 4th Thursday evening of each month (Jan - Oct) the CNC Nature Club hosts a "Dine & Discover" meeting and encourages all who have an interest in nature to attend. It begins with a delicious potluck dinner and concludes with a fascinating lecture and Q&A period. Here are some CNC links of interest:
- Main Nature Center Website: http://www.chattnaturecenter.org/
- Map of the CNC and its hiking trails, lakes, buildings, etc.: http://chattnaturecenter.org/includes/trails/CNCMap2017.pdf
- Membership Info Webpage: http://www.chattnaturecenter.org/membership/join-renew/ |
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Required Items to Bring:
- Wear comfortable Walking Shoes or Boots and Clothing appropriate for the weather.
- Hydrate well before the hike.
- $5 in cash for the self-serve CRNRA Parking fee if you don't display a current Nat'l Parks pass on your vehicle. | | Recommended Items to Bring:
Use our Event Checklists to make sure you have everything you need.
- Camera or Smartphone for taking photos along the way.
- Bottle of Water or Hydration daypack.
- If showers are in the forecast carry a light-weight Umbrella, emergency Poncho, etc.
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| How to Get There: |
| Event Directions: | | GPS and MAPS.GOOGLE.COM USERS: You can augment the verbal directions below by entering the following "Lat/Lon" as your Destination Address for the Hike:
- Lat/Lon of Parking Lot where we'll meet, beside the Trailhead (Be sure to include comma & minus sign): 33.9845, -84.3853
- For a zoomable map or satellite view of this precise meetup spot, click the square blue & green "Event Location" icon near the top of this article.
- Approx. Street Address of nearby entrance road junction for the Gold Branch unit : 6156 Lower Roswell Rd, Roswell, GA 30068 (Turn here in opposite direction from the "Asheforde Drive" subdivision.)
VERBAL DIRECTIONS from GA-400 EXIT 6, "Northridge Rd" (This exit is about 5 miles N of the GA-400/ I-285 Interchange in N. metro Atlanta and just south of Roswell, GA.)
1. At the GA-400 Exit #6 ("Northridge Rd") carefully follow the "Dunwoody Place" directional signs.
2. Just a few feet west of the GA-400 overpass bridge merge smoothly northward onto Dunwoody Place. (No need to pass through any of the nearby Northridge Rd traffic lights).
3. Take Dunwoody Place about 1.3 miles to the traffic light at Roswell Rd (and get in one of the right turn lanes).
4. Turn Right onto Roswell Rd and go 0.6 mile to the traffic light at Azalea Drive (just beyond the Chattahoochee River bridge, and get in the left turn lane).
5. Turn Left onto Azalea Drive and go 1.7 miles to the traffic light at Willeo Rd.
6. Turn Left onto Willeo Rd and go 1.4 miles to the traffic circle at Lower Roswell Rd.
7. Take the 2nd exit from the traffic circle onto Lower Roswell Rd - in effect a "Left turn" off Willeo - and go just 0.6 mile via Lower Roswell to the"Asheforde Drive" street sign & crosswalks.
8. Turn Left here at Asheforde Drive into the CRNRA Gold Branch unit (the opposite direction from the residential entrance). Look for us about 0.1 mile ahead in the parking lot beside the trailhead. We'll gather there a few minutes before 5:00 PM and would like to begin the hike together at 5:00 sharp after self-service parking pass payments & introductions.
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| Notes: |
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Cancellation/Partial Attendance: Please review the AOC cancellation policy. |
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