Mason Mill Park Grand Tour

Come along for a hike in DeKalb County’s wonderful Mason Mill Park, with a rock-hopping excursion into Ira Melton Park thrown in.  (Your hiking sticks will help you there.)  

We will cover every marked trail in Mason Mill Park, and a fair number of unmarked ones so be prepared for adventure.  And, we'll see the waterworks, take selfies with an Atlanta Champion Tree, and if time allows, search for a geocache.*

Be sure you can handle the boulder-hopping; and be confident of your surefootedness as we will traverse some tricky spots.  There are a lot of up-and-downs on this hike so the rating is D3.  Our pace will be about 2.5 mph. 

Meet at the playground-rest room parking area of Mason Mill Park.  Please arrive 10-15 min early for introductions as we will leave on time.  Parking is free and bathrooms are here.

As Mason Mill's website (see link further below) says:

Mason Mill Park contains a 120-acre forest with a network of some of the nicest hiking and biking trails in the county. The South Peachtree Creek Trail is a multi-use boardwalk and paved route that connects Mason Mill Park, Medlock Park, the Leafmore neighborhood, and Emory University. A network of soft surface trails also provides miles of hiking opportunities within Mason Mill, Ira B. Melton, and Medlock Parks. The forest is also the location of the old Decatur Waterworks, which is on the National Historic Registry.

Inspired by Ranger Jonah McDonald's 2014 book Hiking Atlanta's Hidden Forests, and now his new book, Hiking Metro Atlanta’s Hidden Forests, I am endeavoring to explore more of our close-by trails and woods.  

*if you're not already a geocacher, but mildly curious, go to geocaching.com to establish your free account, make up a clever geo name, and download the app.  I'll tell you the rest in person.  

1340 McConnell Dr, Decatur, GA 30033

McConnell Drive is off of Clairmont Road between the VA Hospital and North Druid Hills Road, at a traffic light with a sign saying Mason Mill Park and also Avis G Williams Library.  Turn down there and follow signs. 

You can get to Clairmont Road from Atlanta via Ponce de Leon/Scott Boulevard to Clairmont Road and turn left (north) or via the I-85 exit where you will head south.

Or from from the East you can take I-285 to the Decatur/US78 exit, turn right on North Druid Hills Road and follow that to Clairmont Road where you turn left at the light, then go to the light for McConnell Drive. 

Meet us by the bathrooms in front of the children's playground.

Link to Mason Mill Park info; this is some good reading: - https://www.dekalbcountyga.gov/parks/mason-mill-park

Lullwater Park is also an interesting and historic area and here's a link for background info - https://www.atlantatrails.com/hiking-trails/lullwater-walking-running-trails-emory-university-atlanta/