*You Can Do It* #1 - Cochran Mill Park

     Welcome to the first of my *You Can Do It* series of hikes!  These hikes are designed especially for folks who are new to hiking OR to the hike location.  They'll go no faster than a moderate pace and we will pause to take pictures when the opportunity arises.

     This time we’ll be hiking some of the trails of the Cochran Mill Park.  After meeting promptly at 10:00 AM in the parking lot, we’ll hike east towards Little Bear Creek and enjoy a beautiful waterfall. The water may be a little high for a creek crossing, but no worries, if needed we'll take a small detour and still end up on the other side of the creek.  After a quick picture op break, we'll continue our hike along Little Bear Creek, then through the woods to arrive above the dam and Big Rock outcrop on Bear Creek (which was used for a scene from season two of The Walking Dead).  We'll next hike along on some lovely lichen bordered trails that follow above the creek, where we’ll take in some great views of a few man made dams and natural falls.  We’ll then cross over the iron bridge, head east and follow the trails along the north side of Bear Creek. 

     Next, we’ll hike on a wonderful, but seldom used, trail through the woods until we reach the Cochran Mill Nature Center.  * Although there are actually a couple of birthday parties scheduled for Saturday at the center - there will be a break between them from 12:00 - 1:00 PM, which is just about the time we will arrive :-)  IF the birthday parties have cleared out and we all want to visit the animal exhibits (which are really quite nice) the cost would only be $3 per person - but we'll decide on this once we arrive.  If we choose not to take in the exhibits, the bathrooms - located inside - will still be available. Although they do not charge for the use of their bathrooms - a small donation would still be nice as this is a non-profit center.

     From there we'll just have a short hike as we head back along the Mill Road Trail to Bear creek, cross over the Iron bridge and head back to our cars.

FROM ATLANTA to COCHRAN MILL PARK:
1. Take I-85 Southward past Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson Int'l Airport and get off at Exit #69, "Old National/South Fulton Parkway." (This I-85 exit is about 15 miles south of downtown Atlanta and 2 miles beyond the Airport exit. It adjoins the big I-85/I-285 interchange on the SW side of town.)

2. Take the 3-mile-long exit connector westward onto South Fulton Pkwy, and follow it about 13 more miles to Cochran Mill Road.

3. Turn Right onto Cochran Mill Road and go about 0.4 mile to the free Cochran Mill Park parking lot on your left. (The lot is just beyond a narrow controlled-entry road on your left.)

LAT/LON COORDINATES of PARKING LOT in PARK: 33.5714,-84.7130
-These may be useful in conjunction with the above directions as your entered "Destination" for GPS Navigation or Google Maps.

APPROXIMATE STREET ADDRESS of PARKING LOT in PARK:
6800 Cochran Mill Road, Palmetto, GA 30268
-May also be useful as your entered GPS destination.

     I'll allow up to four dogs total for this adventure, but please keep in mind that if you decide to visit the Nature Center you'll need a volunteer to hold your dogs for you.  :-)