Jones Bridge Trail (Gwinnet County, Georgia)

The Chattahoochee River snakes through the greater Atlanta area and offers a number of terrific trails and water sport options for the so inclined. I set out with a meetup group this morning to explore one of those trails. The Jones Bridge Trail follows a section of the river with in the namesake national recreation area and in the past offered views of the ruins of old wooden bridge that used to allow passage across the river, but talking to some of the other members of the group, it sounds as though the ruin was disassembled and removed at some point in the last couple of years. Oh well, its still a great day for a hike in the woods.

Meeting up with the large group at the parking lot pay station, we do a quick round of introductions and then hit the trail. Late in the fall, which we are now moving into, most of the autumn colors have fallen from the trees and now carpet the ground. It's less pretty, but still nice to be outside. The trails seem to zigzag through the woods, following the river at points, and going a slightly further inland at others. 

Along the way, I make a couple of new friends and enjoy conversation with my fellow hikers. As we reach the turn-around point, we stop for a few minutes to rest and enjoy a terrific view of the Chattahoochee. I note how muddy the water looks compared to the crystal clear streams of the Sierras. This is much more like the waterways I grew up with near St. Louis. It's not better or worse, but just different than what I have become accustomed to of the last several years.

After putting in just over 6.5 miles, we end up back where we started. The group says their goodbyes and we go our separate ways. This trail was a fine Sunday afternoon, but didn't really offer much in the way of memorable scenery.