Panola Mountain (Rockdale County, Georgia)

 

A monadnoke is a small mountain jutting abruptly out of the landscape and often made of granite. The greater Atlanta area has three such granite islands, Stone Mountain, Arabia Mountain, and the site of today's ranger-guided hike, Panola Mountain. While the other two were both quarried at points in the past and have a network of trails in and around them, Panola's granite is not of sufficient quality for construction use and so has remained mostly pristine. So much so, in fact, that the entire mountain and the area around it has been dedicated a preserve. Hike on the mountain itself is only allowed when accompanied by a park ranger. Learning of this, my curiosity was peaked and I registered for the tour.

I arrived at the park's nature center a few minutes before the scheduled start time. After checking in, I walked around the exhibits the museum had to offer, which includes a number of snakes in aquariums and a miniature model of the mountain and surrounding areas. As the start time approached, our guide collected the four of us tour and gave us a quick overview of what to expect, before we headed into the woods.

From her description, it sounds as though the woods surrounding Panola Mountain was once used as cotton fields and grazing lands for dairy cattle, but has, over the last century or so, been reclaimed by nature. Additionally, there are obvious signs that this area was home to moonshiners at various points in the past. Their stills and steel barrels are tangible reminders of the bootleg industry that ran rampant in the hills of Northern Georgia all the way to northern end of the Appalachians. 

The trail bobs and weaves through the woods, heads past a man-made swimming pond, before we arrive at the foot of the mountain. From here, we make our way up the side of the mountain that would seem more appropriately placed in the Sierra Nevada than outside of Atlanta, but it is a beautiful site regardless. The ranger warns us to watch our step on the slick rocks. We've had significant rainfall the last couple of days and she further mentions that it is an ideal time to visit, as the mosses and lichens that cover the granite will be at their most colorful. She takes the time to warn us about stepping on the cryptobiotic surface, which is music to my ears as a Leave No Trace trainer.

The hikes is incredibly easy, even the inclines, but the views are quite stunning. From here we are able to see both Stone Mountain and Arabia Mountain in the distance as well as getting a great look at Atlanta's skyline from a distance. The granite itself shows signs of age by the mucky pools carved out by the lichens and now inhabited by a myriad of lower levels of plant life. In time, these small ecosystems will grow into larger wooded areas, but it's quite interesting to see it in these early stages of development.

Returning a slightly different route than the way we came, we end up back at the nature center and we all thank the ranger and her assistance for their time and discussion. It really was a great experience and while the hike was only about 3.6 miles, it was well worth the visit.