When the winter solstice passes deep into December, many we know pack up their hiking gear and wait for the spring before venturing out again. For us, winter hiking in Georgia is just another hiking season, with different appeal, unique sights, and a perfect opportunity to escape those indoor blues.
With an above-average 217 sunshiny days annually, North Georgia’s hiking season definitely extends year-round. Now, we’re saying that winter is our favorite hiking season. But it’s not our least-favorite either, a designation we reserve for humid, sweaty, bug-infested summer when we greatly prefer water, kayaks, beaches or air-conditioned resorts. Winter hiking simply requires a different set of equipment and a brighter outlook for darker days.
Reasons We Love Winter Season
Here are six reasons we love winter hiking, and look forward to getting outdoors during Georgia’s mild winter season:
1. No Sweat.
That may be an overstatement, but you get the point. When you dress warmly for winter hiking, you may end up shedding a layer to avoid a few spots of mild dampness. But compared to the strength-draining, drenching body water works of summer, working up a slight winter sweat signals that you’re getting a good workout while enjoying the outdoors. We always wear a wicking underlayer for winter hikes, which moves water away from the skin and helps retain warmth. And after a winter hike, we generally feel comfortable dropping in at a local restaurant (like Harvest Moon in Rome, GA.) for some comfort food and a beverage, not fearing we’ll offend the olfactory senses of patrons at nearby tables.
2. Happy trails
There’s nothing more annoying than heading out into the great wide open to find yourself shoulder-to-shoulder with a herd of humans. During the winter, Georgia trails often are wide-open, or at least far-less-trafficked than any other time of the year. We have the luxury of weekday hiking, and we rarely run into large groups. On weekends, we try to avoid Kennesaw Mountain and other urban hikes, but even those popular sites feature smaller crowds in winter.
3. More to See
Fallen leaves open the view from different angles, often revealing hidden treasures and vistas impossible to spot during other seasons. Winter at Amicalola Falls and Dukes Creek Falls reveals the full vertical splendor of Georgia’s tall falls as they cascade deep into the valleys below. Wandering the trails at Red Top Mountain, you can spot chimneys standing alone deep in the pine forest, the only remaining evidence of previous occupants. Mountain-top views at KeMo, Pine Mountain and Sloppy Floyd State Park offer a wider view of the surrounding area with fewer leaves blocking site lines. And if you look into the forest far off the trails or even down near your feet, you may even spot deer and other forest creatures you might otherwise miss in full foliage.
4. Fewer slithering surprises
With more to see all around, you can take solace in the fact that there’s a lesser likelihood of encountering slithering surprises on trails during the winter. But let’s clear up a misconception: snakes don’t hibernate during winter. Instead, they brumate, becoming less active and slowing their metabolism to reduce their food and water needs. But while they aren’t as active, they are still around, seeking warmth, often in underground dens and under wood and rock piles. Here’s a fun fact: while you’re less likely to see a snake outdoors in winter, the odds increase that you’ll encounter one indoors – like in your garage, your storage shed or even in your house. So come on, get OUTSIDE in the winter to avoid snakes! 🙂
5. Bright Light
North Georgia enjoys lots of winter days when the sun is high in the sky or peeking through scattered or thin clouds. That’s good news for those afflicted by Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD, which Mayo Clinic reports is most frequent in the winter, sapping your energy and making you feel moody or even depressed. Exposure to natural light delivers proven relief, including accelerating production of Vitamin D and potentially boosting a positive attitude. So while we love the convenience of walking the indoor track at the local YMCA or even making the 40 loops of our basement to measure one mile, there’s nothing like soaking up some sunshine on a winter hike – even on a cloudy day – to improve your health.
6. Cure for Cabin Fever
We love our home, but we often feel the walls closing in during winter. There’s a reason Jimmy Buffet sings in Boat Drinks, “This morning, I shot six holes in my freezer. I think I got cabin fever; somebody sound the alarm.” Often, by February, we are looking forward to a Caribbean cruise to St. Somewhere. But during the other weeks, we find it much more practical to head to a nearby trail, state park, historical site or national land preserve for a simple walk in the woods — especially when we can get visiting family and friends out of the house for some needed space.
More Winter Wandering Ideas
So far, we’ve mentioned and provided links about winter hiking at Pine Mountain in Cartersville, Amicalola Falls State Park, Duke’s Creek Falls, Red Top Mountain State Park, and Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park. Here are a few others that we’ve done that are ideal for winter hiking:
James “Sloppy” Floyd State Park. We’ve hiked Sloppy several times, up to the Marble Mine and then to the high intersection with the 300+-mile Pinhoti Scenic Trail. (We promise we’ll get around to writing about our adventures, as it’s a fun family outing.) For Winter 2021, this one is on our list to visit again after a couple of days of freezing weather, when the low-volume falls can create some incredible winter picture opportunities.
Cloudland Canyon State Park. One of our favorite Georgia State Parks, featuring two major waterfalls, several smaller ones, and a spectacular canyon view. Fall is our favorite time here, and we tend to visit on weekdays, as weekends have been crowded during this year of Covid-19. Again, freezing days can create a winter wonderland of photo ops.
Black Rock Mountain State Park. Hiking the 2.2 mile Tennessee Rock Trail offers incredible vistas anytime of the year, but the views really open up when the leaves fall down.
Pickett’s Mill State Historical Area. Visiting in the winter can offer a better understanding of how battle activities played out during this bloody Civil War assault. We also prefer the winter because lower temperatures and shorter grass on the lesser-traveled trails means lower risks of ticks.
Mountain to River Trail. We often combine an early-Saturday-morning visit to the Marietta Farmer’s Market with a hike on this urban trail. We like it in winter because we can then grab a hot coffee or warm lunch at the Marietta Food Market (we owe an update on this post!) or from one of the many restaurants at the square when we’re done. We wrote this up as a fun bike trail, but we often walk it from the Square.
A Walk in the Woods
We’ll conclude with a book recommendation. If you can’t or won’t take our advice to get out for a winter hike, you can enjoy our favorite hiking book, A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson. It’s a personal and highly comical story of Bryson’s attempt to hike the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine with a friend. If you’re not hiking, winter’s a great time for reading this or any other Bryson book, for that matter – to improve your attitude and outlook!
