Great Dam Views and More at Cooper’s Furnace

(UPDATED:  Spring 2023)

With a bit of inspiration from our friends at AtlantaTrails.com and  AtlantaHikes.com, we headed out to nearby Cooper’s Furnace and Allatoona Dam on a near-perfect day to explore the Civil War-era ruins, enjoy an easy hike, and take in the scenery.  Our short outing was a great way to spend a lazy afternoon, getting out in nature without the fuss of major planning or a long drive.

History, Nature and Picturesque Views

Cooper’s Furnace is one of many Civil War sites on the route of William Tecumseh Sherman’s Union Army as it fought South from Chattanooga to Atlanta, then on to the Georgia Coast. Located just off I-75 Northwest of Atlanta and near Lake Allatoona, this site was home to the Cooper Iron Works, which supplied iron for railroad tracks and other war goods.  The Union Army destroyed the Iron Works and several other factories owned by businessman Mark Anthony Cooper.  Seeking to slow Sherman’s progress, Confederates burned the nearby high bridge over the Allatoona River.  Union engineers rebuilt the span in only six days, and the line remained in use until the railroad was rerouted in 1946 to accommodate building the Allatoona Dam. Today, the stone supports still tower over the river, just off Joe Frank Harris Parkway (Highway 41) South of Cartersville.

Arriving at the park itself, the hulking chimney of a factory furnace dominates the landscape.  We started our hike by heading up Cooper Furnace Trail, which begins with a paved, then gravel road, and leads to a hillside hiking path.

A short way in, we arrived at the small pond originally created by a beaver dam.  The lake is home to a variety of wildlife, including ducks and birds which make homes in the many birdhouses.  The pond offers some excellent photo opportunities, especially on bright fall days when the surrounding trees and colorful foliage reflect in the lake’s still waters.   Continuing on, the dirt trail generally follows the stream that creates the pond, then crosses a small bridge where it begins a steep and rocky ascent.

A plethora of signs highlight points and facts of interest, including the history of a mining rail line that once traveled alongside the stream.  About half way up the hill, and approximately 0.8 miles from the start, a trail spur leads to a wooden overlook area.  Take a few minutes to follow the spur, as the overlook also offers good nature and landscape photo opportunities.  Continuing up, and just below the summit, a larger outcropping of rocks is home to a number of small forest animals who use the various cracks, crags and holes for shelter.

We continued up to the summit, then took the shorter, less interesting route down on the service road.

Banker’s Hours for Corps Museum

At the promontory near Allatoona Dam, the Corps of Engineers operates a small museum and visitor center.  But, if you visit on a weekend, you won’t be able to tour as the Corps maintains banker’s hours, with the museum open only 9 am to 4 pm on weekdays. We learned this the hard way, with our first visit on a weekend.  At the front of the museum is a small porch equipped with rocking chairs, a great place for a short break and a sip of water before traveling down.

We returned another day to enjoy the museum, which features geography, geology, wildlife and history displays about the area, its original Native American Cherokee inhabitants, and the various waves of settlers that explored, developed and populated the area.  If you’re not familiar with the Georgia gold rush, it started further east near Dahlonega around 1828, and spread out across the North Georgia mountain areas.  The influx of miners and related settlers was called “The Great Intrusion” by the native Cherokee, who eventually were forced to relocate by the US government.  On the Trail of Tears from Georgia to the Indian Territory of present-day Oklahoma, more than 4,000 Cherokee died. By the late 1840s, gold discovery had declined significantly, and many miners pulled up stakes and headed West for more promising tales of gold from California.

The Whole Dam Story

The history of the neighboring Allatoona Dam and Lake Allatoona is well-documented in the museum. The narrow river pass near Cooper’s Furnace was long treasured as a potential dam site.  After several failed efforts, the dam was approved by Congress and construction began in 1946. The large reservoir created by damming the Allatoona River creates a water wonderland of recreational activities, most of which can be enjoyed along more than 270 miles of shoreline accessed by public sites operated by the Corps of Engineers, Red Top Mountain State Park, and a variety of local entities.

View from Above

A small observation park overlooks the dam, and provides great viewing and photo opportunities of Lake Allatoona to the East, the dam and Etowah River valley to the South, the cooling towers of Georgia Power’s coal-fired Plant Bowen to the East, and the rising foothills of the Smokey Mountains to the North.  At this point, you’re about 300 feet above the river and valley floor level, and looking down approximately 100 feet to the top of the dam.  During boating season, the promontory park is a great place to watch sailboats and other water craft arrive at and depart from the marina directly across the lake at Red Top Mountain State Park.

Don’t Miss the Base Trail to the Dam

While it’s not an official trail, you can walk near the base of the dam by following the parking lot. Often, a steel gate blocks car traffic, but there’s lots of parking and it’s an easy, flat, paved walk to the foot of the dam. For security purposes, the immediate dam area is fence.

Beware, too, if you plan to walk near the river that hyrdo-generation releases can result in fast and furious increased water flow. A warning siren will sound before any water releases. During the summer and fall, these releases most often occur between 1 pm and 7 pm on weekdays.

Physical Details of the Hike

I track most activities using a Garmin Vivoactive HR, which provides great reporting on geographic details like location, distance, elevation change, mapping and more, plus standard physio information like heart rate.  We started our hike at the Cooper’s Furnace ruins, walking up the Cooper’s Furnace Trail, then connecting to the Laurel Ridge trail.  On this track, we walked just over 2 miles round trip, and gained a total of 300 feet of altitude. It’s a relatively easy walk, with few steep sections and some occasional tricky footing due to roots and rocks.

Here’s how the hike looked on my Garmin.