Dawson Forest

What can I say, it's a spooky forest with a weird history. It is also has easy trails and some beautiful scenery. Just 5 mins from Georgia 400 and the Dawsonville Tanger Outlets, if you live North of Atlanta, this is probably the closest trail to you. If you are looking for rock crawling or something challenging, you should avoid this trail. This is a basic beginners trail, you rarely need 4 wheel drive. Also, these roads are used by campers, hikers, mountain bikers, and horseback riders so be mindful of you speed and please tread lightly. If you are a beginner this is a great place to learn your vehicle. Its also a great trail to just get your vehicle a little dirty. Now in this area you can hunt, fish, swim, and kayak if you have the proper licenses, as well as camp with a small fee. The Dawson Forest tract is actually owned by the City of Atlanta, and was once planned to be a airport. The property was used in the 1960s to research multiple nuclear projects. There are many rumors about witches, and if you take the time to google the place, you will find all sorts of crazy stories. My favorite part about the area is the Etowah River. From the easy water crossing, to the fishing or kayaking, it is just a beautiful stretch of water. As a native Georgian, I love finding little areas like this, that are still open to the public, and can be enjoyed any day of the week. Really, the only negative about the place, is that so many gates and trails and closed, and you never really know why or when they will be open. They do update information every couple of decades on the local Government's website, so you will be even more confused once you get out there. I would warn against going out there during Deer season, just because this land is WMA land and to be frank it just isn't safe out there unless your covered head to toe in orange. Overall its a beautiful easy trail and I hope you take the time to enjoy it. 

Bradley "jeepinbubba" Cohron

President Black Bear Off-Road LLC