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Hike Description:
Lookout Mountain Battlefield and Military Park’s southernmost trailhead, and it's only one in Georgia, is a tribute to Adolph and Milton Ochs, who assembled a collection of tracts of land that totaled about 2800 acres on Lookout Mountain, eventually donating all of it to the United States, and it is now managed by the NPS. It has a wonderful walking trail here. This is just one of many interconnected trails along the Northwest bluffs and hillsides of Lookout Mountain high above the nature center. Consisting of mostly sandstone, there will be a great number of huge rock outcrops, cliffs, a few seeps, and a creek/falls like spring fed from the Jackson lake just above. We should be surrounded by fall colors amongst the native trees and shrubs as we explore this trail and its vistas. Being sited below some homes and Covenant College, however, we will also see some unfortunate examples of invasive exotics mixed with native shrubs/vines/brambles in a few spots. Just past Jackson spring, we will additionally view grassland in a power line cut with another vista overlooking Lookout Valley. This site, if managed properly, displays several grassland forbes and a multitudes of pollinators, as their required host and nectar species have thrived here.
The bluffs support white oak, post oak, chestnut oak, several red oak species and hickory species, persimmon, winged elm, Virginia pine and black gum in the overstory. Mid and understory consist of Georgia holly (Ilex longipes), Sparkleberry (Vaccinium arboreum), hillside blueberries (V. pallida), hill cane (Arundinaria appalachiana), Cornel-leaf Whitetop (Doellingeria infirma), Pink Turtlehead (Chelone lyonii) and a mix of mesic to dry woodland asters and goldenrod species can be found thriving amongst the dogwood (Cornus florida), Mountain Bush Honeysuckle (Diervilla rivularis) and maple leaf viburnum (Viburnum acerifolium). This site additionally has one of the few occurrences of yellow honeysuckle vine (Lonicera flava). As for the open remnant grassland, there should be an abundance of little and split beard bluestems, several species of goldenrod (Solidago sp.), purple passionflower (Passiflora incarnata), downy lobelia (Lobelia puberula), thoroughworts (Eupatorium serotinum, E. hyssopifolium, E. torreyianum), purple false foxglove (Agalinis purpurea), slender mountain mint (Pycnanthemum tenuifolium) and other Pyncnanthemum species.
Related helpful links: iNaturalist Ochs Gateway Lookout Mtn, GA species
Hike Leader: Dr. Stephan Eselgroth has over 20 years of natural and sustainable habitat gardening experience, RainSmart Yard and NWF certifications at his home, and is an active volunteer and hikes manager for our Tennessee Valley chapter of Wild Ones.
Rating: Easy.
Distance: 3.5 miles, loop and short overlook spurs.
Duration: Approximately 3-4 hours for exploration.
General: Bring snack/water, insect repellent, sunscreen, appropriate shoes for an easy trail. Lunch will be on your own after hiking. No pets at any of our Wild Ones hikes please.
This program is free and open to Wild Ones members and their guests.
Limit 20 participants |
