Get Out: Hike to the Chattahoochee River Headwaters

Thirty-five hundred feet above sea level just off of the Appalachian Trail is a simple wooden sign pointing downhill with a “W” for water. At a small spring there begins the Chattahoochee River, an invaluable resource to our local economy and way of life, and the drinking water supply for millions of Georgians.

On Saturday, Sept. 27, join Chattahoochee Riverkeeper for a 4.5-mile hike to the headwaters of this liquid lifeline. The hike is rated moderate and curls around hilltops and traverses ridges passing through dense stands of hardwoods, rhododendrons, and mountain laurel.

The hike takes place at the Chattahoochee National Forest, and it will begin at 10:30 a.m. and ends around 2:30 p.m. Participants must register online at www.chattahoochee.org/outings, where you will find a registration link under “2014 Watershed Outings.” The outing is limited to 25 people, and registration closes at noon on Sept. 26.

Additional details (meeting location, what to bring, etc.) will be provided upon registration. The cost is $10 for members, $15 for non-members, and $5 for children ages 8-18. The hike is not appropriate for children under 8.

For more information, please contact Duncan Hughes at (770) 531-1064 or dhughes@chattahoochee.org.