Georgia Nuclear Aircraft Laboratory

Dogs Leashed

E-Bikes Unknown

Dawson Forest offers some good singletrack in a heavy forest along the Etowah River. It's less than 30 minutes from the northern suburbs of Atlanta but it offers a more natural and secluded riding experience (e.g. like Bull Mountain or Pinhoti/Bear Creek) compared to the "in town" trail systems (e.g. Blankets Creek or Chicopee Woods).

This featured ride covers most of the trails on the south side of the Dawson Forest.

Start by riding east from the parking lot on the Red Trail. The Red Trail features a couple of short difficult climbs, but each climb is paired with a fun singletrack descent. Part of the trail parallels a creek and there are a couple of creek crossings. Lots of roots, rocks, and fallen trees will keep you busy. There is some recent logging that has occurred between about 1 and 1.5 miles, but the trail is recovering. Afterward, return to the parking lot and follow the Orange Trail to the north.

When the Blue Trail (South) and Orange Trail branch at about the nine-mile mark, continue straight at the three-way intersection and then take a right on the Pink Trail for a fun singletrack descent down to the Etowah River. Watch for the usual ruts and dips. Turn left when you reach the forest road in the Etowah River valley.

When you reach a four-way trail intersection, turn left for a short difficult climb up the Purple Trail singletrack. At the end after 0.3 miles, turn left onto the Blue Trail (South) for a second fun singletrack descent down to the Etowah River. Again turn left onto the same forest road as before at the bottom but continue straight onto the paved Railroad Road at the four-way trail intersection.

At the top, the fun Orange Trail awaits. You'll have two miles of fun singletrack that twists gently up and down through the woods. The trail becomes a forest road for about a half mile and then there is a fun singletrack descent down to the Etowah River again. This section gets less traffic than the other trails so there will be more obstacles to jump over and/or avoid and possibly a fallen tree.

After a couple of creek crossings, you'll have a very difficult climb at about 16.5 miles. Again the trail becomes a forest road for a short distance and then you'll turn left onto the Green Trail. The Green Trail descends down to the Etowah River on a narrow, fun singletrack with a couple of switchbacks. There is a beautiful waterfall at the bottom on a tributary creek to the Etowah River. Then climb back up to the Orange Trail on a forest road. At the top, turn left to run the fun Orange Trail singletrack section again back to the parking lot.

Hopefully, that warm glow you have at the end of the ride is from the adrenaline and endorphins you've released and not caused by something left over from earlier experiments on the site!

You read that right, Dawson Forest used to be Air Force Plant #67, otherwise known as the Georgia Nuclear Aircraft Laboratory. It stemmed from an effort in the 1950's by the Air Force and Lockheed Martin to develop nuclear powered aircraft. Several concrete pads from former buildings now form the main parking lot and there is a large, heavily fenced off building just to the north of the parking lot.

Later it was purchased by the city of Atlanta for a second airport, but as it turns out the site is pretty hilly for an airport so that never took off. It's also been proposed as the site of a drinking water reservoir, but that idea hasn't held water either. For now, enjoy some close in riding before they find some alternative use for it and/or it gets consumed by the ever-encroaching north Atlanta suburbs.