arabia mountain

This place has it all -- well maintained PATH paved trails, hiking along granite outcrops, hidden lakes and the old buildings of yesteryear.I think it is much more beautiful than Stone Mountain and better yet, it is completely free to use!

My dog and I hiked over 5 miles at Arabia Mountain recently. We found various terrains and interesting bio-diversity throughout our three-hour jaunt. The trails were well-marked and relatively easy. The trails would be appropriate for nearly all ages (6 - 70 years) with adequate footwear and knees. I will return with my wife and daughter soon!

Spent the weekend caching at many local area parks. This one is awesome. The rocks and trails led us the many cool places. The kids ran around all over the place. Panola Mountain and Rockdale Trail make this thing just go and go! Great time!

Love this place. I walked up the mountain 1-2 week and enjoy it everytime; did I mention it was great for the legs. ;-0

The trails and the area around Arabia Mountain are quiet and peaceful. You can get as much excercise in as you'd like on the trails and walking around the mountain area. The natural areas of Arabia Mountain are awesome.

I have lived most of my life a 10 minute drive from here. An intriguing spot. Takes 10-20 minutes to climb to the top, where if timed properly, you are rewarded with a beautiful sunset. There are endangered species (lichens) and other creatures living in the puddles so dont step in them. It is quite different from Panola Mountain geologicaly and in how it was formed. Seems that I remember there is still some mystery as to Arabia Mountains origins and its name. Panola Mountain is another beautiful place you should see. Panola Mountain is only about 10 minutes away and you may only climb it accompanied by a ranger and so you should check their website for times and days. When I was a teenager before there were marked trails and nature center and pottys at Arabia mountain we would take a different path to the top and watch the sunrise some mornings. Local legend was that satanist sacraficed dogs and cats up there. I really dont think that was true. There used to be a lot of graffiti on the mountain. I am so glad the county cleaned it up and made it an actual park. I met my husband here for the first time. We met online then made a date to meet here. We climbed to the top and watched the sunset and lived happily ever after. Now we take our children. I highly recommend it for a date or a family or a individual wanting to meditate and connect with the world or maybe ponder the beginings and the history of the spot.

I like to go to Arabia mountain with my family and alone. There are several trails that you can take while walking, going on a nature hike or riding a bike. I like that I can choose the different terrain for mood that I am in. I see a lot of people riding bikes, but I prefer to just get in some nice cardio or take the kids to look at nature. Its very clean and they have several informational postings along the trail as well as a nature center that you can tour during business hours.

Visiting from out of town we weren't sure what to expect. The hike started out on a boardwalk from the parking lot with easy hiking. We crossed the street and found the mountain. It went on forever and we were happy to get the blood pumping! Enjoyed the unique scenery, views, and quiet atmosphere. Think I ended up with 10,000 steps...bonus!

What a great amenity and way of seeing this great geologic feature! We were visiting the area and walked part of the Arabia Lake trail and along the bike path. It was a Sunday and the visitor center was closed, but the interpretive panels at the main entrance were helpful. I would give it 5 stars but I would have appreciated more clear path markers; we never did find the lake! The bike path is wonderfully done. It was being well used and folks were friendly. We plan to comeback with bikes!

I used to drive by this area everyday and had NO IDEA what I was missing. Recently relocated out of Georgia and back for a visit I decided to take a day hike. Given that it was a holiday, I figured Stone Mountain would be too busy, so I visited this gem instead. Not many people on the trails which was lovely, but still enough to feel comfortable and safe. If you have to go the restroom there are porta potties at the Nature Center parking areas. Will visit again when I am in town! Didn't give it five stars because the parking area was extremely muddy and had large puddles of water. Don't mind my hiking clothes getting dirty, but could do without the muddy vehicle.

Arabia Mountain is beautiful. It has wonderful walking/running/biking paths throughout. You can hike up the mountain - which was quarried for many homes in the Atlanta area. In many ways it is a like Stone Mountain but an easier hike. interesting to see the trees growing in solid granite and other small plants that reside there.There is also a paved path around a beautiful lake. Many interesting birds and creatures there as well.

Arabia Mountain Park is a great place for walking. There are miles of paved walking paths and also paths that go through wooded areas and by a hidden lake. You can walk or bike there. There are wild flowers all around and you might see deer, wild turkeys and an occasional snake. Some of the paths go by small waterfalls. The best part is that it is free to park and use the trails. One drawback is that there are very limited bathroom facilities. (porto john)

I've lived in Atlanta for over 10 years, and I finally got around to visiting Arabia Mountain. I was pleasantly surprised. Arabia Mountain is like a muted, noncommercial version of Stone Mountain. The hike to the top of the rock outcrop is half as long and not nearly as steep. Rock cairns mark the trail. You will usually encounter dozens of people walking up and down Stone Mountain, but we saw only a few other walkers on our visit to Arabia. We were alone on the rock top for the entire visit. The only other evidence of recent human activity was a broken bottle and and some campfire ashes near the rock benchmark. Surrounded by trees on a giant bald rock, you could almost forget that you're in the middle of a major metropolitan area. I look forward to returning to Arabia Mountain in the fall, when the diamorpha blooms. Guests should know that there is virtually no tree cover once on the rock face, so bring your sunblock. Wear boots or shoes that you don't mine getting dirty. It's been a wet summer, so we had to cross over a couple muddy patches. Also, if you park in the South Lot, you might want to check out the AWARE wildlife rehabilitation center. They offer tours on the weekends. (We dropped off an orphaned baby squirrel and were able to see an owl, hawk, baby opossum, and turtles.)

Very interesting geologic formation. Easy hikes across solid granite outcroppings with trees and plants grasping hold in small cracks and crevasses. wildflowers all around in spring and fall. Its free too.

I went to Arabia Mountain for the first time this past weekend (June 2013). Overall, the trails were nice to walk along and the scenery was interesting. The website for the Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area (arabiaalliance.org) is also well done. The fact that there isn't a fee to park or use the space is nice as well. I walked from the nature center down to the south parking lot along the boardwalk and then up Arabia Mountain. Just as a heads up, the view from the top of Arabia mountain is mostly the surrounding woods. You could see the Bank of America building popping over one of the hills but in general you can't see the city of Atlanta. The only other complaint I had was that there are no permanent restroom facilities at any of the parking areas and the portable toilets were gross and without toilet paper.