Fall is finally here which means its great time to be in nature! Not too hot, not too cold. In my previous posts I’ve mentioned how I’ve been getting into hiking and how I wanted to go on a nature walk this fall. Well, I was able to do both by going on a hike at Kennesaw Mountain with my dad.

 Kennesaw Mountain is located in Kennesaw, GA a suburb in the metro-Atlanta area.

My Past with the Mountain  

I have history with this mountain. When I was 12, I was with my friend and her family while I waited for my mom to get off work. When we got back from school, my friend changed clothes and then her mom told us and her cousins to get in the car. I didn’t know where we were going. I thought maybe we were going to the store or the mall since they liked shopping.

We pulled up to Kennesaw Mountain. My friend and her cousins took off in excitement while I looked in shock at her mom.

“We’re going up the mountain?” I asked, pointing up the mountain after my friend.

“It’ll be good exercise,” her mom said. Mind you, I did not have a change of clothes. I was in my school uniform, had flats on, and had my shoulder purse. Not at all dressed for a hike.

I tried keeping up with my friend but I got exhausted very quickly, only able to keep pace with her mom. As a twelve-year old, I was very out of shape.

I hated all of it. Not having my friend to at least talk to as we climbed, my purse touching the dirty ground, me constantly slipping because of my shoes; it was aggravating.

When we reached the overlook area, there was a parking lot area. Civilization! I thanked God for getting me through the hard part without falling out.

My friend and her cousins had been sitting at the bench for who knows how long waiting for me and her mom.

I’m not going to lie; I was ashamed. A 12 year-old not having enough energy to climb a small mountain? Come on.

When Dad said he wanted to hike Kennesaw, I knew it was time to redeem myself.

Dad’s First Hike

My dad hasn’t gone on a hike before. He’s walked up a volcano in Santorini and has walked on the Silver Comet trail numerous times but he hasn’t been on a nature hike.

He seemed itching to do something more active for a while now so he reach out to me to plan out our hike.

I was going to start him off on something a little flatter but he really wanted to go to Kennesaw Mountain.

I’ve had two hikes under my belt so it shouldn’t be too hard for me, right? That’s what I was telling myself, at least, but I was also excited.

Since it was his first time, I gave my dad a list of things to bring on hike:

• Water/Gatorade

• Snacks (protein snacks, dried fruit, trail mix)

• Bug spray

• Sunscreen

I would also suggest having:

• Mini-First Aid Kit

• Navigation app (AllTrails) or a map

Arriving at Kennesaw Mountain

We got to Kennesaw Mountain around 8AM on a Saturday and the parking lot was already full. Luckily, we caught someone who was leaving and pulled into their spot.

There’s overflow parking but it would mean us walking even more to get to the mountain. There’s a $5 fee to park at any of the parking lots. The parking pass is good until 11:59pm of the day you buy it. You can buy it online through the Kennesaw Mountain website, or you can buy it at the kiosk in the lot.

If you happen to catch someone just pulling in as you’re leaving, you can give them your parking pass if you’re feeling generous.

The mountain and visitor center are located within the main parking lot. The visitor’s center has a gift shop and museum full of Civil War-related things, if you’re interested. Part of the Civil War was fought on the mountain so they have reenactments from time to time.

We went inside but only to use the bathroom before potentially 2-hour hike. 

The Hike

After we used the restrooms, we stretched a little. I got my AllTrails app ready to start navigating the trail and we were on our way.

That first part of the hike was rough for the both of us. Just 5 minutes in and we were already out of breath. The incline was steep. It got better as we went along but the incline kept getting me from time to time.

I think my dad had even more energy than me. He was ahead of me most time (although that was probably because I kept stopping to take pictures and/or videos).

While he did get ahead of me, we were passed a few times by other hikers. One of those hikers was dressed up as a solider. (On the hike we assumed he was dressed as a confederate soldier since we are in Georgia but now I think he might’ve been a union soldier since his hat was blue). We stopped in our tracks for a moment, a little shocked.

We looked at each other like, “Did you see what I just saw?” and then continued on warily. I tried to tell my Dad that they do reenactments and tours so that’s most likely why he was dressed that way. That didn’t stop my Dad from saying he was going to “mess him up”. We had a laugh about it a few minutes later.

My dad and I didn’t talk for a bit while we walked up, mostly focusing on the trail and catching our breaths, but the hike was nice. I was still a little winded but I was proud. I am proud. Proud that I was making it through the hike and I wanted to keep going.

To the Top

It took us a little less than an hour but we made it the overlook (not the top, yet). There is a parking lot up there, assuming for those who only wanted to see the overlook or the top and didn’t have to do the hike.

We took about a 5-minute break on the bench before going to take pictures. We could see the Atlanta skyline from there. It was a bit foggy but noticeable. It’s a great spot for pictures. There’s a spot up some stairs before you start heading to the top for pictures at a higher angle.

Once Dad and I had caught our breath and took our pictures, we continued up to the top of the mountain. We saw canons and plaques with historical information on them along the way.

Once we were finally at the top, it felt so rewarding. I definitely redeem myself. The top had another great view for pictures. It was a beauty just to look at.

Back Down the Other Side

As we descended the mountain, it all of sudden became trickier. I’m a clumsy person so I had to take my time going down without falling, tripping over rocks, or rolling my ankle.

An unleashed dog ran past me and I nearly fell because it took me by surprise. Luckily, I caught myself and Dad and I were able to make it to the paved road to go down the rest of the way.

Even though we didn’t have to climb over rocks or walk on a dirt path, the paved road was still a little difficult to walk down because of the steep incline (or I guess decline).

“I don’t know what’s worse,” Dad said, “Walking up or walking down.”

There was a team of young athletes being timed for their run up the steep hill and I was glad I wasn’t them because I would’ve been exhausted. Granted I was already exhausted from the earlier part of the hike but still.

As we walked, there were a ton of families on the road. Shuttle busses and cars were driving on the road as well, weaving in between all of us.

To wrap up the hike, we saw a baby dear in the woods! That was definitely a highlight for me.

Finishing Up the Hike

When we could see the entrance from where we started, I could feel the relief settling in. We made it!

My dad had to use the bathroom again of course but before he did, we gave each other a high-five.

It was nice spending that time with Dad. And he really enjoyed himself. He even said he wants to a hike once a month.

It was a great first hike for Dad and a great hike for me, redeeming myself from 15-years ago. Even better, I checked a nature walk off my fall bucket list!

Speaking of my fall bucket list, next week’s blog post is going to cover another item on the bucket list: apple picking!

Also, some of mine and my dad’s clips from the hike are on the Overthinker Guide YouTube channel!

Do you like to go hiking in the fall? Where’s your favorite place to hike? Let me know if the comments!