Just inside the Atlanta Perimeter is a relatively new public nature preserve called Constitution Lakes. I heard about it only recently and was curious, so during the last week of summer holidays Eli and I visited there with friends. We found the 125-acre place is lovely but sometimes scrubby. Nature is bouncing back from years of industrial abuse. Yet its very history makes it by turns unusual, inspiring, and sometimes even a wee bit creepy -- but always interesting.
The front of the park is fairly ordinary but also easy walking with a paved trail and boardwalk.
The preserve contains ancient mines where the Indians removed soapstone for carving various implements. Some of these artifacts have been found hundreds of miles away, indicating this area was quite the trade hub. Civil War relics were unearthed here. And beginning over a century ago, it was long a home to a brick company. The big hole that was left behind from mining clay slowly filled up with water to become a lake.
Beyond the boardwalk, there is a nature trail that dips down into land bordered by the South River and a spur of the north-south rail line through Atlanta. Over the years junk was sometimes pitched off of railroad cars and floods deposit flotsam and jetsam from the city. As the park developed, folks began using junk from the land to create found object sculptures. The nature trail came to be known as Doll's Head Trail and it is a fascinating spot.
Visitors are encouraged to write on pieces of brick and other found objects.
A few people have left their names and graffiti type images. Most, however, are inspired to leave quotations or thoughts ranging from the amusing to the mysterious to the profound.
Location: Constitution Lakes, South River Industrial Boulevard SE, Atlanta GA 30316. There doesn't seem to be a specific address, but it is within sight of the crossroads with Moreland Avenue and is next door to Rush Truck Center at 2560 Moreland Avenue (which would be a good location to navigate to with a GPS).
Websites about Constitution Lakes and Doll's Head Trail:
- http://historyatlanta.com/dolls-head-trail-constitution-lakes/
- http://hikingatlanta.com/downloads/AtlantaHikes_SampleHike.pdf
- http://wabe.org/post/history-trees-tour-doll-s-head-trail
One Mama's Two Cents:
For safety's sake, we went to Constitution Lakes with friends; it is remote enough that I would't go alone. My mama friend and I agreed that if it felt too isolated or unsafe that we'd leave, but we found it to be well maintained and with a good "vibe." (Our cell phones got good signals there too.)
Much of the area has wide and easy paved walking paths or boardwalk. If you have wee ones, a stroller would work just fine and wobbly walkers would have no troubles. (I read that the main trail is just over two miles. There are no bathrooms or water fountains, but there are trash cans.) When it comes to Doll's Head Trail, however, the path is often narrow and muddy. Good shoes are a must. Also, by late summer the weeds are high in places and we saw lots of poison ivy. Because of the wetlands, there are many snake warnings about the area. Still, our trek was uneventful and we had a lovely time enjoying the shade and unusual history of the place. We'll definitely come here again. Eli likes anything related to building/construction and was inspired by the crazy new things made out of ordinary objects, so it will be fun to see how the artwork changes over time. Constitution Lakes is not far from Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, and thus the nature preserve can be a great stopping spot for kiddos to expend energy before picking up company from the airport or taking an afternoon flight. Don't forget to bring a permanent marker!
