5 WITHIN 50: HIKING TRAILS

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Whether you prefer to travel by foot, bike or horse, Gwinnet County is the home of your next great trail adventure! Bring your dog, horse or horse-sized dog—a good many of these parks feature equestrian trails, and all of them are (leashed) pup-friendly.

Tribble Mill Park
2125 Tribble Mill Parkway
Lawrenceville

Not only can you catch some good trails here, but you can also catch fish: Ozora Lake serves as the centerpiece of Tribble Mill Park, offering both great fishing and great views. 3.4 miles of level multi-purpose and soft surface trails around the calm waters offer a tranquil, mostly car-free place to hike and ride.

Five Star Review: “It has several paths around the lakes, paved for easy walks and bike riding and dirt paths which I enjoy for running. One trail goes around the edge of the lake but offers detour trails that have a gradual uphill climb for a more challenging workout. Lots to look at…actually I saw a blue heron up close for first time!”

Harbins Park
2995 Luke Edwards Road | Dacula

Why hike when you can ride? Harbins features seven-miles of soft surface trails for equestrian and 13 more miles for mountain biking. (There are also 4.3 miles of paved, multipurpose trails if you insist on going on foot.) Harbins’ pathways were even named “National Recreation Trails” by the National Parks Service.

Five Star Review: “I hike this awesome park at least five days a week and it never gets tiring because I mix up the trail and the seasons change it so much. I enjoy taking little breaks at the creeks or on top of the knolls where I hang my hammock for a lunch break. My hikes range from 3- to 16-miles, varying according to the work out I want or if I am training for an upcoming backpack trip.”

Little Mulberry Park
3855 Fence Road | Auburn

Prepare yourself for some serious altitude (not really): the trail overlook area at Little Mulberry Park boasts one of the highest elevations in Gwinnett County. The park also features a lake with a pier and the Katrina Miller Nature Preserve, as well as paved and multi-purpose trails and five miles of soft surface trails for horseback riding.

Five Star Review: “This is such a pretty park! So many options and very spread out so you’re not right on top of all the other guests and walkers/runners. Paved top is great for just a chill walk and talk meet up. The wooded trail is more of an incline if you’re looking to be a bit more challenged or you’re starting out in your hiking journey.”

Settles Bridge Park
380 Johnson Road | Suwanee

Way down yonder on the Chattahoochee, there was a trail to an old bridge from a park. This is that park. With only 1.6 miles of paved multipurpose trail and 2.9 miles of soft surface trails, the hike won’t be long, but it will definitely be beautiful, with views of the rivers and the abandoned 1896 truss bridge on former Settles Bridge Road.

Five Star Review: “The first quarter of this travel is a nice wide paved multi-purpose trail. After that, it drops off into a varying mix of dirt, gravel,or some kind of tarp over gravel. Once you’re into the woods on the dirt trail it becomes a wonderful trail that feels far more remote than it really is.”

Yellow River Park
3232 Juhan Road | Stone Mountain

Yellow River features some of the oldest trails with the most diverse terrain in metro Atlanta. Visitors can enjoy 12 wooded miles of soft surface trail along a smooth river for equestrian, biking and hiking. Your jaunt through the woods is rewarded at the end with a terraced waterfall near Stone Mountain.

Five Star Review: “The paths around the park are long and wide, well paved and smooth, good for strollers or wheelchairs. There are some parts well-covered by trees and other parts full exposed to the sun. There is an expansive open field area where you could throw ball or let the kids run around. There are wooded areas on the north side of the park that are off the paved trail, that go along beside the Yellow River. And there are a few boardwalks on the south side, connected to the paved walkway.”