|
Click on a city below to find places close to home, and get Fit 4 Life!
|
| • Atlanta, GA |
• Chicago, IL |
• Maryville, TN |
• St. Paul, MN |
| • Baltimore, MD |
• Cleveland, OH |
• New Orleans, LA |
• Tampa, FL |
| • Boston, MA |
• Erwin, TN |
• Orlando, FL |
• Williamsport, PA |
| • Buffalo, NY |
|
|
|
|
Atlanta, GA
|
BIKE
• Pedal the 6-mile paved Alpharetta Greenway along Big Creek. (www.alpharetta.ga.us)
• Suwanee Creek Greenway through 400 acres of parkland (www.suwanee.com).
• Wander a system of trails and bike paths between Freedom Park, downtown, Decatur and Stone Mountain. Get a map 404-355-6438; www.pathfoundation.org.
• Develop your gear collection at Outback Cycles in Little Five Points. Ask about the shop’s “L5Flyers Grant Park Loop.” 404-688-4878; www.outback-bikes.com.
• Just 13 miles north, cruise the 60-mile Silver Comet Trail from Smyrna through the north Georgia countryside. Connect with the Chief Ladiga Trail at the Alabama border for another 30 miles to Anniston. For the short or long haul, go to Silver Comet Depot. 770-819-3279; www.silvercometdepot.com.
• Build your confidence before hitting the technical 10-mile Yellow River singletrack near Stone Mountain. Take a 5-hour lesson with the pros at The Great Outdoors Inc. in Newnan. 770-252-1205; www.thegreatoutdoorsonline.com.
• Pedal – or push occasionally – your wheels along the first-ever Olympic mountain biking course at the Georgia International Horse Park (eight miles with 1,032-foot elevation change). 888-860-4224; www.georgiahorsepark.com.
PADDLE
• Paddle through the wooded lands in the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests on the Toccoa River Canoe trail.
• Beginners will like the 13-mile trip from the Deep Hole Recreation Area to Sandy Bottoms. 706-632-3031; www.fs.fed.us/conf/dpholecp.shtml.
• When the dam is not releasing, canoe flatwater stretches and occasional Class I-II rapids along the 48-mile Chattahoochee River. www.nps.gov/chat. Rent at Go with the Flow. 800-345-FLOW; www.gowiththeflowsports.com.
• Learn the basics of whitewater or sea kayaking with lessons on the Ocoee River in Tennesse, the Chattahoochee River near Atlanta or the coastal waters off St. Marys. 404-814-0999; www.highcountryoutfitters.com.
• Explore the 39,000 acres and over 100 small islands of Lake Sidney Lanier. 877-444-6777; http://lanier.sam.usace.army.mil/camping.htm.
HIKE/CAMP
• Set up a waterfront base camp for the weekend or week along the shores of Lake Sidney Lanier. Ignore the crowds and resorts on the 4-mile Laurel Ridge Trail near the Chattahoochee River and Buford Dam. 877-444-6777; http://lanier.sam.usace.army.mil/camping.htm.
• Hike the 3-mile yellow trail loop along Sweetwater Creek and up the ridge. Rent a canoe and play on the 215-acre George Sparks Reservoir. 800-864-7275;http://gastateparks.org/info/sweetwater/.
• Enjoy fun monthly hikes with the casual ”Fun Hikes” group or trips organized by the Atlanta Outdoor Club for outdoor enthusiasts of all levels. www.funhikes.com; www.atlantaoutdoorclub.com.
• Explore 12 miles of wooded trails and camp on the banks of the Lake Allatoona at Red Mountain State Park. 800-864-7275; http://gastateparks.org/info/redtop/
• Strap on a pack for a stretch of the 38-mile Georgia section of the Batram Trail or the 7-mile Georgia section of the Appalachian Trail. Just down the I-20, prepare for the big trek with an overnight on Odum Trail in Alabama’s Talladega National Forest.
RUN
• Dodge flying Frisbees on Piedmont Park’s paved loop trails. www.piedmontpark.org/do/walks.html.
• Get expert advice at Olympian Jeff Galloway's Phidippides. Find running buddies at the store’s weekly or monthly fun runs. www.phidippides.com.
• Train for the classic10K Peachtree Road Race by following the peach outlines on the sidewalk from Lenox Square in Buckhead to Charles Allen Drive, in Piedmont Park.
• Go off road to add distance to the 7-mile, paved Cheatam-Hill-to-Kolb-Farm loop at the Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Reserve. www.nps.gov/kemo/.
• Find inspiration in Generals Lee and Jackson on the paved 5-mile loop at Stone Mountain Park. 770-498-5690; www.stonemountainpark.com.
• Get away from it all without leaving the city. Run miles of easy to difficult trails over the ridges and wooded terrain along the Chattahoochee River. www.nps.gov/chat/hiking.htm.
|
|
|
|
|
