Lula Lake Falls

     When I started this blog, I figured that I would list all of our hiking trails in chronological order.  Well as you all can see, I took a three and a half year hiatus...  So since I mentioned the Lula Lake Trust in my last post, I figured that I would tell about the time we went hiking there back in 2011.

     Lula Lake Falls is located on top of Lookout Mountain in Gerorgia.  The hardest part is finding a place to park.  After turning off the main road, you drop down onto a gravel one way road that twist and winds down to a grassy field and you just park in the field.  The parking was a little haphazard the day we went.  Since the Trust only opens the land to the public on the first and last weekends of the month, there is normally a crowd.  It was not that bad when we went.  Since there are several trails, the people are normally pretty well dispersed.

     Jackie loves to see waterfalls so we went on down the road and hit the waterfall trail.  The trail just splits off from the road and, I did not know this when I parked, it, the road, has parking by the trail head.  The trail is a nice trail and fairly wide.  After splitting off from the road, the trail goes at a slight downhill angle and goes past a port a potty before coming to a bridge crossing Rock Creek.  After crossing the bridge, the trail goes around a rock outcropping and drops down to a picnic table beside Lula Lake.  Looking back up the lake, you can see a small waterfall that drops into the head of the lake.  This would be one of the good spots to stop for a picnic if you are so inclined.  In the below photograph, the bridge is just behind the rocks on the left. 

     After taking pictures of the falls, Jackie and I went back and headed on down the trail.  After a short walk we came to an overlook for Lula Falls.  It was running pretty good and reminded me a little of Foster Falls.  We got some pictures and spoke with some people coming up from the base of the falls.  There is a trail going down to the base, but we did not hike it.  The trail was narrow and looked like it has a switchback or two.  The people we spoke to said that the view was nice but the trail was a little tough.  We hiked on down the trail to where it stopped at a metal rail drove in the ground with a private property sign on it.  I walked around and looked at some of the rock formations that were there and tried to stay on the Trust's property.

     We then hiked back up to where a trail split off to the north by Lula Falls, this trail is called Bluff Trail.  We then hiked up to the top.  The trail was a little steep but not that bad and it was not as wide as the trail to the Falls.  Once on top though we got a great view of the Georgia countryside.  We could see for miles the day we went.  The trail then goes along the top of the mountain.  This would be another good spot for a picnic.  If you are so inclined, there are plenty of trees around for hanging a hammock.  I am not sure if it is allowed though.  

     After taking pictures and enjoying the view, we walked south along the trail some more and found another trail labeled Middle Trail and we went down it.  This trail was a nice trail and took us through the woods and to Rock Creek.  It joins the Lula Falls Trail right after the bridge.
     Overall, I would give this trip a 9 out of 10.  I really enjoyed our hike there.  The scenery was nice, the waterfalls were running well and the trails are really well maintained.  If you have a day to spend on Lookout Mountain and it is near one of the open weekends, I would suggest that you go there.  When we first went, there was an old map of the trails floating around somewhere on line.  I was hoping that I could find the map and post a link to it, but alas time and the aging internet wait for no man and it has disappeared.  Do not worry though, the trails are well labeled and always make a loop or connect with another trail that will take you back to where you need to be.  I cannot wait for the final link to connect the Trust property with Cloudland Canyon to be completed.  That would make a pretty neat backpacking trip.

Directions to Lula Lake Property are found here: http://www.lulalake.org/about/directions.asp