Field Notes

Discover Together Lace up your hiking boots and grab your smartphone for a family-fun adventure. We’re combining two of our popular programs — Junior Ranger and Geocaching — to get you outside on a modern-day treasure hunt while earning your Junior Ranger Badge. This limited-time adventure is great for all ages, and all you need […]

Flat Rock, one of the oldest African-American communities in the state of Georgia and a part of the Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area, is the subject of an exhibit at the DeKalb History Center and the Flat Rock Archives. The Deep Roots in DeKalb: The Flat Rock Story of Resilience exhibit is free and open […]

Mountaintop yoga is one of the main events of Monadnock Madness, our March-long outdoor extravaganza. This outdoor practice is meant for ALL skill levels. Mountaintop yoga will allow you to practice both fitness and mindfulness on top of Arabia Mountain – this year, at sunset! Mountaintop Yoga takes place on 3/29 at 6pm. Benefits of […]

Years before NASCAR existed, black racecar drivers made history on a secluded patch of land in rural Georgia. The story of the Atlanta Stock Car Club (ASCC) has not been as well documented as other racing organizations, but this group of African-American racers and promoters was active during the 1940s and 1950s. Based out of […]

Honoring the impactful work of long-time volunteers Tom and Killian Smith, 2020 saw the first Smith Arabia Mountain Stewardship Intern, Brandon Brinkley! During his internship, Brandon worked on the two-week park management and conservation internship at Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve, completing projects that ranged from blazing the park boundary to working on trails.  Tom and […]

If you made resolutions to be more active, to learn more about local history, or just to get out in the Arabia Mountain NHA, we are here to help! Keep reading for ideas on how to make the most of your National Heritage Area throughout the year.

Over the past few weeks, we’ve been collecting photos of pets on the trail. Now, you can see all of them in our slideshow! Where do you take your pet? Leashed pets are welcome in much of the National Heritage Area.

Make your loved ones feel extra special this holiday season with thoughtful gifts found nowhere else on earth! You can even relieve some holiday stress with a quick hike along the AMP between stops. Take a peek at our full shopping guide below to find out how you can fit a park in a stocking, where you can support Georgia’s native wildlife, and how to get monks to take care of your holiday baking!

Every year, we celebrate the three major Atlanta-area monadnocks – Arabia Mountain, Panola Mountain and Stone Mountain – with a month long series of events called Monadnock Madness. This outdoor extravaganza includes mountaintop yoga, photography workshops, and the Triple Hike Challenge, in which hikers summit all three monadnocks in one day.

With family and friends visiting from out of town, the holiday season is the perfect time to bring people to the Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area. Go for a hike at Arabia Mountain! Walk off some of that Thanksgiving turkey with a trek to the top of the mountain and catch some stunning views. If you’re in the mood for some historic discovery, head to downtown Decatur for the Deep Roots in DeKalb exhibit at the DeKalb History Center. There, you’ll see artifacts and stories from Flat Rock, one of the oldest African-American communities in Georgia. 

The rare and beautiful landscapes in the Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area contain some species found almost nowhere else on earth – plants that thrive in the extreme environments of the granite outcrop. These plants have evolved to survive the baking heat of summer and the parched conditions of the thin soil and exposed stone, […]

Southeast of Arabia Mountain, the National Heritage Area’s other, slightly younger monadnock rises – Panola Mountain. This mountain formed 300 million years ago and today is a major part of this nationally significant landscape. In fact, Panola Mountain is considered a National Natural Landmark.  So what’s a National Natural Landmark, and why is Panola Mountain […]