Field Notes

The roar of engines and the screams of excited fans filled the air at the Lithonia Speedway, a dirt track where drivers raced and people made merry just north of downtown Lithonia. Before the rise of modern NASCAR, segregated racing leagues operated throughout the South, including at the Lithonia Speedway. The Atlanta Stock Car Club […]

COVID-19 has impacted parks and sites throughout the Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area. Check out our answers to all of your questions below! What’s open, and what’s closed? Atlanta Wild Animal Rescue Effort (AWARE) is CLOSED.  Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve is OPEN. Please note that public programs are cancelled and Nature Center is closed, however. […]

Latinxhikers hike participants on top of Arabia Mountain. Photo: Chris Restrepo. Latinxhikers is an organization devoted to diversity and inclusion in the outdoors. We sat down with Co-Founder Luz Lituma (the other Co-Founder is Adriana Garcia) after a hike and talked about the organization, what they do, and why they love Arabia Mountain. Arabia Alliance: […]

The Lithonia Country Club, now gone, was an important part of African-American life in the Atlanta area during of the 20th century. This music venue and gathering place hosted musicians who have now become iconic parts of American history: Little Richard, B. B. King, Ella Fitzgerald, Elmore James, and many more. According to some performers, […]

Photo by Kristina Sv Photography (@kristinasvphotography). Thanks Kristina! Are you a professional photographer looking for great photo sites, or a family wanting to get photos to remember? Arabia Mountain and Vaughters’ Barn, especially, are popular for photoshoots. These shoots do require a permit from park rangers, so we’ve put together this infographic to answer any […]

At a dirt-floored dance hall far from the bustling streets of Atlanta, people raced, reveled and made merry. This place was the Lithonia Speedway and the accompanying Country Club, tucked into the rural expanse outside of downtown Lithonia. During the mid-1900’s, the Club and Speedway were a center of Black entertainment in the Atlanta area, […]

Summer is here, and the outdoors have proven to be a safe place to get out of the house and take a breath of fresh air, even in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Luckily, there are a variety of National Parks open around Atlanta and beyond, not to mention Georgia’s wonderful State Parks. Here […]

Cover photo from @ladyphotosmith on Instagram.  COVID-19 has impacted parks and sites throughout the Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area. Check out our answers to all of your questions below! What’s open, and what’s closed? Atlanta Wild Animal Rescue Effort (AWARE) is CLOSED.  Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve is OPEN. Please note that public programs are cancelled […]

On Juneteenth, we joined Flat Rock Archives Co-Founder and President Johnny Waits for a virtual tour of the Flat Rock Historic Cemetery. Flat Rock is one of the oldest Black communities in Georgia, with a history of resilience that stretches before the Civil War. If you missed our virtual visit, no worries! You can catch […]

Above: The Board of the Arabia Mountain Heritage Area Alliance at Vaughters’ Farm. (Please note that this photo was taken prior to social distancing requirements.) In 2020, the celebration of Juneteenth – the holiday honoring the end of slavery in the United States – takes on special significance, given the ongoing protests against racial injustice […]

History Harvest update! Thanks to Penny Thomas, we can share historic photos of members of the Lyon Family. The Lyons owned one of the first (and, today, oldest) homesteads in this area, dating back to the early 1800’s. The Lyon family continued to live at the Lyon Farm for over 150 years. “My grandmother, Lucille […]

We’ve been working on some videos about the Flat Rock Archives (forthcoming). While we’re getting the final videos ready, here’s a sneak peek behind-the-scenes of the video shoot! Please note that we have been taking all the necessary precautions and maintaining social distance during filming. If you visit the National Heritage Area, please wear a […]