The Parks Address: McIntosh Reserve Park
1046 W McIntosh Cir, Whitesburg, GA 30185
Phone: (770) 830-5879
The name of this trail is? Eagles Pass-Orange Trail
What Kind of trail is this? This is a wilderness loop trail thru the woods.
The Parks Amenities: The amenities at the trailhead of this trail are a picnic pavilion, (reservation are needed for large groups and use of bathrooms in pavilion) , flushing toilets with shower and sink (separate from pavilion bathrooms), basket ball hoop, drink machines, hiking trail and parking.
The Parks web page says: McIntosh Reserve is an outdoor recreation area along the Chattahoochee River located in Carroll County, Georgia. The 527-acre park is operated by the Carroll County Recreation Department and supports outdoor activities including camping, hiking, fishing, and others.
This parks rating is out of stars
The good, the bad, and the buggy, a short review of the park.
The good things about this park….. This park seems to be created for campers and nature lovers. It has a splash pad for kids although I haven't seen it running, several picnic pavilions and overlooks and 7 hiking Trails. Also if you look for the color coded markers they are spaced fairly close together throughout the trail, so as long as you watch out for them you can be assured you are on the trail and going the right way. You defiantly need a map
The bad thing about this park is that the trails could be better marked (you can stay on your trail if you have a map to see the color code for the trail and keep looking for that color marker painted on the trees) There are hardly any signs and the signs they have do not match the map. For example there is no sign at the start of this trail and when you reach the first split in the trail shortly after you go up the hill the sign says water park and points one way and says park HQ (head quarters) and points the other way. Neither sign says Eagles pass trail nor does any other sign. They all just say splash park or HQ. Also there are several places where the trail to and back from the halfway point come together but the map doesn't show them meeting at all.
The buggy I’m a bug’s favorite chew toy so how much did they love me? I didn't get any bug bites when I went. I did use bug spray before I left my car
What Kind of Park is this? AnswerIt is a Carroll County Recreation Park
1. The Parks views: The trail had a nice view of the forest.
2. The Parks cost: $5.00
3. The Parks bathrooms: There are flushing toilets at the beginning of this trail as well as two other bathrooms, one at the splash pad and one at the Council Bluff Pavilion.
4. How long is the hike? According to the map it is a 2 mile trail. According to my fit bit it was 2.92 miles or 5,180 steps. It took me 1 hour and 15 minutes to hike.
5. The parks shopping and souvenirs: Answer is You can get a map when you pay to go in but I don't think anything else is for sale at the park
6. Does the park have wheelchair and stroller access? No
7. How helpful are the parks maps and markers? See the good and bad above. They help but the markers could definitely be improved.
8. Is the park kid and dog friendly? Yes, but there is no playground and the splash pad seems to be closed, If I was going with the idea of bringing kids to play there I would call the park first. Just as a note the splash pad area has a tiki table and shaded picnic table as well as a flush toilet and a big grassy hill for kids to play, but there are also 2 ponds (you can fish with a license) that would be a water hazard and no lifegard is posted so that needs to be kept in mind.
9. Was there a uniqueness to the park? Yes, It is a smaller park then the state parks and had a pleasant peaceful feel to it. I also liked that the trail had a lot of cut throughs that took you back to parking lots, or the ranger station so help and bathrooms were never to far away. This was a nice change from many other trails where you went for several miles and the only place where you could get to a bathroom or find someone to help you was at the start/end of the trail.
10. Was it worthwhile? Yes
Bonus Questions
11. Was the trail shaded or in the sun? It was almost all shaded.
12. Was there tent, cabin and RV camping? Answer is There is tent camping and RV camping but no hookups for RV's
13. Places nearby to eat? Relatively
14. Was there a gas station nearby? Relatively
15. How safe was the park? As safe as a natural outdoor area can be made.
16. Is the park maintained well? Umm...?? The bathrooms were clean and stocked and the picnic pavilions and roads and main areas were well maintained. The trails didn't have any big trees or overgrown areas so i guess the answer is yes. I would have liked to see marker signs that matched the map and a more updated map as well.
17. Is there good internet service? In most areas so yes
18. What would I have brought or left behind if I hiked this trail again? Shoes with traction are a must. There is a lot of pine needles and leaves on the trails so it can be really slippery. Also shoes that can get muddy or be cleaned easily. The trails are set up to be used by horses and because they are heavy animals with riders when they use the trails they sometimes leave muddy bogs in areas where they might have trouble getting there footing, horse shoes don't always help if the ground is slippery.
19. How far is this from Atlanta? About an hour
20. Spirit Animal for the park?
The trails spirit animal is selected by any animal I see at the park or on my way to the park. I find that looking for the day’s spirit animal makes my hike more fun and reminds me to stop and enjoy the beauty of my journey. Today’s spirit animal is: Grey squirrels. other then birds in the distance I didn't see any animals on the day I went.
Comments