Stone Mountain

Geologists describe the mountain as a monadnock, an isolated rock mass standing above eroded terrain. It is made of quartz monzonite, with granite and granodiorite variations, that formed from magma cooling five to ten miles below the surface around 300 to 350 million years ago. The mass extends underground for roughly nine miles at its longest point, and its base is more than five miles around. Panola Mountain and Arabia Mountain, both in DeKalb County, come from the same intrusion. Descriptions of it as the largest exposed granite in the world are often repeated, but Wikipedia calls that a misconception, so treat it as folklore.

The summit is mostly bare rock dotted with shallow pools that fill in the rainy season and shelter clam shrimp and fairy shrimp, whose eggs can lie dormant for years. Rare plants such as black-spored quillwort and pool sprite grow in these vernal pools, and more than 120 wildflower species have been recorded on the mountain.

The area was home to the Creek and, to a lesser extent, the Cherokee, and early nineteenth-century settlers called it Rock Mountain. Aaron Cloud built a 165-foot wooden observation tower on it in 1838. Quarrying began in the 1830s and became a major industry after a railroad spur was completed in 1847; the Venable brothers bought the mountain in 1887 and quarried it for 24 years.

The Confederate memorial carving shows Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson on horseback. The north face was deeded to the United Daughters of the Confederacy in 1916. Sculptor Gutzon Borglum left the project in 1925, Augustus Lukeman took over, and work stopped in 1928. After the State of Georgia bought the mountain for $1,125,000 in 1958, the project resumed: Walker Hancock was chosen in 1963, carving began in 1964, the work was dedicated on May 9, 1970 and was completed in 1972. The carving is about 90 feet tall and 190 feet wide, and it is generally described as among the largest bas-reliefs in the world. Its Confederate subject remains a matter of public debate in Georgia.

Stone Mountain Park opened on April 14, 1965. According to the park's website, it offers the Summit Skyride, the Walk-Up Trail and other hiking trails, lake rentals, a zip line, a campground with yurt rentals, a laser show and seasonal events. The park's own pages describe the Walk-Up Trail as roughly 1 to 1.3 miles with an elevation gain of about 700 feet, and the Cherokee Trail as an 8-mile National Recreation Trail. Historic Square gathers buildings dating between 1790 and 1875 that were moved from around Georgia. The park also hosted Olympic events in tennis, archery and track cycling in 1996.

Attraction schedules, the Skyride and the scenic railroad all vary by season and maintenance, so check the park's daily schedule for what is open. A private vehicle and driver with door-to-door pickup from Atlanta is a straightforward way to reach the park and leave the planning of parking and return transport to someone else.