Get on Georgia's trails again

AS SPRING AWAKENS, don't let the thought of a long drive conquer the desire to stretch your legs and breathe clean air. These five hikes don't even require a full tank to the trail heads.

John Ripley Forbes Big Trees Forest Preserve

You may be able to hear Roswell Road traffic whirring in the distance, but walking through this serene, lovingly tended forest provides an instant bucolic recharge. 1.5 miles of hiking trails wind around two creeks and forests of white oaks, some older than a century. Leashed dogs allowed.

• THE 411: 7645 Roswell Road, Sandy Springs. 770-673-0111, www.bigtreesforest.com.

Sweetwater Creek State Park

Head west out of town, and take the Thornton Road exit off I-20. The main hike-worthy attraction here is the impressive three-story brick shell of the New Manchester textile mill that Union troops burned in 1864 on the march east. Hikers can join up with a group led by a volunteer or interpretive ranger from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Saturday for a mile-long walk to the ruins and take advantage of the rare opportunity to go inside the protective fence surrounding the site, see the creek's rapids and learn more about the history of the Sweetwater Creek Valley. The park has nine miles of hiking trails.

Also: A 215-acre reservoir for canoeing, fishing and feeding ducks. Visitor center, gift shop, 11 picnic shelters, two fishing docks, playgrounds. Leashed dogs allowed. $3 parking.

• THE 411: 1750 Mt. Vernon Road, Lithia Springs. 770-732-5871, www.gastateparks.org.

Panola Mountain State Park

Eighteen miles southeast of Atlanta in Rockdale County is a smaller, decidedly laser-show-free version of Stone Mountain. The park was formed to protect the granite peak, which rises 260 feet above the South River, and its unspoiled surrounding areas that are home to rare plants of the Piedmont and many species of birds. Hike three miles of fairly easy trails or check the Web site to participate in one of the numerous interpretive programs, including backpacking courses, fly fishing clinics and bird walks. The park offers guided 3.5-mile round-trip hikes to a restricted area at the top of the mountain. Reservations required. Call for details.

Also: Interpretive center open 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Two fishing lakes. Picnic shelters. Playground. Access to a paved 12-mile trail. Pets allowed on paved trail but not nature trails. $3 parking.

• THE 411: 2600 GA Hwy., 155 S.W., Stockbridge. 770-389-7801, www.gastateparks.org.

Red Top Mountain State Park and Lodge

Twelve miles of easy to moderate hiking trails offer great views of Lake Allatoona and the surprisingly hilly landscape. The 3.5-mile Sweet Gum Trail is the most popular, and the 3.5-mile Iron Hill Trail is open to mountain bikers as well as hikers. The paved Lakeside Trail just behind the lodge is good for strollers and wheelchairs. Cap off a Saturday hike with a picnic and live bluegrass, gospel or country during the Mountain Music Series at 8 p.m., every week through the fall. Spend the night at the lodge ($70 and up) or in a cottage ($95 and up). The campground even has a yurt that rents for $40 per night.

Also: Rent boats at a nearby marina. Camp, swim at the beach and play tennis and miniature golf. Reconstructed 1860s log cabin staffed on Saturdays. $3 parking.

• THE 411: 50 Lodge Road S.E., Cartersville. 770-975-4226, www.gastateparks.org

Hahn Woods

On the Emory Campus, this 4.7-acre oasis with two hiking loops, one that passes a former water-powered grist mill on Peachtree Creek built in 1863, used to be a landfill for construction debris. A grant from Georgia-Pacific resuscitated the area, now a teaching forest populated with flowering dogwood, box elder and yellow poplar.

• THE 411: 866 Houston Mill Road.

A LITTLE FARTHER AWAY ...

It'll take a bit more time to reach and cost you more in gas, but here are some great hikes less than two hours away.

Watson Mill Bridge State Park

Built in 1885, the 229-foot-long covered bridge reaching over the South Fork River is the longest covered bridge in Georgia. Seven miles of hiking trails (and five miles of relatively easy mountain biking trails) run near the bridge and ruins of a former power house. Horse trails stretch deeper into park property. Children often swim and slide on the rocks below the bridge.

Also: Scenic picnic areas, camping, canoe and pedal boat rental. $3 parking.

• THE 411: 650 Watson Mill Road, Comer. 706-783-5349, www.gastateparks.org.

Pickett's Mill Battlefield Historic Site

Touted as one of the most well-preserved Civil War battle sites, you'll also see Dallas residents exercising their legs on the four miles of trails that pass through wooded forest, a ravine, an old corn field and even a mill foundation.

Also: Archeological programs, re-enactments and battlefield tours. Visitor center, Civil War Museum and picnic areas. Closed Mondays. $1.75 to $3 museum admission fee.

• THE 411: 4432 Mt. Tabor Church Road, Dallas. 770-443-7850, www.gastateparks.org.

High Falls State Park

Pop off I-75 for a river-side hike near the spot of a former 19th-century industrial town. Most walk on the east side of the Towaliga River for good views of rocks and shoals, but Georgia DNR spokesperson Kim Hatcher points out an even better hike on the 2.5-mile, moderately difficult Tranquil Trail to the west. A shorter trail from the same parking lot leads to ruins of a power house, grist mill and raceway that is all that remains of the ghost town.

Also: Rent canoes to explore High Falls Lake. Swimming pool open for fee, small waterfalls, camping. $3 parking.

• THE 411: 76 High Falls Park Drive, Jackson. 478-993-3053, www.gastateparks.org.