Take A Sunrise Hike at Kennesaw Mountain

On the Northwest side of the city and outside the I-285 perimeter is Kennesaw Mountain, known as KeMo to many locals. With a prominence of approximately 1,000 feet over the surrounding area and multiple easy-to-moderate hiking options, KeMo is great as a dawn-watching location.

For a safe and enjoyable pre-dawn hike, take the automobile road that winds around the mountain 1.8 miles from parking lot to near the peak. There are several hiking trails around the base and up the mountain that offer wooded routes and merge near the peak. But for me, the paved road up virtually eliminates the chances of pre-sunrise encounter with any of the 6 species of poisonous snakes that inhabit Georgia, including the copperhead, timber rattlesnake and pygmy rattlesnake frequently found in the NW Georgia area. I usually take one of the wooded trails down the mountainside when I can see anything that creeps, crawls, walks or slithers among the leaves, underbrush and wooded trail side.

If you arrive at the peak a few minutes before sunrise, you’ll experience the natural beauty of a daybreak sunrise. It’s magical to watch the twinkling transition of the surrounding metropolitan area’s awakening from street and building lights to the early hues of morning sunlight.

For more on this hike and our recommendations, visit OurTravelCafe.com.