Half Day at Stone Mountain. — Fashion, Some Days

We went on this journey a few months ago, when Rowan was what now feels like a wee, little thing, but since he’s still a little buddy, not quite walking yet, sharing how we spent half a day at Stone Mountain feels relevant.

For those who aren’t familiar, Stone Mountain is a city outside of Atlanta that is home to Stone Mountain Park - a campground and resort surrounding the pluton dome that is the mountain. There is lots to do and explore within the park, and you can draw out your stay from a quick hike, to a getaway for the family. For us visiting with a baby under the age of one meant our maiden visit was centralized around a hike and trip to the top of the dome. We spent about half a day inside the park, and while there are lots of activities to fill a day opted for just a hike up and a quick ride back down.

We paid $20 for a parking pass to get into the park, and the main summit hike and all the hiking trails are free. You can also pay about $40/person to get access to other attractions, like the train. Rowan was happy enough just to see it go by! The hike to the summit is about one mile; a there and back trail that is pretty obviously up hill the entire time. We popped Rowan in the Ergobaby carrier, but traded off between the two of us halfway up (initiated from a false alarm diaper change) because mom thought she could use a break. The hike up is filled with lots of natural rock ‘stairs’ and a pretty steep incline the last .3 of a mile. For us, going up was a solid work out, but not knowing entirely what we were getting into, weren’t sure we were entirely prepared to hike it back down. Vans as it quickly became clear aren’t the best for navigating steep inclines. Who woulda thought?!

Since I was a little nervous to be carrying Rowan back down, navigating the side of a mountain, we opted to take the SkyHike Tram back down for I think what was about $5 each. It’s less than a five minute ride and gives you a view of the side of the mountain as you descend.

There’s concessions at the summit in the tram station, and perhaps other food options within the park, but I would suggest if you’re not packing a picnic, to have lunch or dinner in Stone Mountain before entering the park. Hitting one of the local spots like Sweet Potato Cafe or Huskers Cafe. We didn’t know better before entering the park and ended up eating lunch at the restaurant inside the Marriott and it left something to be desired, outside of a great view of the lake. Which we were meeting family who happened to be staying there for an event, so it worked out, but would recommend planning an alternative next time.

We’ll be excited to take Rowan back to the park one day to ride the train and see the dinosaur exhibit, maybe even rent some kayaks to go around the lake. We probably won’t make it to the summit again for a while, as it might be a little too intense for a toddler but will be interested in discovering some of the other 12+ miles of hiking trails throughout the park.