TAKE A ROAD TRIP OF AN HOUR OR LESS FROM HIGH HORSE LODGE

Pictured below:
Overlook view; Zahnd tract rock formations;  Howard's Chapel or Church in the Rock, Wading in Taylor's Ford, McLemore's Cove, Azalea Trail in DeSoto St. Park

See the view from the brow (edge) of Lookout Mountain:
   Take a right out of the drive. Go through the 4 way stop.
   Turn left at the dead end onto Hwy. 157, Lookout Mountain
   Parkway, and go about three miles to a pull off on the right
   where you can see a highway department steel retaining 
   fence and space for your vehicle. There is a nice sitting rock
   for a picnic. Consider soft drinks in lieu of wine after you look 
   below the rock. 

Wade the Little River at Taylor's Ford: (great for children 2 - 14)
   Take a left out of the drive. Bear left at intersection of Moon 
   Lake and Flarity, going toward Mentone. Go about 3 miles to
   Cty. Rd. 517 on the right. Turn and park your car off the road 
   if you value your oil pan and walk a hundred yards to the river.
   In summer, pools form on the rock formations and are perfect 
   wading areas. Older children like skipping rocks.

   This ford has been used since before 1880 when tourists would
   come by train to the mountain and then travel by carriage to the
   hotels in Mentone. The carriages would cross the river at this
   point. Locals still ford the river in dryer times; they know how to
   miss the underwater holes on the left side. Newcomers call
   wreckers.

Drive through McLemore's Cove:
   Take a right out of the drive. Go through the 4 way to the dead
   end. Take a left on LM Parkway, Hwy. 117, for .9 miles. Take a
   left  onto Daugherty Gap Road which is lined with large
   maples. The sign says "Mountain Cove Farms". 
   In about a mile, veer right to go down the mountain to McLemore
   Cove. Hair pin curves and spectacuar greenery, including a grove
   of great silver bell trees on the right as you start down, line the
   road. You won't see a better native plant display anywhere. 

   At the bottom are the remains of a multi thousand acre farm and
   ranch begun in the early 1800's. The rock house was built by
   slaves who also cleared the land for crops and pastures. The barns
   are classic and the old country store was in operation until a few
   years ago and is now sporadicly open. In the last couple of
   decades, part of the farm was transformed into high end mini  

  ranches. Just recently, Walker County bought several hundred acres
      including the land on the left with the store and rock house,
   while the state of Georgia purchased the majority of the 
   remaining acreage. You can walk the state and county property.
 
   Turn right on Hog Jowl Road to see some incredible barns and
   fences and houses on trout streams. This was once the center of
   the dairy industry in the area, with rich land and big milking
   barns. We think there is one left in operation at this point.

   If you want to learn more of the history of the Cove from the `
   1700's, go to 
   http://trailofthetrail.blogspot.com/2010/01/mclemores-cove-in-
   walker-county-goergia.html.

Walk through, over, about the Zahnd Tract:
   Take a right out of the drive and go through the 4 way to Hwy. 
   157. Turn left and go 5.3 miles to the Zahnd Tract sign on the
   left (which is not very impressive). Park off the road. Although 
   there are no designated trails, you can follow a path to the
   masses of massive boulders where you can walk on top, or 
   weave around the rocks. As of Jan. 1, 1012, entry requires a
   WMA stamp or a three day $3 pass, or a Ga. hunting license with
   WMA stamp. You can get a pass online.

   The Zahnd Natural Area in Walker County has grown to cover 
   some 1380 acres with purchase of land through the Ga.
   Nongame Wildlife Conservation Funds.The spectacular sand
   stone formations near you are similar to those at Rock Town
   on Pigeon Mountain, but are a lot easier to get to.
   
   If you go from October - January, know that this tract is open
   to hunting. Follow the rules posted. 

Picnic at City Park in Mentone, or Brow Park in Cloudland. 
   For Mentone, take a right (north) at the caution light in Mentone
   onto Hwy. 89. The park is on the left in about a mile and has
   picnic tables and a pavilion. You can see for miles. The park is
   lined with blooming fringe trees in late April.

   The Cloudland park, about a mile a half mile from the blinking
       light at Hwy. 157 and 48,  has tables and tennis court, but is
       not on the brow. 

Visit the Church in the Rock (Howard Memorial Chapel)  in Mentone. 
   From the caution light in Mentone, go east past Little River. Turn 
   right at Moon Lake Baptist Church. Jog left and right at dead
   ends to stay on 631. In about a mile, turn right on Cty. Rd. 106.
   Follow that to the chapel on the left, about 2 miles. 
  
   Milford Howard, a lawyer at 19 years, was a turn of the century 
   entrepreneur who invested time and money in Alaska and
   California, but returned to Mentone after his wife Sally died and
   was buried in California. In his last year, nearly penniless, he built
   a memorial to her with the help of the Civilian Conservation
   Corp workers and neighbors, the church in the rock. After his
   death in 1935, his ashes were entombed in the rock. The church 
   became a part of the Baptist association in 1970's and is a
   favorite of weekenders. It is non denominaitonal at this point. See
     "Attractions" section for more detailed information.
     

Walk the Azalea Trail in DeSoto State Park (might take a little 
   longer than an hour, including driving time).Follow the signs to
      the park from the caution light in Mentone.
 
   Walk the Azalea Trail, an elevated boardwalk, near the entrance 
   of DeSoto State Park. Get a pocket size view of the park wonders
   in a short introduction of what to what to find in the other
   20 miles of trails in the park. This 10 minute walk is suitable
   for the young and the not-so-athletic hikers. A second elevated    
   trail, The Talmadge Butler Trail, is 1000 feet long and on the
      other end of the park.  

Rush Your Adrenalin on Wade Gap Road   
    Depending on your point of view, this drive will be an adrenalin
   rush, brake test, or tour of the scenery. Wade Gap is between
   Mentone and Ft. Payne on the west side. It begins nearly at the
   railroad crossing and continues up the mountain with a newly
   paved surface. Zig zags and switchbacks are de riguer. Pretty
   scenery, especially when the redbuds bloom in March.
 Drive the Rims of Cloudland Canyon and Little River Canyon 
  If you just had a knee replacement, you can see the canyons from
  the top overlook with your air conditioner or heater running. This
  might take more than an hour. See PARKS section.