Take It Outside

EXPERIENCES Take It Outside

7 ways to explore the great outdoors in Gwinnett County

BY KELUNDRA SMITH

Stone Mountain Park

Stone Mountain, an enormous quartz monadnock, is Georgia’s ninth wonder of the world. The 3,200-acre park offers hiking trails, sky buckets, river cruises, a water park, camping grounds, and more. One of the park’s traditions is the Lasershow Spectacular, a nightly laser show featuring music and sounds projected on the side of the mountain during the spring and summer. From the signature Yellow Daisy Festival featuring arts and crafts in spring to the Polar Express train ride in winter, Stone Mountain Park is a good time year round.

SculpTour

Suwanee SculpTour is one of the city’s signature attractions. Local artisans create colorful statues for the town center, and residents vote on the best ones to be displayed for two years. The favorite one-of-a-kind sculpture, which includes everything from half-bitten popsicles to a cow and calf, becomes a part of the city’s permanent public art collection. Next time you’re catching a concert on the green or attending food truck night, be sure to look for the unique sculptures.

Tubing

The Chattahoochee River runs more than 400 miles through part of Georgia, Alabama, and Florida. Shooting the ’Hooch, or taking a scenic fl oat down the river in a tube, is a favorite Georgia pastime and a great way to have fun with the family. Duluth-based $10 River Tubing offers two–to–four–hour fl oat trips between May and September; several other local outfi tters also make it easy to plan an adventure on the lazy river.

Freeman's Mill Park

Disc Golf

Disc golf is a big deal in Gwinnett County. Eighteen-hole disc golf courses are located at Alexander Park in Lawrenceville, Lenora Park in Snellville, Little Mulberry Park in Dacula, and Suwanee Creek Park. The county partners with the Gwinnett Disc Golf Organization to host the Gwinnett County Open disc golf tournament every year, typically in November, complete with cash prizes for the top throwers.

Alpaca Farms

The adorable alpacas at Creekwater Alpaca Farms are sure to melt your heart with their big eyes and soft hair. Book an afternoon tour for a day of learning about these Peruvian animals, which are kin to the llama. Horses, ducks, goats, sheep, and other cuddly creatures also roam the farm. Take home a bit of the farm by stopping in the gift shop for alpaca socks, hats, and mittens.

Fishing

Several Gwinnett County parks feature fi shing lakes where pros and amateurs go to catch largemouth bass, bream, and catfi sh. Jones Bridge Park has some of the best fl y fi shing in the area; Tribble Mill Park has two fi shing lakes, Chandler and Ozora; Lenora Park, just south of Snellville, has a small fi shing lake; and Little Mulberry Park in Dacula is home to Lake Miller, where anglers can fi sh from two piers. And of course, Lake Lanier, just north of Gwinnett County, has some of the best fi shing spots in northeast Georgia.

Parks

When the weather heats up, Gwinnett County is the place to be. The county boasts more than 50 parks with amenities for every interest and occasion. Relax to the sound of the cascading waters of an 1870s grist mill at Freeman’s Mill Park; run, walk, or pedal through wetlands and forest at Suwanee Creek Greenway; cool off in the splash pad at Lillian Webb Park; or explore a restored 1930s farmhouse at McDaniel Farm Park. From aquatics and skateboarding to cookouts and walking trails, there’s something for everyone.

Alexander Park