Most cities have public parks where one can stroll, picnic, or shelter from the bustle of city life. I’m discovering that Atlanta has taken the notion of public greenspaces to the next level. Patches of wilderness are tucked away in the most unexpected places, and Hahn Woods is a perfect example. Located near Emory University, Hahn Woods occupies a five-acre site with a creek flowing gently through it.
My visits have been brief–I had only heard of it a few days before taking my camera to look around. Driving down the road to the entrance felt very much like navigating the hills of my childhood days in Southwest Virginia. The woods sit along the sides of the south fork of Peachtree Creek as it makes its way gently between two hills. The road descends steeply to cross over the creek before climbing up the side of the next hill.
Once off the road, the city quickly falls away, and it is difficult to tell you that you are still in Atlanta. There are only a couple of miles of hiking trails, but they are perfect for a quick walk to get away from it all. Since discovering Hahn Woods, I’ve started keeping a list of similar greenspaces around the city, some of which are only a few minutes away from my house. They seem like perfect places to take my Pentax 645 and a tripod.
Neighborhood parks, I expect, but neighborhood wildernesses? Well, that’s just so Atlanta.
