It was one of Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s favorite spots. He came here for peace and solitude…maybe to think about how the New Deal was progressing. Maybe about the war in Europe or the war in the Pacific and how America and her allies were faring. Heaven knows there were lots of things for him to think about. Perhaps he was here just to enjoy the beauty of a sunset over the valley below and seek respite from those weighty thoughts and tough decisions that came with the job of being America’s 32nd president. Regardless, the place is Dowdell’s Knob. Today it’s one of the most prominent vistas along The Pine Mountain Trail inside the FDR State Park just north of Columbus.

“Best Trail in Georgia” includes FDR’s thinking spot. This bronze statue of FDR sits atop Dowdell’s Knob a place where the president came to think when he was in Warm Springs.

The Trail and its History
The Pine Mountain Trail is a 23-mile footpath that follows the Pine Mountain ridge near Callaway Gardens. Add some 20 miles of connecting loops and trails and you have 43 miles of Mother Nature’s best work to explore and enjoy. The quiet woods, sparkling streams, abundant wildlife and lovely vistas make it a spot for literally everyone, young, old and in between to enjoy. Deer, wild turkey, quail and other creatures native
to this part of Georgia await your discovery. Trails, loops and connectors are wellmarked with blazes, 6” by 2 1/2” rectangles, painted on trees. The main trail is
marked in blue blazes, connectors in white and the Mountain Creek Trail in red. Campsites inside the park and trail are also available. The trail, as we know it today, didn’t just happen, though. The idea for creation of a more defined, accessible and maintained main trail and series of connected trails was born in 1975. Neal Wickham, a well-known Columbus outdoorsman, was the primary figure behind formation of the Pine Mountain Trail Association.

The association, with its now 21-member board of directors, carries primary responsibility for maintenance of the trail and oversight for the varied activities that occur there. “I used to hike the Georgia and South Carolina portions of the
Appalachian Trail with scouts and other groups,” Wickham said. “We’d cross Pine Mountain on the way back home and I’d think to myself about how nice it’d be to have a really nice trail closer to home.”

Thus the Pine Mountain Trail was born. Wickham would walk the areas off the main road across the mountain and flag paths he thought would make good walking
trails. Coincidentally, there was a group of outdoor enthusiasts in Thomaston exploring plans to establish a trail near that city and the Flint River. When their plans didn’t pan out, the group joined Wickham in helping establish the Pine Mountain Trail. The joint
effort was a success. The association’s first secretary-treasurer was Betty Dean of Thomaston. Wickham also said that over the years, with the help of others,
the association has bought several parcels of land on or near the Pine Mountain ridge and sold the parcels to the state for cost.

“We’re interested in more than just providing a first class walking trail,” he added. “We’re also interested in preserving the natural ridge as it was crested."

Is Wickham happy with the trail as it has evolved? You bet! “It’s listed as the best trail in Georgia by Outdoor Magazine,” he reported. “It’s the result of a lot of people putting in a lot of work over the past 37 years.”

The Loops
Overlook Loop – (3.4 miles)
Overlook is formed by the 2.1-mile Chestnut Oak Loop and 1.3 miles of the main Pine Mountain Trail. Begin at the Gardens Overlook Parking Area on Highway 190, or at the beginning of the trail just across the road from the Callaway Country Store.

Mountain Creek Nature Trail – (3.2 miles) This red-blazed loop trail starts at the trading post in the main recreational vehicle area near Lake Delano. This is one of the less strenuous trails but also one of the most scenic.

Longleaf Loop – (6.9 miles) This loop has the most trail connections and a map is highly recommended for Longleaf. There are seven paved road crossings and five trail connections. Start this loop at the park office or the Fox Den parking
lot.

Big Poplar Loop – (7.8 miles) This is the longest loop and is named for the large poplar tree you’re sure to see along the path. It is formed by the 2.7-mile

Sawtooth Trail and 5.1 miles of the main Pine Mountain Trail. It offers a number of rock formations and springs and creeks to cross. The two entry points for Big Poplar are along Highway 190, one at the six-mile marker at the Fox Den Cove parking area and the other near mile marker 11 at the Mollyhugger Hill parking
area.

Dowdell’s Knob Loop – (4.3 miles) This loop is formed by the 1.3-mile Boot Top Trail and 3 miles of the main Pine Mountain Trail. It’s best to park in the Dowdell’s Knob parking area, which is 1.3 miles off Georgia Highway 190. A map is most helpful here, too. Remember, the gate off Highway 190 closes at 5 p.m. October-March and at 8 p.m. April-September.

Wolf Den Loop – (6.7 miles) This is the most popular section of the trail and is considered one of the most beautiful stretches in the southeast. Wolf Den is formed by the 1.7-mile Beaver Pond Trail and 5 miles of the main Pine Mountain Trail. The two entry points for this loop are the parking lot near the WJSP-TV tower on Alternate US Highway 85 West just north of Georgia Highway 190 and at the 18-mile crossing on Georgia 190 at the Rocky Point parking
lot.

East End Loop – This is the newest of the seven loops, opened December 9 of last year. The main portion of the loop is the new 2.4-mile White Candle Trail and its junction with the Beaver Pond Trail. The two suggested entry points for East End are at the Rocky Point parking lot near mile marker 18 on Georgia Highway 190 and the WJSP-TV parking lot. Again, this is a new loop and a map is recommended to help locate its entry and exit points.

Hints for Hikers
The Pine Mountain Trail is for hiking. It is not a place for climbing or other action adventure sports, but users still need to think and plan before taking to the trail. Jim Hall, the current Pine Mountain Trail president, said common sense and a few pointers help assure safety during trail hikes. “Not only should you carry some basic survival items, always carry some snacks and most importantly, water,” Hall advised. Hall said a cell phone is a good idea and hikers should leave a piece of paper with basic information, the time you started hiking and your intended route, in plain
view on the dash of your vehicle. Suggested items for the survival kit include a snack in addition to the planned snack, red bandanna, large yardtype plastic bag, a loud whistle, small flashlight, chemical light stick, small roll of toilet tissue and a piece of aluminum foil about 14 inches square. “The trail is a safe place to be,” Hall added.

“It’s patrolled bypark rangers, the Harris County Sheriff’s Department and
the Georgia State Patrol.”

Today, more than 60,000 hikers from every state in the union and many foreign countries hike the trail every year. There’s something here for everybody and all you need is a map, available at the FDR Park Information Center, Kinnucan’s of Columbus, REI in Atlanta, Hit The Trail in Newnan, The Great Outdoors in Peachtree City and the Pine Mountain Trail Association. The trail is open 365 days a year. FDR died at the Little White House on April 12, 1945, less than a mile from today’s Pine Mountain Trail. The day before he died he spent time at Dowdell’s Knob. You need to go there for several reasons: to witness first-hand the view that the president so loved… and to see the president himself, well, almost. On April 12 of this year, the PMT Association unveiled a life-size bronze sculpture of FDR. He’s sitting in the back of his open Ford Phaeton, arm relaxed over the back seat, his legs stretched though the open back door.

The old barbeque pit nearby was his.

For more information about The Pine Mountain Trail call Jim Hall, 706-569-0497. You can also visit the web site, www.pinemountaintrail.org.