Lula Lake Land Trust was established in 1994 through the will of Robert Davenport. Mr. Davenport began acquiring pieces of the land in 1958 and by the time of his death in 1994, he had acquired over 1,200 acres surrounding Lula Lake. Much of the land that Davenport acquired had been damaged through mining, timber harvesting, garbage dumping, and unrestricted public access. He and his family devoted their lives to rejuvenating the land and working on land conservation and protection. Now, they open this beautiful property up to the public on the first and last weekends of the month. Only a certain number of tickets are sold. Tickets are $15/vehicle. Gates are only open from 9am-5pm on these weekends and require reservations. The property is immaculate. There are a variety of trail options ranging from 4.2 miles to 8.7 miles.
Smalls and I had gone to Lula Lake last year with all the kids and while we enjoyed our time, we knew we wanted to come back just the two of us to explore all the trails. We finally got our opportunity! Due to a work conflict, we just went up for the day. We had the earliest reservation time from 9-10. We got there close to 10 and got on trail. We chose to do the Mountain Bike Loop which is 8.7 miles and rated as advanced. All I can say is WOW! The terrain kept changing. There was a beautiful overlook that we didn’t even know existed. The Adventure Loop was adventurous. We came up to the bluffs and took a different route down to the main waterfall that we had not done before. We enjoyed a picnic lunch at a table close to the main falls and then headed back. If you don’t want to go that far, you can take the main gravel road there and back for 4.2 miles for any combination of trails to do what works best for you. I feel like the trails are more moderate in difficulty. The Adventure Loop and Waterfalls Trail are difficult, but short.
We had a refreshing rain storm to cool us off. Of course, August in Georgia is a beast so we welcomed the rain. The previous trip, we visited in February. It had been quite a wet winter so the waterfall was really booming and there were icicles on the rock faces. I’m sure there is something beautiful to enjoy in every season. This place is gorgeous and 100% worth the $15. There is a privy by the entrance and a porter potty by the main falls. Bring water and snacks and enjoy the work this family has put into restoring the land.
Smalls and Talls Outdoors 