Have you ever been to Little Mulberry Park? No, then this day hike on April 5 is your chance!
This hike is open to all Scouts and their families, and will be led by Assistant Scoutmaster Jim Carey. For anyone unfamiliar, Mulberry Park is a beautiful treasure close to Atlanta. Scouts and parents will get to see forests, fields, wetlands, lakes, and varied topography along the many trails. Horseback riders can be seen from time to time, and there is even a waterfall! It’s a great location, but please be advised that some parts of the trails can be steep/strenuous.
During the morning, our entire group will hike together for approximately 4 to 5 miles and then will break for lunch in the woods. All the Scouts will work together to make and eat their lunches using backpacking stoves (read below for how this will be organized). Adults and other family members are responsible for their own lunch arrangements. After lunch, families with younger Scouts can either continue with the group or they can return home.
Part of the purpose of this Little Mulberry Park event is to provide backpacking training for this summer’s High Adventure to Philmont Scout Ranch. Older Scouts and adults going on that trip are expected to continue with the second part of the hike after lunch. This smaller group will hike an additional distance (probably another 3 to 5 more miles) before calling it a day.
What To Bring:
- Everyone must wear proper hiking shoes or boots, clothing needed for the day (including rain gear), toilet paper, as well as a personal first aid kit.
- Everyone must bring 1 to 2 quarts of drinking water. We do not want any dehydration medical emergencies!
- Each non-Philmont group participant should carry their gear in a day pack.
- Non-Scout family members (siblings, etc.) and adults should bring their own lunch supplies.
- All Scouts also will bring their lunch supplies, cooking utensils, personal eating and drinking utensils, and backpacking stoves (with fuel for the stoves). Read below for details about how the Scouts (not the adults!) will plan and organize their own lunch.
- Philmont Scouts and Philmont adults: bring and hike with your full backpack with the weight you expect to carry at Philmont.
Special notes for Philmont Scouts:
- Over the next few weeks in March (during Tuesday Troop meetings), Philmont Scouts should show leadership in planning the lunch not only for themselves, but also together with the non-Philmont Scouts going on the hike.
- This may include: (1) Making a duty roster; (2) planning a menu for cooking the lunch; (3) gathering Troop backing stoves that are in working condition as well as sufficient fuel; (4) borrowing appropriate cooking utensils from the Troop; and (5) ensuring that a Scout grub master purchases and brings the needed food supplies to Mulberry Park.
- The Scouts (not the adults!) going on this trip are responsible for bringing their own food supplies, backpacking stoves, fuel, cooking equipment, and personal eating utensils and cups.
Anyone interested should use the sign-up sheet below. We ask that all Scouts, adults, and family members add their names to this sheet no later than March 16. This will help the Scouts plan their lunch and also help the event organizers know how many people will attend the hike.
[Sign-up for Mulberry Park Day Hike]
When: Saturday, April 5, 2025.
Hike start time: 8:00 am. Please arrive a little before this time so that we can promptly begin the hike. The end times will vary for different participant groups (see below).
Getting There: Families are responsible for their own transportation.
Where: Little Mulberry Park in Gwinnett County. This is a huge facility that has four different entrances. It is essential that participants go to the correct entrance: 3855 Fence Road, Auburn, GA. (DO NOT GO TO ANY OF THE OTHER THREE PARK ENTRANCES! YOU WILL BE VERY LOST!) The Park is approximately a 40-45 minutes drive from Tucker off I-85. For your smart phone map, copy and paste these specific geocoordinates to get to the correct parking lot: 34.038094600296375, -83.87742773687164. There is a toilet and picnic pavilion near the parking lot. This is where our group will meet on Saturday morning.
