A Quiet Trail Away from History

Ethical Hiking in Georgia

Yesterday, my wife and I went for a hike here in Georgia—a last-minute decision sparked sometime around 1:30 in the afternoon, the kind of plan that comes together more on instinct than intention. But even spontaneity has its roadblocks. Most of the trails near our place wind through Kennesaw Mountain, a site heavy with Civil War history—Confederate cannons still poised as if waiting, statues carved in reverence, and museums that feel like they’re trying too hard to remember the wrong side of things.

Neither of us felt comfortable walking through that sort of curated nostalgia. So we kept searching, scrolling through park listings and trail maps until we found a quiet spot not too far away—no monuments, no ghosts, just trees and trail.

We threw on our boots and headed out. The hike was gorgeous—sunlight filtered through the canopy in ribbons, the air smelled like warm earth and green things. As usual, I brought my Sony a7iii, convincing myself I might use it. I didn’t. It hung off my shoulder like a very expensive mistake, while my Galaxy S23 did all the real work, snapping quick photos and short videos along the way. I really ought to stop bringing the Sony on these kinds of hikes—it’s just extra weight I carry out of habit.

Still, it was a good day. One of those slow, quiet adventures that sneaks up on you and stays a while.