Arabia Mountain Cascade and Wilburn Farm Trail

Hike the Arabia Mountain Cascade Trail to small cascading waterfalls before looping the Wilburn Farm Trail to an old barn, farmhouse ruins, and a small reflective pond.

Arabia Mountian is one of our favorite hiking destinations in metro Atlanta, thanks to its incredible network of more than thirty miles of trails. And while the ultra-popular hike to panoramic views on the Arabia Mountain summit is certainly fantastic, the park offers a ton of other fantastic options for exploration and adventure near the city. With glassy lakes and grassy fields and tumbling creek-filled forests, the park delivers a whole lot of beauty to explore on its vast trail network.

This hike combines two trails, the Cascade Trail and Wilburn Farm Trail, to deliver an experience entirely different from the nearby mountaintop. The adventure follows a figure-eight loop, hiking to a stream that spills in shallow waterfalls over open stretches of rolling granite on the Cascade Trail. And then the hike follows the Wilburn Farm Trail treks to a farmstead with an old barn, rope swing, the remains of a farmhouse, and the grassy, shady shores of a pond home to fish and croaking amphibians. It’s a fantastic hike, mixing natural beauty with history and a chance to spot some wildlife on the trail.

Cascade and Wilburn Farm Trails: the hike

The adventure begins at the Arabia Mountain Evans Mill Road trailhead (view maps and driving directions). The hike briefly follows a paved path eastbound before turning right, darting into the shady forest on the unpaved Cascade Trail. The sound of rushing water grows louder as the trail meanders through the forest, reaching the rushing cascades of Pole Bridge Creek at a quarter mile.

The trail follows the meandering creek, catching downstream vistas of its continuously tumbling water and broad expanses of water-carved rock.

The trail arcs westbound, departing the creek’s shore and climbing elevation through a rocky, grassy forest. Occasional smooth, bald rock outcrops punctuate the coniferous forest on both sides of the trail.

The route crosses a paved trail at .75 mile, beginning to follow the Wilburn Farm Trail on the path’s opposite side. The trail continues its ascent, switching back as it climbs through a rocky forest. The hike veers right at 1.2 miles, trekking through a cleared, grassy meadow to approach the remains of the Wilburn Farm.

The hike arcs to the west and then veers southbound toward the farmstead’s historic barn. The hike reaches the barn and nearby ruins of a farmhouse at just over 1.5 miles.

Departing the farmstead, the trail continues its southbound journey, reaching the banks of a small, grassy pond at 1.75 miles. Vibrant green grasses line the shore, and the trees on the opposite bank reflect in the pond’s surface. Insects buzz and dart over the pond’s glassy waters, and in warm-weather months, frogs croak and chirp, filling the sun-dappled air with song.

The trail makes a gentle climb after departing the pond, hiking southbound through a series of meanders and wide switchbacks. The trail crests at 2.1 miles and then begins a winding descent, reaching a trail junction at 2.3 miles. At the junction, the hike turns right, hiking westbound on the Boomerang Trail to a paved PATH Foundation trail at 2.45 miles. The hike turns right on the paved trail, following the paved trail northwest, to reach the trailhead and completing the adventure at 3.25 miles.

---

---

More hiking adventures at Arabia Mountain

Finished this hike, and have energy and daylight left to burn? Check out the nearby Arabia Mountain Top Trail for stunning, sweeping summit views, and catch reflections of the mountain on the Arabia Mountain View Trail from a nearby, glassy lake.

This map shows our approximate route while exploring this trail, but does not replace an official trail map. Please refer to the official trail map for the most current and accurate route.