Updated April 2022
When I travel, I like to see the “touristy” sites – after all, that’s what makes a place noteworthy (for the most part). Why go to Paris and forego the Eiffel Tower? Or travel to London and skip Buckingham Palace? But as much as I treasure seeing and appreciating these types of iconic places, my heart is most happy when I find quirky, weird, “off the beaten path” things to see or do or experience.
So when my good friend Allen Spencer forwarded me an article about the Doll’s Head Trail outside of Atlanta, I just knew I had to go…I could feel it in my bones (or my head??) My cousin Julie, who lives in Georgia was more than game for this – she had heard of it and she was rarin’ to go.
The trail was not too far from her home in Decatur. Located in Constitution Lakes Park, which used to be an abandoned brick factory from the 1800s, this one=of-a-kind trail is not very long and certainly not very difficult. But what it lacks in length and difficulty it more than makes up for with character. Or…characters!
The South River Brick Company closed in the 60s and sat abandoned until DeKalb County bought it in the early 2000’s and created some traditional walking trails using boardwalks and paths around the ponds. And that was all well and good… but the nifty thing is that in 2011, a local dude named Joel Slaton started gathering abandoned doll heads, old bottles and cans, ceramic tiles, broken toys, bicycle parts, old bricks (duh!) and other detritus he found onsite and created some “artwork” that is fun, offbeat and also – makes some social statements as well.
Feeling creative yourself? Trail users are encouraged to make their own art installation with the caveat that the pieces used must be found onsite – you’re not to bring things in from “the outside”.
So take a detour, bring your artistic-ness (and a camera!) and keep your eyes open for bits and bobs on the ground to create your own addition to the existing whimsical and creative art collection (haha – you’ll see fishing bobs are used for trail blazes throughout this unconventional walk!)
This 1.5ish mile loop can be found on the app AllTrails (which I looooove!!!) or use Google Maps to find Constitution Lakes Park, at 1305 South River Industrial Blvd SE, Atlanta, GA 30315.
Now go on – get out there, explore and have some fun!
Life was meant to be lived; curiosity must be kept alive. One must never – for whatever reason – turn his back on life. ~ Eleanor Roosevelt
Ha, how fun!