Boundary Waters Park

Last weekend I hiked a new park with my sister and her dog Gretzky. Boundary Waters Park is located in Douglas County, making it a relatively close park to me. It is a large park (especially for a county park) with over 8 miles of trails, an aquatic center and a sports complex.

The trails are multi use trails, so they are open to hikers, horses and mountain bikers. They are rated easy to moderate for the most part with one section of the red trail being rated difficult (this section can be bypassed). My hike was about 6 miles, and included the 1.1 mile blue trail that follows the park's pond for a while (not sure how they feel about dogs swimming), and the 5.1 mile red trail that follows the Chattahoochee River and includes the difficult section.

Below I will list some Pros and cons of the trails:

PROS

• The trails are wide enough to walk next to someone and have a conversation. They are also wide enough to allow the occasional horse or mountain biker to pass without difficulty. During my hike we passed about a dozen horses (Gretzky was amazed to see the bigger dogs with the funny feet), and a couple of mountain bikes. Everyone was very polite.
• The trails are mostly shaded.
• Because it is a county park, no parking fee.
• Many trail options. The trails can be combined or shortened to fit your requirements.

CONS

• Horse poop. Although horse poop is easy to see and avoid, some dogs like the taste.
• The signage could be a little better.
• It is not the most scenic hike. The section along the river is a bit overgrown, so it is hard to see the Hooch.

All in all, it was a good hike that I would recommend to anyone wanting to get out on a trail.