Durham Trails
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Lula Lake Land Trust’s Durham Property is one of Lookout Mountain’s oldest communities. The Durham Mines were know to be active coal mines between the years of 1860-1924 (circa) with some in the Ascalon area being active until about 1950. At one time, the town of Durham was said to have a workforce of about 30,000 people; had electricity before Chattanooga, and even had a movie theater and commissary. In May of 2019, LLLT purchased approximately 450 acres of the Durham mining community just north of 5 Points.
LLLT Land Manager Patrick Kelly began surveying this newly purchased 486-acre piece of land that we have dubbed "the Durham Property." The Durham Property was previously used to provide progress after the Industrial Revolution, but it was abandoned after the mining resources were exhausted. The land has healed from its previous use and now boasts a flourishing ecosystem. What once was a coal-mining community is now home to a healthy population of flora and fauna—Pink Lady Sippers, wild turkeys, and Pileated Woodpeckers are often seen frequently in the spring. Durham Trails are currently being built thanks to the generous support of both Riverview Foundation and REI Co-op. These critical funds are helping Lula Lake Land Trust sprint through the finish line on the Durham Trails, with an expected completion date of Spring 2023. Access Details:
Trail Details:
Durham has over 12 miles of trails encompass hiking and mountain biking for all skill levels. There are approximately 2 miles of existing roadbeds with very little incline that LLLT has recently designed for Adaptive Cyclists and day hiking. Interwoven throughout this path is a kids/beginner-friendly “pump track” style trail providing a space for kids and beginners to practice mountain biking skills while parents can easily assist. The goal for this 4-5 mile section of trail is to allow for skills progression and create an inclusive trail system for people of all abilities. For the more advanced riders or hikers, the coal tailing trails provide a more thrilling experience, winding up and down the tailings with high berms and opportunities to catch some air. The coal tailing trails were built in-house by LLLT Land Manager, Assistant Land Manager, and volunteers. Beyond these paths, spur trails follow the creek and lead down steep escarpments, offering breathtaking views! **USER CAUTION: Trail signage isn't developed yet — explore with caution! Once trails are complete, a refreshed and detailed map will be revealed to the public. |
Click the above trail preview map for a PDF view.
An official trail map will be unveiled upon completion. 
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Fossil History of Durham:
Also known as the Durham mines, our Durham Trails are also one of the best places in Georgia to collect plant fossils from the Pennsylvanian period, which dates back to approximately 320 to 300 million years ago. Although most of the land is now state or privately owned, one section owned by the Lula Lake Land Trust is open to fossil collecting with advance permission.
The area was once a coastal swamp forest populated by the giant ancestors of ferns, seed ferns, club mosses and horsetails. As these plants died, they accumulated in the stagnant waters of the swamp bottom but did not fully decay because the water was too acidic and low in oxygen to support bacteria. Periodic flooding covered this organic material, called peat, with sediments. The waters would then recede, and the forest would flourish once again. This process happened over and over for millions of years, only ceasing when the land was uplifted into the Appalachian Mountains of today. Gradual compaction and heat eventually transformed the peat into layers of coal while the sediments hardened into layers of shale and sandstone. This process formed the vast Appalachian coal beds that stretch from Alabama into Pennsylvania, including the Durham mines area.
Records of mining at Durham date back to 1891, but mining for coal may have begun before the Civil War. The town, originally called Pittsburgh, changed its name to Durham when the Durham Iron and Coal Company took over operations. Mining was conducted mostly underground with convict labor leased from the state, the majority of whom were African Americans. A rail line was built from Durham down the mountain to Chickamauga, where ovens refined the coal into coke. This coal product, which burned longer and at a higher temperature than unprocessed coal, was shipped north to the iron furnaces in Chattanooga. Large-scale mining ended at Durham in the 1940s, although mining briefly returned to the area in the 1970s. The roadway going into the property is part of the old rail line, and you can still find rusty rail spikes when looking for fossils.
During mining, the shale and sandstone were separated from the coal and piled into dumps. Today, these dumps remain as ridges throughout the Lula Lake Land Trust property. These are the best places to collect. You will not find much in the sandstone, but the shale can reveal delicately preserved fossils when you split it. Leaf clusters of seed ferns such as Mariopteris, Neuropteris, and Sphenopteris in particular are especially abundant and make attractive specimens. If you are lucky, you may encounter impressions of the Lepidodendron, a giant lycopod whose tree trunk resembles tire tracks.
There is plenty of material in the dumps of the Durham mines at the Lula Lake Land Trust. Fossils are relatively easy to collect, and the site can provide years of educational fossil collecting for everyone.
Also known as the Durham mines, our Durham Trails are also one of the best places in Georgia to collect plant fossils from the Pennsylvanian period, which dates back to approximately 320 to 300 million years ago. Although most of the land is now state or privately owned, one section owned by the Lula Lake Land Trust is open to fossil collecting with advance permission.
The area was once a coastal swamp forest populated by the giant ancestors of ferns, seed ferns, club mosses and horsetails. As these plants died, they accumulated in the stagnant waters of the swamp bottom but did not fully decay because the water was too acidic and low in oxygen to support bacteria. Periodic flooding covered this organic material, called peat, with sediments. The waters would then recede, and the forest would flourish once again. This process happened over and over for millions of years, only ceasing when the land was uplifted into the Appalachian Mountains of today. Gradual compaction and heat eventually transformed the peat into layers of coal while the sediments hardened into layers of shale and sandstone. This process formed the vast Appalachian coal beds that stretch from Alabama into Pennsylvania, including the Durham mines area.
Records of mining at Durham date back to 1891, but mining for coal may have begun before the Civil War. The town, originally called Pittsburgh, changed its name to Durham when the Durham Iron and Coal Company took over operations. Mining was conducted mostly underground with convict labor leased from the state, the majority of whom were African Americans. A rail line was built from Durham down the mountain to Chickamauga, where ovens refined the coal into coke. This coal product, which burned longer and at a higher temperature than unprocessed coal, was shipped north to the iron furnaces in Chattanooga. Large-scale mining ended at Durham in the 1940s, although mining briefly returned to the area in the 1970s. The roadway going into the property is part of the old rail line, and you can still find rusty rail spikes when looking for fossils.
During mining, the shale and sandstone were separated from the coal and piled into dumps. Today, these dumps remain as ridges throughout the Lula Lake Land Trust property. These are the best places to collect. You will not find much in the sandstone, but the shale can reveal delicately preserved fossils when you split it. Leaf clusters of seed ferns such as Mariopteris, Neuropteris, and Sphenopteris in particular are especially abundant and make attractive specimens. If you are lucky, you may encounter impressions of the Lepidodendron, a giant lycopod whose tree trunk resembles tire tracks.
There is plenty of material in the dumps of the Durham mines at the Lula Lake Land Trust. Fossils are relatively easy to collect, and the site can provide years of educational fossil collecting for everyone.
Don't just visit... make a difference!
Did you know that Lula Lake is preserved through donations from generous supporters? These Heroes on Conservation are responsible for preserving the natural beauty that will take your breath away during your visit. Through support of donations, we have helped protect 12,000 acres for going on 26 years. Find out how you can make a difference by visiting our webpage here or emailing our Director of Development, Matthew, at matthew@lulalake.org.
Did you know that Lula Lake is preserved through donations from generous supporters? These Heroes on Conservation are responsible for preserving the natural beauty that will take your breath away during your visit. Through support of donations, we have helped protect 12,000 acres for going on 26 years. Find out how you can make a difference by visiting our webpage here or emailing our Director of Development, Matthew, at matthew@lulalake.org.
