Whether you live in the Atlanta area or you’re just visiting, a trek to Stone Mountain is one of the things you wind up doing. It’s not a Georgia law or anything; you just do it. I allotted most of a day to explore Stone Mountain Park, although with all the activities this place offers you could easily spend a week. But I already knew what I was going to do: hike to the top of the mountain.

Due to an unusually rainy week I had to reschedule my visit twice. Since it was March I was hoping for a beautiful spring day, but Mother Nature was not cooperating; when I went it was cloudy, windy and chilly. Furthermore, I forgot to bring my hoodie with me (it wasn’t until I got back to Orlando that I discovered—quite by accident—that I had left it on the parking lot shuttle en route to the airport). Let’s just say I was unprepared. That wasn’t about to stop me, however.

Here’s a brief geography lesson if you’re unfamiliar with Stone Mountain: It’s a dome of granite approximately 1,685 feet tall (various reference sources differ by a couple of feet). It was formed some 300 million years ago—along with the Blue Ridge Mountains—when the shifting of the earth’s crust created a large amount of magma, or molten rock that slowly hardened over time.  The massive mound of granite was eventually exposed as time and weather slowly eroded away the earth atop it. Okay, geography lesson over.

This isn’t a pointy mountain; it’s a bowl-shaped mountain. Hiking to the top is therefore not as strenuous as you might think. The distance one way is a short 1.3 miles, and there are no sudden elevation gains, just a steady ascent that’s kind of like being on a treadmill set to level 11. You just follow the yellow-dotted lined painted on the ground (or follow some fellow hikers). Trees—mostly scrubby loblolly pines and Georgia oaks—grow on the lower slopes, but the higher you go the fewer trees there are; life on a granite outcrop is stressful for plants because of constant exposure to the elements.

This also is an easy mountain to climb because you’re basically walking on bare rock. Piles of flat stones offer a succession of solid perches, but the day I hiked was following heavy rains and there were little pools of water and wet spots everywhere, so make sure you wear sturdy shoes. As my hands grew number and my T-shirt flapped in the cold gusts of wind, I couldn’t help thinking how nice this hike would be on a sunny, warm day.

The last 500 or so feet are pretty steep, so you’ll want to be careful. The top is completely bare, flat and rocky and somewhat reminiscent of a moonscape. If visibility is good you can see the downtown Atlanta skyline and even north Georgia mountains in the distance, but not today; the vista was less than inspiring. And the wind was whipping, so I stopped only long enough to congratulate myself on reaching the top and then hightailed it to Top of the Mountain (restrooms, snacks, departure point for the Summit Skyride) to catch my breath and warm up.

Of course it’s easier going back down (be careful descending the first 500 or so feet). But toward the end I was like the nimble mountain goat, deftly avoiding pools of water and muddy patches, and instinctively navigating the stepping stone-like path. Once back at my car I definitely needed sustenance since I had skipped breakfast, so I decided to stop at Marriott's Stone Mountain Inn —especially when I found out that lunch was an all-you-can-eat buffet.

The inn’s dining room has comfortably old-fashioned Southern charm, and the buffet looked pretty tempting. I dived right in. My verdict? The fried chicken was excellent. Ditto the mashed potatoes, black-eyed peas and roasted veggies, and there was a nice salad bar. In fact the only thing missing were hot rolls; perish the thought at Sunday supper! But the cornbread was good. I went back for seconds and skipped the medley of desserts, which frankly didn’t look worth the calories.

Absolutely sated, I headed across Robert E. Lee Boulevard to get a better look at the famous carving depicting Confederate leaders and Civil War heroes Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee and Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson. While you can’t go right up to the base of the mountain, you can get close enough on foot for a nice unobstructed view of this monumental work of art. What’s really amazing about it—besides the feat of engineering it took to wrest this dramatic bas-relief from a sheer granite face—is that it doesn’t look as big as it actually is. The carved surface measures 90 by 190 feet, but it pales in comparison to the massive bulk of the mountain. Of course it’s still quite the stirring sight.

Make sure you watch the 11-minute video at the Discovering Stone Mountain Museum inside Memorial Hall. You’ll learn all kinds of fascinating details about this monumental project, like the artistic decision to carve the horses’ legs so they disappeared into the stone, thus focusing on the riders. Also, the carvers had to stand on open scaffolding and work 33 stories above the ground where the wind was constantly blowing. Me? I’m glad all I have to do is write a blog about it.

Stone Mountain Park is about 16 miles east of downtown Atlanta via US 78. The easiest way to get there is to take I-285 exit 39B, then US 78 to exit 8. Past the main entrance gate, ($10 vehicle parking fee) take Jefferson David Drive to Robert E. Lee Boulevard and turn right. Park in the lot near the Confederate Hall Historical & Environmental Education Center and you’ll see the start of the walk-up trail.  There is no additional charge to walk up the mountain, though the numerous attractions and rides have an admission charge.