Geologic Sites around Lake Allatoona
- Access road to north end of Allatoona Dam
- Exit I-75 northbound on Georgia Highway 20; turn right.
Take first right turn onto Allatoona Dam access road; follow
signs to road end. A cut face on right exposes quartzite
and graphitic phyllite of the
Pinelog formation.
-
- Cooper Branch Day Use Area
- From the above stop, return on Allatoona Dam access road to
the first right (Cooper Branch Day Use Area). A short distance
before a boat ramp parking area, large boulders of
Corbin meta-granite
lie on both sides of the road.
-
- Below Allatoona Dam
- On both sides of Etowah River, exposures of Pinelog formation:
-
- Red Top Mountain State Park
- Boulders and outcrops of Corbin meta-granite and
Red Top Mountain formation. At the west end of
Bethany Bridge (approaching the State Park),
at low water levels you can see contact between Corbin meta-granite and
Rowland Spring formation.
-
- Allatoona Fault
- From I-75, take Emerson-Allatoona Road east about one mile to the monument commemorating
the Civil War battle of Allatoona Pass. From the monument, walk the lake
shore (at low water levels) left about 200 meters. The Allatoona fault
separates Dahlonega Gold Belt lithologies (amphibolite) from Great Smokies
Group meta-sediments (schist).
-
- Near Little River Marina
- Across the bridge from Little River Marina, amphibolite (metabasalt) of
the Dahlonega Gold Belt is well exposed. From the parking lot, cross the road
and follow a hiking trail through woods to the point shown
(diving not recommended, particularly during low water) then traverse back toward
the bridge as far as you feel comfortable. (Careful!)
-
- Many others . . .
-