Begin the hike at Coopers Furnace onto an old logging road. This is an old railway bed where lumber was transported. Keep going until you come to a ridge where the path leads back to Cooper’s Furnace. A quick place name trivia, this area was where Anthony Copper’s engine named Yonah prevented the Raiders from accessing the Western and Atlantic Bridge on the Etowah River, which was a major target during the Atlanta Campaign. This was a foundry that was built by Jacob Stroup in the 1830’s before it was purchased by Mark Cooper. Cooper later sold this property and built the Etowah Railroad which ran through the furnace at the Cooper Iron Works.
The Yonah also transported William Fuller to the Kingston rail yard. The battle area is around the Allatoona Mountains, where Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston led his men atop the hills surrounding the furnace while Union General Jacob Cox advanced toward the furnace in the railroad yard. . The Confederates then withdrew to the southern end of the Etowah River, where the Union Army destroyed the surrounding town of Etowah. All that was left after the destruction was the furnace, a chimney, and a rail cut on the Western and Atlantic Railroad.
The trailhead is at the gate just past the iron furnace. It starts here where you will ascend to a small stream. The road then begins to twist at Beaver Dam, where a lake formed that was fortified by the Army Corps of Engineers. The ecosystem is abundant in wildlife where you can also see some bird houses that served as a refuge for various species of birds.
The trail follows an old rail that ends at a single switchback to a south-facing cove. Then turn right at about 0.4 miles and begin to ascend to the Allatoona Lake Visitor Center where you come up a path to a parking lot. The Visitor Center offers a taste of the history of Cooper’s Furnace during the Civil War. Take in the overview of Lake Allatoona near downtown and enjoy spectacular views of the southern section of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
From here, turn right onto a narrow road that continues to the Laurel Ridge Trail. Follow the trail closely to the right until you come out into the most picturesque view of the cove. There are some heavy stones along some parts of the trail that are Civil War remnants of the railroad that existed before. At this point, the trail approaches a high ridge. After this the trail returns to the old logging road at Beaver Lake.