Arabia Mountain facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Arabia Mountain |
|
|---|---|
View from the summit of Arabia Mountain
|
|
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 955 ft (291 m) |
| Prominence | 172 ft (52 m) |
| Geography | |
| Location | DeKalb County, Georgia |
| Climbing | |
| First ascent | unknown |
| Easiest route | Hike |
| Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area | |
|---|---|
|
IUCN Category III (Natural Monument)
|
|
 Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area
Location in Georgia (U.S. state)
|
|
| Location | Southeast of Atlanta, Georgia |
| Nearest city | Lithonia, Georgia |
| Established | 2006 |
| Governing body | Arabia Mountain Heritage Area Alliance |
Arabia Mountain is one of two main peaks in the Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve in DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. It's like a big rock island rising from the land, called a monadnock. A low area separates it from Bradley Mountain, which is to its south.
The peak is 955 feet (290 meters) above sea level. It rises 172 feet (52 meters) above the nearby Arabia Lake reservoir. Bradley Mountain is closer to the visitor trails than Arabia Mountain. Because of this, people sometimes think Bradley Mountain is Arabia Mountain.
Contents
What is Arabia Mountain?
Arabia Mountain is one of three large rock formations in the Atlanta area. These formations are called monadnocks. The others are Stone Mountain and Panola Mountain. The special shape and rock type of Arabia Mountain allow unusual plants and animals to live there.
- Arabia Mountain is home to five types of plants that are endangered. This means they are protected by both state and federal laws.
- One example is the bright-red diamorpha plant. It grows in small pools of water that form on the rock. These pools are called vernal pools or solution pits.
Panola Mountain is about 3.63 miles (5.84 km) to the southwest. While maps show Arabia Mountain as one peak, most people who know the area see it as two peaks. There's Arabia Mountain to the northeast and Bradley Mountain to the southeast. A low saddle connects them.
Mountain Rocks and History
Arabia Mountain looks like granite, similar to Stone Mountain and Panola Mountain. But it's actually made of a different rock called migmatite. This rock was formed under very high heat. It has cool swirl patterns in it.
- This swirly rock was popular for building. Many buildings in the region were made from stone taken from quarries in the Lithonia area.
Like Stone Mountain, Arabia Mountain was a quarry for many years. A quarry is a place where stone is dug out of the ground. The land was later given to the DeKalb park system. You can still see old structures and holes from the quarry operations throughout the park.
- The stone from Arabia Mountain was called "Tidal Grey." It was valued for being very strong and having unique swirl patterns.
- Tidal Grey stone from Arabia Mountain was used in famous buildings. These include the U.S. Naval Academy and parts of the Brooklyn Bridge. It was also used for street curbs in Atlanta and other Georgia cities.
Before 1880, workers dug out the stone by hand. But starting in 1879, they began using drills, dynamite, and air compressors. This allowed them to cut out much larger blocks of stone. Being close to the railroad meant the Tidal Grey stone could be easily sent across the country.
Chicken Feed and Quarry Success
The Davidson family owned many quarries in the area. They made an interesting discovery: adding granite grit to chicken feed helped chickens digest their food!
- The Davidson family became the biggest supplier of poultry grit in the world.
- They believed the shiny mica particles in their "Stonemo grit" attracted the chickens' eyes. This helped the chickens' gizzards break down food.
- Their company was so successful that the U.S. government allowed them to keep working during World War II. This was because their product was important for national defense.
- In 1949, the Lithonia area produced almost 1.5 million tons of granite. This was worth about $3 million at the time.
Unique Plants of Arabia Mountain
Even though Arabia Mountain looks like a bare rock, it has lots of plant life. These plants are special because they can live in the mountain's tough environment.
- Arabia Mountain is one of only five places in the U.S. where you can find the black-spored quillwort (Isoetes melanospora).
- It's also one of 44 places in the U.S. where the little amphianthus (Amphianthus pusillus) grows.
- These are endangered species. This means they are protected by Georgia and U.S. federal laws.
- The largest group of black-spored quillwort and one of the largest amphianthus groups are found here. Protecting these sensitive areas is very important.
Small's Stonecrop
Arabia Mountain is also one of the few places in the southeastern U.S. where Small's stonecrop (Diamorpha smallii) grows well. This plant is not endangered in Georgia or the U.S., but it is in Tennessee.
- Over time, small dips form in the rock where it wears away faster. These dips are called solution pools.
- These pools fill with sand and a small amount of dirt from decaying leaves and rain.
- Small's stonecrop then starts to grow in these sandy hollows.
Protecting Arabia Mountain
In the 1970s, the Davidson family gave over 500 acres of land, including Arabia Mountain, to DeKalb County. They wanted it to be a nature preserve for local people to enjoy.
- Since then, the Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve has grown. It now covers 2,550 acres. It includes several granite outcrops and two lakes.
- On October 12, 2006, Arabia Mountain and its preserve were recognized as very important to the nation. They became part of the Arabia Mountain U.S. National Heritage Area. This was because of its special culture, history, and natural features.
Biking and Walking Trails
The PATH Foundation has built more than 30 miles of concrete trails. These trails are 12 feet (3.7 meters) wide and are for walking and biking.
- The trails run from downtown Lithonia to Stonecrest Mall.
- They then go through the Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve to Panola Mountain State Park.
- The trails end at the Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Conyers.
- There are also paths that connect to a parking area on Klondike Road. Another path goes to Murphey Candler Elementary School and Arabia Mountain High School.
Fun Events at the Mountain
Arabia Mountain is a DeKalb County, Georgia park. It's free to visit and open every day from dawn to dusk.
- Arabia Mountain, along with Stone Mountain and Panola Mountain, is part of an annual event called Monadnock Madness. This event includes guided hikes of all three Atlanta-area monadnocks.
- Besides guided hikes all year, the mountain also hosts art events like Monadnock Muse.
Arabia Mountain High School
Right next to the Arabia Mountain green space is the Arabia Mountain High School Academy of Engineering Medicine and Environmental Studies. It opened in August 2009.
- The school building is LEED-certified. This means it was built to be very environmentally friendly.
- The school uses a special learning plan called "Environment as an Integrating Context for learning" (EIC). This means students learn by connecting their studies to the environment.
- The high school is connected to the nature preserve by a bike path.
Gallery
-
Diamorpha smallii (red diamorpha) on Arabia Mountain -
Colony of Black-spored Quillwort (Isoetes melanospora) in a granite pool on top of Arabia Mountain -
Closeup photograph of Black-spored Quillwort (Isoetes melanospora) -
Cairn on Arabia Mountain
.jpg)
Images for kids
-
Diamorpha smallii (red diamorpha) on Arabia Mountain -
Colony of black-spored quillwort (Isoetes melanospora) in a granite pool on top of Arabia Mountain -
Closeup photograph of black-spored quillwort -
Cairn on Arabia Mountain
