Dalton, Georgia is less than an hour drive from our home. We traveled to the self proclaimed “Carpet Capital of the World” to explore its historic downtown district and hike the George W. Disney Trail. Both goals proved larger than expected.
The Dalton Commercial Historic District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The city has done a beautiful job refurbishing and repurposing its treasured buildings.
The owner’s collection of restored pedal cars was an unexpected delight in the American Pawn Store. The shop was neat, well organized and definitely stocked upper-end merchandise.
Inside Dalton’s historic freight depot is the Visitor’s Center with an awesome display of hand tufted quilts. In 1890 Catherine Evans began tufting patterns into bedspreads. She sold the first spread for $2.50 back when a man made $1 for a day’s work. Catherine’s business spread to front porches all over town, moved into new factories and evolved into the tufted carpet industry that put this place on the map. By the 1960s, Dalton’s millionaires per capita was the highest in the U.S. with over 150 working mills.
Across the tracks from the Visitors Center is the Manly Jail Works building. The 1914 manufacturing structure is being converted into an upscale burger joint with retail space.
Manly Jail Works built jails, jail cells and supplied parts for incarceration facilities all over the country. The company’s portable prisoner cars were used for transporting and housing convicts performing labor at remote work sites.
After lunch at the Cherokee Brewing+Pizza Company, we planned to hike the George W. Disney Trail on the edge of Dalton. I read that the hike was .7-miles long and moderate. We expected a nice stroll to work off our pizza. The trail started off steep and got steeper. The trailhead was located in a muddy corner of the parking lot and we did not read the sign posted there until after our hike. The George W. Disney trail is 2.4 miles round trip, considered the most challenging short trail in Georgia and reaches the highest point on Rocky Face.
George W. Disney was a confederate officer in the Civil War and died during the Battle of Rocky Face. His grave was discovered and restored by Boy Scouts in 1912. The trail to this site is named after the fallen soldier.
We were exhausted when we made it to the first lookout point. The view was great, but a passing hiker told us we hadn’t reached the summit yet. Many that attempt this trail return from here.
The Disney Trail preceded the Appalachian Trail by 20 years and is one of Georgia’s oldest. Our server at lunch described it as, “Straight-up hiking.” Our confusion with his description cleared away by the time we reached this second lookout.
This commanding view from atop Rocky Face includes the tail end of the Smokey Mountains and Blue Ridge Mountains within the southern Appalachian Range. If you are prepared for a rock climber’s challenge, It’s worth clawing your way to the top.