This cache is placed with permission. Please follow all park rules, noting that the park is open Sunrise to Sunset (no night caching, please).
Cell service will be limited in various areas on the AMNHA Geo-Path. Please plan accordingly.
Questions or need to share a challenge with a cache?
Send us a message through the Geocaching app
Remember to bring a pen, items to trade, and follow the recommended
Geocaching Etiquette.
CONGRATS TO JAZZMASTERS FOR THE FTF!
AMNHA Geo-Path Series
AMNHA: Retreat House
Passport: Lands Less Visited
Series: Lands Less Visited
Password: Located in the logbook
Hours: Sunrise to Sunset
Parking Options: See waypoints
A Place That Changed With Time
This house was likely built in the 1930s or 1940s, around the same time the nearby lake was created. Over the years, its purpose has shifted along with the land around it.
After DeKalb County acquired the property around 2002, the house became closely tied to the early days of the Nature Preserve. Mary Terry, the preserve’s first ranger, lived here for several years.
Since then, the building has been adapted for a variety of uses, including police training exercises and county retreats. Today, it is known simply as the Retreat House.
Retreat House.
Water, Wildlife, and Quiet Corners
Retreat House Lake is the first of two lakes along Stephenson Creek, with Arabia Lake located downstream. The creek itself begins near Vaughter’s Farm, now part of Panola Mountain State Park.
The lake has been stocked with bream, and signs of wildlife are easy to spot. Beaver activity is common here, and a long beaver dam can often be seen at the upper end of the lake.
Retreat House Lake.
To follow more of the water story across this part of the preserve, visit AMNHA: Lake Feeder Creek, where the small seasonal flows that help sustain the lakes come into focus.
A Trail That Tells the Story
The Retreat House Loop Trail offers a look at several different habitats found within the Nature Preserve.
East of the lake, the trail moves through woodlands that were never farmed. Here, a mature hardwood forest creates an open and surprisingly picturesque landscape with a diverse understory.
On the west side, the forest tells a different story. This area was once farmed, and today it is dominated by pine. If you look closely, you may still be able to spot the old farming terraces that shaped the land.
That transition between pine and hardwood reflects the same kind of forest change explored more directly at AMNHA: Changing Forest.
This loop quietly reveals how both nature and human history have shaped the landscape over time.
Are You Ready To Find More Geocaches?
Come explore the
Arabia Mountain PATH
and earn trackable prizes along the way.
The
AMNHA Geo-PATH
is a geocaching program spread along more than 30 miles of trail. Many geocaches are waiting to be discovered.
Download the passports
Geocaching Adventures Passport
Completed the passports?
Choose one of the following options to claim your prize:
Scan and email the Arabia Alliance Team
Scan and mail Arabia Alliance office
Fill out the AMNHA Geo-Path Prize Form
Each cache is classified in one of the following series:
• Adventure Labs
• Arabia Mountain Adventures
• Geocaching 101
• GeoTour
• Lands Less Visited
• Lithonia's Historic Hike
• Panola Mountain Pathways
• Past and Present Passages
• South River Stroll
Additional Links
Trail Maps and
Landmarks
Learn and
Activities
Tips for Hiking in the Summer Heat
Tips for Avoiding Ticks
Winter Hikes and Winter Wildlife
Waypoints and
Adding or Viewing Coordinates
Trails Map Type Option