Have you heard others mention going to “The Pocket”? As a recent transplant, The Pocket sounds like a secret location that only locals know of. It reminds me of “locals only” beaches in other states. The Rome Georgia with Kids team decided it was time to investigate this “pocket.” Here’s what we found…
Photo Credit: When in Rome
The Pocket was created between 1938 and 1942 by the Civilian Conservation Corps. The CCC was a program created to help aid families during the Great Depression. Men, ages 17-28, were offered jobs working on the local lands in exchange for shelter, food, and a small monthly salary. This is when the trails, bridges, and creek walls would have first been installed. If you visit today you will see the creek and swimming hole have been lined with rocks to help keep erosion down. I am sure those have been updated over the years, but this effort in the 40s would have been the start of the project! This group also worked on the neighboring Keown Falls and Johns Mountain trails.
In the present day, The Pocket has a large picnic pavilion, a 2.5-mile loop trail, a swimming hole, and camping spaces! The Pocket is about 45 minutes north of Rome, in the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests. When visiting The Pocket you will need to pay for parking and camping, check the USDA Forest Service website for current rates (around $5). The campsite does not have electricity but does have drinking water and bathrooms available. The site can get fairly busy on the weekends, and the Forest Service does not take reservations for campsites, so plan to get there early to snag your camping space. The camping season for The Pocket is April- October.
This cute little oasis is a perfect place to take a family with kids of all ages. It’s a fun way to get out of the city for a day without breaking the bank! Pack a picnic lunch, take the dogs on a hike and you could even stop in nearby Dalton for dinner on the way home!
What others have said about The Pocket:
They have recently started charging a $5 parking fee for the day-use areas. There is also a campground but it’s on first come and no online reservations. Also, there is no cell signal after you get closer to the area. So plan ahead if you meet others as they won’t be able to contact you if you there first. -MJ Williams
We love it out there. Take a hammock and a picnic let the kids play in the water! -Crystal Byars
We have visited The Pocket for many years. Hiking. Sitting back watching the now-grown kids play in the creek when they were small. We used to get watercress from the creek to cook. Kids enjoyed scavenging hunts to see what they could collect. It has changed a lot since then. Camping and hiking. Walking up to the falls and then driving on up to Johns Mtn. Beautiful scenery. -Kay Tucker
