Panola Mountain is an 100 acre granite outcrop located near Stockbridge, GA on the border of Henry County and Rockdale County. It rises 946ft above sea level. It is similar to Stone Mountain and Arabia Mountain but smaller and has not been quarried at all. Because of the pristine state of the outcrop, visitors must register for guided hikes in order to see the top of the mountain. It is part of the Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area and was designated a National Natural Landmark.
Granite outcrops are formed through the intrusion of molten granite into rock below the surface. Over millions of years, erosion has removed the overlying rock which exposes the granite and creates granite outcrops like Panola and Stone Mountain. Stone Mountain, Panola Mountain, and Arabia Mountain are all within fifteen miles of each other but each is a separate form of granite which reveals that they are all different types of rock intrusions. Weathering affects these outcrops and produces specific rock patterns. The most common one is exfoliation which is when exposed outcrops break into parallel sheets. Environmental conditions on these outcrops are much different from the surrounding forest. Temperatures are higher and evapotranspiration is much lower. Most precipitation runs off. Granite outcrops are described as “islands of desert embedded in a sea of deciduous forest” (Wyatt, 2005).
Atop of Panola Mountain, you can find solution pits, or vernal pools, which are shallow depressions that temporarily fill with water, supporting endemic species and gradually building up a soil harbour. There are unique species that only exist on these Piedmont granite outcrops and specifically in these solution pits. Eventually these pits will be filled with vegetative communities. It will take over 1000 years for bare rock to transition into a oak-pine-hickory forest.
It sits within Panola Mountain State Park, which encompasses Panola Mountain as well as Vaughters Farm which is located 7 miles away. There is a nature center at the Highway 155 entrance along with picnic shelters and a playground. There is a Lakeside Area around 45-acre Alexander Lake, with a path surrounding it as well as a rentable Pavilion. There are 35miles of trails throughout the park. There is also an archery range and hike-in primitive campsites. Vaughters Farm was the last operating dairy farm in DeKalb County and remains preserved as a historical site.
Bibliography
Panola Mountain. (2020, August 28). Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panola_Mountain
Panola Mountain State Park. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://gastateparks.org/PanolaMountain
Wyatt, R. E., 2005. Granite Outcrops. Retrieved from https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/geography-environment/granite-outcrops/