This July 4th, we’re celebrating America’s 250th anniversary by kicking off the Georgia Hi-Lo Trail Challenge. Join us as we get outside, get healthy, and break in our first trail for Washington County. Prizes are available courtesy of REI Athens and other Georgia Hi-Lo Trail partners.
Walk, run, or bike the Trails at Forest Grove Preserve any Saturday between 8:00 AM and 8:00 PM. Every mile you complete counts toward your total. Hit a milestone and qualify for that prize level. The more you move, the bigger the prize you can unlock.
Participants may qualify for multiple milestones, but may win only one mileage prize at their highest qualifying level.
Prizes will be awarded after winners are announced on December 19th. All prizes are courtesy of REI Athens.
A leader board will be displayed at the trail head located at Harper House showing cumulative miles for all participants. See how you stack up against other trail users throughout the season.
Each week during the Georgia Hi-Lo trail Challenge we’ll hide a Hi-Lo Challenge Rock somewhere along the trail. Follow @GeorgiaHiLo for clues. The first person to find it wins the weekly prize, courtesy of REI Athens.
The Trails at Forest Grove Preserve can be accessed from the trail head located at 1430 Bartow Road, Sandersville, Georgia
The Trails at Forest Grove Preserve are open Saturdays from 8am–8pm
The Georgia Hi-Lo Trail Challenge is open to all individuals. Participants must follow all posted trail rules and hours (Saturdays, 8am–8pm).
The Challenge runs from Saturday, July 4, 2026, through Saturday, December 19, 2026. Only miles completed on the Trails at Forest Grove Preserve on Saturdays between 8am and 8pm count toward the challenge.
Walking, running, and mountain biking on designated Trails at Forest Grove Preserve segments all count. Treadmill, road miles off-site, or other locations do not count.
Participants must register and use the official mileage log system (e.g., sign‑in sheet specified by Georgia Hi-Lo Trail). Each Saturday, participants must:
Incomplete or unverifiable entries may be disqualified at the organizers’ discretion.
Milestone levels include 25, 50, 100, 200, and 250 cumulative miles. When a participant hits a milestone, they qualify for that level’s prize drawing. Each participant can win at only one mileage level. The highest level reached determines the category in which they are eligible to win (e.g., if you reach 250 miles, you are eligible to win only in the 250‑mile category). Participants who win at a higher level are removed from eligibility at lower levels to prevent sweeping multiple mileage categories.
A single participant may appear on the leader board and qualify for multiple milestones, but win only one mileage prize category (their highest mileage level).
Weekly Rock Quest prizes are separate and the same person may win multiple Weekly Rock Quests. Georgia Hi-Lo Trail may limit repeat weekly wins (e.g., no more than three weekly rock prizes per person) to spread prizes more broadly, at its discretion.
The leader board shows cumulative miles for all registered participants. Being at the top of the leader board does not guarantee a specific prize, but it strongly influences category winners and high‑mileage recognition. Georgia Hi-Lo Trail may recognize overall top mileage performers separately (e.g., special shout-outs or non‑monetary recognition), aside from the mileage level drawings.
The first participant to find the weekly “Hi-Lo Challenge Rock” and return it to the Trailhead Office during Saturday hours wins that week’s prize courtesy of REI Athens. Limit of one hidden rock prize per person per Saturday. Georgia Hi-Lo Trail staff decisions on the finder and timing are final.
Prizes are donated by REI Athens.
Prizes are non-transferable and may not be exchanged for cash.
Winners may be required to present identification and/or sign a prize receipt and any applicable waivers.
Participants must stay on designated trails, respect other users, wildlife, and property; follow any posted rules and instructions from Georgia Hi-Lo Trail staff.
Georgia Hi-Lo Trail may disqualify any participant for unsafe or inappropriate behavior, falsifying mileage, or violating rules.
Georgia Hi-Lo Trail Inc. reserves the right to clarify or adjust rules, prize structures, or procedures if needed to ensure fairness and safety. Georgia Hi-Lo Trail Inc. may cancel, shorten, or reschedule challenge days due to weather, trail conditions, or other safety concerns. All rule interpretations and winner determinations by Georgia Hi-Lo Trail are final.
