Art walks and sculpture gardens aren’t incredibly unique, but Constitution Lakes Park on Atlanta’s south side has one of the more bizarre examples.
Doll’s Head Trail is exactly what it sounds like: a trail head with dolls’ heads, among other body parts.
Those who hike from the Constitution Lakes Park trailhead deep into the woods down the paved path will eventually come upon a small loop decorated in a variety of weird and intriguing pieces of art featuring electronics, fishing gear, and antique toys.
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It was started in 2010 by Joel Slaton, a local carpenter, who would explore the park and unearth all kinds of abandoned objects, including many doll parts in a pit and in the nearby river. The original source of these dolls remains a mystery, but it was an intriguing find. Instead of throwing them away, he combined the treasures he found into new pieces of art and created a makeshift trail in the middle of the woods. As this creative yet creepy attraction gained attention, Slaton eventually received permission from DeKalb County to maintain the trail.
“It kind of snow-balled through social media and word-of-mouth,” he said. “It’s been really neat the way it’s held its own.”
Today, the trail is kept up by volunteers who ensure guests don’t bring in anything offensive. However, they are invited to create and contribute their own pieces of art using discarded objects found at the park. This helps preserve the park’s natural beauty while also promoting its edgy accessories.
“For every piece that’s on the trail—we’ve taken 100 pieces of garbage out,” said Slaton in an interview with the Rails to Trails Conservancy. “People are helping to maintain the trail and collect trash. The South River comes out of Atlanta; every time there’s a big rain all this plastic debris is lodged into the undergrowth. People pick it up. People have pulled tires out of the river and stacked them out [on their own]. People see what needs to be done out there, and they do it.”
Constitution Lakes Park is located in Atlanta at 1305 S. River Industrial Blvd. SE. It’s open all week. For more info about the Doll’s Head Trail, go to atlantatrails.com.
This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Doll’s Head Trail is creepy spot at Constitution Lakes Park in Atlanta
