STONECREST - “I need to tell people about this.”
That’s the moment Darling Ngoh remembers clearly.
It happened on a quiet hike, not long after he moved to Georgia. He had been studying data science, thinking in patterns and systems, when something in the forest finally clicked. He spotted a mushroom, traced it down to the roots, and saw what he calls “that root mycelium connection.” In that instant, the forest stopped being scenery and started being a network.
“Literally, the mycelium itself is the nervous system… this is how trees are communicating,” he says.
Ngoh, a park ranger at Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area, now spends his time helping others see what’s been there all along. The Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area spans 40,000 acres, with some parts stretching into Henry County, making it a backyard escape many locals don’t even realize they have access to.
But he’s not pointing people to the big sky or towering trees. He’s showing them the quiet world underneath. The one you only notice when you slow down.
“You’re looking at the roots, the stump, the ground. You’re walking a lot more cautiously.”
Darling Ngoh leading a workshop, breaking down the hidden world of fungi and helping others see the forest in a whole new way.
That shift, he says, changes people.
“By the end… they feel really inspired. They say it’s refreshing. They had no idea.”
He’s seen it happen again and again. Kids who start off restless become focused, carefully scanning bark and soil. A group of older hikers once came looking for medicinal answers and left, he says, as “holistic enthusiasts,” sending him follow up emails about natural healing.
Even the skeptics soften.
“Mushrooms just aren’t all bad. They are really cool. They really help us.”
For Ngoh, it’s never just about mushrooms. It’s about connection. To science. To nature. To something bigger that feels, as he puts it, “almost too beautifully designed.”
His own tours are currently paused while he finishes school, but the mountain is still open. Ranger-led hikes continue throughout the week, offering anyone a way in.
“The biggest thing,” he says, “is just get outside… and commune with nature.”
Because once you see it, really see it, you don’t walk through the forest the same way again.
Plan Your Visit
Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area
📍 Address: 3350 Klondike Rd, Stonecrest, GA 30038
📞 Phone: (404) 998-8384
🕒 Hours: Closes soon · 9 PM · Opens 7 AM Wed
🌐 Website: Visit the Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area online for events and guided hikes
📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arabiamountain_nha/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArabiaMountainNationalHeritageArea/