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Sweetwater Creek State Park
Nearby Parks:
Martin Luther King Junior National Historic Site and Preservation District
Pickett's Mill Battlefield Historic Site
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| State Park Contact Information: |
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Sweetwater Creek State Park
1750 Mt. Vernon Road
Lithia Springs, Georgia 30122
Phone: 770-732-5871
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| Adopt-A-Park Contacts: |
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Photography: add your photos
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| State Park Overview: |
| Sweetwater Creek is a peaceful tract of wilderness only minutes from bustling downtown Atlanta. The most popular trail (red) follows the free-flowing stream to the ruins of the New Manchester Manufacturing Company, a textile mill burned during the Civil War. Beyond the mill, the trail climbs rocky bluffs to provide views of the beautiful mile-long stretch of white-water rapids below. The 215-acre George Sparks Reservoir is popular with anglers and provides a pretty setting for feeding ducks and canoeing. Fishing supplies are available in the park?s bait shop, while wildlife and history displays, trail maps, snacks and gift items may be found in the Visitor Center -- the most environmentally responsible building in Georgia (LEED-NC PLATINUM).
Park Hours: 7AM-10PM Daily Visitor Center/Office Hours: 8AM-5PM Thursday through Sunday Trails close at dark; other areas close at dark if not in use. |
| Reviews By Park Visitors: |
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Great Hiking and History
Sweetwater Creek State Park has a little bit of everything. A fun, rugged trail along the rapids of Sweetwater Creek, Civil War Era ruins, Native American history, a reservoir for canoeing, and a Visitor Center that was the first Platinum Leed Certified builing in the Southeast. Be sure to visit their wonderful educational exhibits.
(name not given)
10-Jan-2009
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Breathtaking
This is a beautiful park. The trails are a site to see. It always amazes me how this much beauty can be so near such a busy city like Atlanta. It is a must see.
Written by Tami Lipham
16-Aug-2009
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| Trails: |
| RED (HISTORY) TRAIL
1 mile one way. Blazed red. Rated easy to difficult.
The Red Trail, after half a mile, takes you to the impressive New Manchester mill ruins alongside the white-water rapids of Sweetwater Creek and is the recommended hike for first-time visitors. New Manchester was a mid-nineteenth century mill town which met its demise during the Civil War. A history guide for the Red Trail is available in the Interpretive Center. The second half mile of the Red Trail, downstream of the mill, continues to follow the rapids to the Sweetwater Falls area and is considerably more strenuous because of the very rocky terrain.
The Red Trail is the most frequently used trail in the park because it?s the shortest trail to the mill ruins and best showcases the beauty of the creek valley.
BLUE (NATURE OR NON-GAME WILDLIFE) TRAIL
2 miles one way. Blazed blue. Rated moderate to difficult. A steep climb down to the falls deck.
The Blue Trail intersects with the Red Trail near the overlook of the New Manchester mill ruins at the one-mile mark. This trail was specifically designed to highlight the park?s non-game wildlife and plant communities. The trail winds through several lovely stream coves and follows the ridges overlooking Sweetwater Creek. There is an amazing diversity of habitats here, with many species of wildflowers, ferns, shrubs and trees that make the Appalachian foothills (Piedmont) such a biologically rich and diverse place. The Blue Trail is a quieter alternative to the Red Trail and allows hikers to return to the trailhead via a loop instead of backtracking.
WHITE (NON-GAME WILDLIFE) TRAIL
3 miles one way. Blazed white. Rated moderate to difficult.
The White Trail passes through some of the most remote areas of the park west of Sweetwater Creek. It connects to the end of the Red and Blue trails following the rapids as they continue down the creek. The trail then turns west and follows Jack?s Branch upstream to Jack?s Lake. This stream community has a great variety of spring wildflowers. Hikers will also pass through areas covered with ferns, Bigleaf Magnolias, Wild Azaleas and Mountain Laurel. After climbing out of the lake valley the trail passes through the Jack?s Hill area, a former farming community now known for its open meadows and a favorite of bird watchers.
YELLOW (EAST SIDE) TRAIL
3-mile loop. Blazed yellow. Rated moderate to difficult.
The Yellow Trail is accessed by entering the Red Trail at the bottom corner of the parking area and then turning left after approximately 150 feet. (Look for the yellow blazes.) It then drops into the creek valley and heads upstream to the bridge across Sweetwater Creek. After crossing the bridge the trail turns downstream where, just past the wooden footbridge, you will find a fork in the path. Those wishing for a more gradual ascent up to the ridge are advised to take the trail to the left (clockwise around the loop). This trail passes through some of the most beautiful hardwood forests in the park and has an elevation gain of approximately 350 feet.
As the trail descends through the ravine on the south side of the loop, look for the large rock overhang on the left. Archaeologists estimate that Native Americans used this as shelter for several thousand years. To protect this area do not climb on the slope or the rocks. When the trail leaves the ravine and levels out you will be walking through many dense stands of Mountain Laurel (beautiful in the spring when they bloom). This is also the area where the bricks for the New Manchester mill were made in the late 1840s.The pits are visible from the trail in the winter. |
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| Related Links: |
| Friends of Sweetwater Creek State Park - Discover the most visited state park in Georgia, especially if you are a Civil War buff or love nature. | | Georgia State Parks - Sweetwater Creek State Park - Park Information - Sweetwater Creek State Park Planning Your Visit Find a Park Upcoming Events Accommodations Reservations & Rates Group Gatherings Outdoor Activities Things to Know Newsroom Video Store Golf Courses ... | | Sweetwater State Park - On Sweetwater Creek before the Civil War one of the largest mill towns in Georgia rose, with a post ... Sweetwater Creek State Park County: Douglas City: Lithia Springs The sun rises strong most ... | | Blue and Gray Trail-Introduction - The Civil War in Chattanooga and North Georgia, featuring pages about the attractions and history of ... Welcome Center Lithia Springs Sweetwater Creek State Park Roswell Vickery Creek Trail ... | | Sweetwater Creek State Park-New Manchester Mfg Co - Ghost Town - SWEETWATER CREEK STATE PARK-NEW MANCHESTER MFG CO NAME: Sweetwater Creek State Park-New Manchester Mfg Co COUNTY: Fulton ROADS: 2WD GRID: 3 CLIMATE: Atlanta weather (warm & humid in the summer ... | | Ghost Towns of Georgia - Ghosttowns.com-the best source of information on ghost towns in the U.S. Ghost towns are listed by state & include ... 1 New Ebenezer - 8 Pennington - 4 Sweetwater Creek State Park - 3 Swords - 4 White Sulphur ... | | Sweetwater Creek State Park - Sweetwater Creek State Park Late April, Cheryl and I did a little hiking at Sweetwater Creek State Park near Douglasville, GA. There had recently been a lot of rain, so the creek was very high ... | | GAOC Volunteers at Sweetwater Creek State Park - GAOC Volunteers at Sweetwater Creek State Park Members of the Georgia Orienteering Club gathered at Sweetwater Creek State Park on Saturday, September 28, 2002, to fence off an abandoned well ... | | Special Events - add your site description here ... Club over MLK weekend. GNC-2003 will be held Jan 18-20, 2003, at Sweetwater Creek State Park, west of Atlanta, GA. Events include a two-day, USOF-sanctioned A-Meet ... |
| Directions: |
| Take I-20 west from Atlanta, exit #44 at Thornton Road, turn left and go 1/4 mile. Turn right on Blairs Bridge Road, go 2 miles and turn left on Mount Vernon Road. |
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