Watson Mill Bridge State Park: South Fork Trail (Blog Hike #182)

Trail: South Fork Trail

Hike Location: Watson Mill Bridge State Park

Geographic Location: north of Lexington, GA (34.02589, -83.07476)

Length: 1.5 miles

Difficulty: 1/10 (Easy)

Dates Hiked: September 2007, March 2015, January 2023

Overview: An easy hike along the South Fork River with good historic value and river views.

Park Information: https://gastateparks.org/WatsonMillBridge
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=720092

Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: 

Directions to the trailhead: From Lexington, take SR 22 north 11 miles to Watson Mill Bridge Road and a brown sign for the park.  Turn right on Watson Mill Bridge Road.  From Comer, take SR 22 3 miles south to this same intersection and turn left.  Drive Watson Mill Bridge Rd. east 3 miles to the park entrance.  Immediately before reaching the covered bridge, turn right onto the campground road.  Park in a small paved pullout on the right immediately after making this turn.  If the pullout is full, you can park in the fisher’s parking lot on the left before reaching the bridge.

The hike: Like much of the land in central Georgia, the land today comprising Watson Mill Bridge State Park has a working history.  The name Watson Mill comes from an old grist mill operated on this site by Gabriel Watson in the late 1800’s.  In 1885, the Watson Mill covered bridge was constructed to carry visitors to the mill from north in Madison County.  Forming the centerpiece of the park, this bridge still stands today and still carries visitors, mostly now by car, from the southern half of the park to the northern half.  At 229 feet long, the Watson Mill Bridge is the longest covered bridge in Georgia still in its original location.

Watson Mill Bridge

            Looking at the area below the bridge, one will be hard pressed to find evidence of the mill’s existence today.  Another industrial site, an hydroelectric power house constructed in 1905 to provide electricity to area mills, remains evident.  Indeed, the dam and raceway located just below the bridge once ensured a reliable supply of falling water to the power plant.  The power house has since been abandoned, but the foundation and raceway can still be seen along the South Fork River just south of the bridge.

            The park today provides 1005 acres of solitude and recreation.  Located just 15 miles east of Athens, the park is close enough to a city to make it accessible to a lot of people but far enough away so that it does not get too crowded.  Several picnic shelters dot the park map as well as a playground for kids, a campground offering both primitive and developed camping, a bridle center with 10 miles of horse trails, and the South Fork River for fishing and wading.  For the hiker, the park offers four trails totaling 5.5 miles.  Hiked together, they provide a nice half day of fairly easy hiking.  While the majority of the trails are north of the river, the park’s most famous trail, the South Fork Trail described here, takes visitors for a quiet, pleasant stroll along the south bank of the river.

Trailhead: South Fork Trail

            From the raft rental shack, head east on the South Fork Trail with the river on your left and the campground road disappearing into the trees on your right.  Immediately you come to a river overlook that provides a nice view of the bridge upstream past the old power plant dam.  For most of its journey through the Piedmont, the river drifts slowly and silently, but for a short section just below the bridge, the river tumbles down some rocky shoals in a pleasant and broad cascade.  Notice also the water flowing over rock hidden by the dense ground cover directly underneath you.

            Continuing downstream, ignore some wooden steps heading across the raceway and down toward the river on your left.  These steps lead to a seldom-used trail that leads through the river bottom.  River views are no better than you will find elsewhere, and the trail is somewhat overgrown making for more uncomfortable hiking.  Instead, remain on the South Fork Trail as it stays on the high ground with the standing water of the raceway on your left and the hillside on your right.

Hiking along the raceway

            At 0.25 miles, where the Holly Tree Trail exits to the right, angle to the left to continue on the South Fork Trail as it begins following an old gravel road.  This old road is actually the access road for the old powerhouse, and you descend to reach that power house at 0.3 miles.  An interpretive sign at the overlook platform gives information and a good view about the power house ruins.  All that remains is a man-made waterfall and the foundation of where the power house used to generate electrical power.

Power house ruins

            Past the power house, the South Fork Trail descends some wooden steps and continues following the river downstream.  Some old white blazes occasionally indicate where the trail goes, but there are not enough white blazes to provide proper guidance and the trail is always wide and recognizable.  Cross a sturdy wooden footbridge and continue through the bottomland broadleaf forest to arrive at the southern end of the Holly Tree Trail at 0.6 miles.  Do not take this trail yet, but continue south on the South Fork Trail.

Hiking above the river

            At 0.8 miles, the South Fork Trail comes out at Pioneer Campground III, a primitive campground.  The gravel campground road forms a loop, and you will need to use the road to continue on the South Fork Trail.  Stay to the left, unless that route would disturb a camper, as the trail reenters the forest on the left after proceeding straight ahead on the gravel road for 40 yards.  Alternatively, you can turn right and then left to traverse the other half of the loop, in which case a right turn into the forest will allow you to continue on the trail.  Try not to disturb campers at these campsites.  After all, if you were camping with your gear and supplies in the woods, would you want strangers wandering around your camp area?

            The South Fork Trail now leaves the river behind and heads south along gentle Big Cloud Creek.  At 1.2 miles, pass underneath an abandoned steel bridge, too rusted and broken down to hold traffic any more, and arrive at a campground parking area in a gravel road.  Directly across the parking area is Pioneer II, another primitive campground.

Abandoned bridge

            The trail ends at Pioneer II, giving the hiker two options.  One option is to retrace your steps along the South Fork Trail, possibly trying the Holly Tree Loop for a change of scenery on your way back.  A shorter but less scenic option involves hiking the campground roads back to your car.  To use this second option, turn right on the gravel road and follow it uphill to the entrance to the developed campground, where the road turns to blacktop.  Bear right and continue a rolling route, first uphill then downhill to return to the covered bridge.  Be careful walking along the blacktop road, as vehicles generally travel well in excess of the posted speed limits.  Either route will return you to the pullout beside the covered bridge to complete the hike.