Hike Location: Sweetwater Creek State Park
Geographic Location: east of Douglasville, GA (33.75335, -84.62945)
Length: 4.9 miles
Difficulty: 6/10 (Moderate)
Date Hiked: December 2018
Overview: A loop hike, mostly moderate but with a few short
rocky sections, featuring the New Manchester Mill ruins and cascading
Sweetwater Creek.
Park Information: https://gastateparks.org/SweetwaterCreek
Directions to the trailhead: On the west side of
Atlanta, take I-20 to Lee Road (exit 41).
Exit and drive Lee Rd. south 1 mile to Cedar Terrace Road; there is a
sign for Sweetwater Creek State Park here.
Turn left on Cedar Terrace Rd.
Drive Cedar Terrace Rd. east 0.8 miles to Mt. Vernon Road and turn right
on Mt. Vernon Rd. The signed park
entrance that leads to the Visitor Center is 0.3 miles ahead on the left. Turn left to enter the park, pay the park
entrance fee, and drive the main park road to the parking loop in front of the
Visitor Center.
The hike: More a
river than a creek, interesting Sweetwater Creek flows for 45.6 miles through
western Georgia. The creek rises in
southwestern Paulding County, flows east into Cobb County, then turns south
through Douglas County before emptying into the Chattahoochee River west of
Atlanta. Hiking along Sweetwater Creek
is very enjoyable and very similar to hiking through the Chattahoochee River palisades, which are only a few miles east of here.
Less than 4 miles north of its
mouth Sweetwater Creek bisects its namesake state park, a 2549 acre major
recreation destination on the west side of metro Atlanta. The park features a 215 acre man-made lake
for boating and fishing, 10 yurts, and 7 picnic shelters. The park’s location and amenities make it the
most visited state park in Georgia, so try to plan a weekday or off-season
visit here to avoid the crowds. I hiked
here the day after Christmas with plenty of company on the trail, but I still
had a good hike.
For hikers, the park offers 7
trails totaling 15 miles that explore all areas of the park, but the park’s
best hiking is along Sweetwater Creek.
The park’s most popular trail is the Red Trail, a 1 mile one-way
out-and-back that leads down the creek’s west bank to the New Manchester Mill ruins
and beside some whitewater rapids. This
hike describes the White Trail, which forms a 4.9 mile loop. The White Trail takes you to all of the sites
the Red Trail does, but it avoids some rocky areas, the retracing of steps, and
the major crowds the Red Trail makes you endure.
 |
| Start of White Trail |
The first and only real
route-finding challenge is finding the start of the White Trail. From the information kiosk beside the Visitor
Center that marks the start of the Red Trail, walk behind the Visitor Center
and look for the white carsonite post at the edge of the woods that marks the
beginning of the White Trail. Henceforth
large numbers of white paint blazes and white plastic diamonds keep you on the
right route. The White Trail heads into
the forest, which is dominated by the usual midlands mix of loblolly pine,
beech, maple, and oak.
Almost immediately the White Trail
splits to form its loop at a signed intersection. To get to the scenic creek quickly, this
description angles left and uses the trail going right as its return route,
thus hiking the loop clockwise. The
trail descends into the first of several side ravines that feed into Sweetwater
Creek. These ravines are about 100 feet
deep, but for the most part the trail grades are gradual to moderate. Wooden bridges get you across the side
creeks, and benches provide opportunities to rest if needed.
 |
| Climbing out of a side ravine |
1 mile into
the hike, the Green Trail exits right.
The Green Trail is one of two connector trails that could be used to
reduce this hike’s distance, but this description angles left to stay on the
White Trail. Soon Sweetwater Creek comes
into view for the first time as you approach the mouth of the side ravine.
At 1.1 miles, you reach an
intersection with the Red Trail and the ruins of the New Manchester Mill. Originally called the Sweetwater
Manufacturing Company, the New Manchester Mill opened in 1849 and stood 5
stories tall. The mill produced textile
products until July 9, 1864, when the mill was burned by Union troops in the
Civil War. Today only a partial brick
shell remains, and a black chain link fence keeps visitors away from the ruins
except on guided hikes. Take a few
minutes to read the interpretive signs and view the ruins from the many viewing
platforms that have been built along the trail.
 |
| New Manchester Mill ruins |
 |
| New Manchester Mill ruins, south face |
Both the Red Trail and the White
Trail head south (downstream) from the mill ruins. The two trails come back together less than 1
mile downstream, so you could choose either route. The Red Trail stays closer to the creek, and
it is shorter but rockier. This hike
will stay on the White Trail, which takes a more winding route and explores
more of the side ravines.
After tracing around the next side ravine,
the trail reaches a local high point before beginning the main descent back to
Sweetwater Creek. The descent is gradual
to moderate at first, but the last few hundred feet are rather steep and
rocky. At 1.9 miles, you reach the south
end of the Red Trail. Turn right to
continue heading downstream on the White Trail.
 |
| Big rapid in Sweetwater Creek |
The trail descends a steep set of
wooden steps with a big rapid in Sweetwater Creek visible downhill to the
left. The creek becomes more placid as
you continue downstream, but some rock outcrops may require you to use your
hands to clamber up and over. The sandy
soil under foot here reminds you that this creek is prone to flooding, and the
tall hills on either side of the creek make this area feel like the north
Georgia mountains or the plateau region of eastern Tennessee.
 |
| Placid section of Sweetwater Creek |
At 2.4 miles, the trail curves
right to leave Sweetwater Creek and head up Jack’s Branch. At the midpoint of this hike, you cross the
Brown Trail. Turning right on the Brown
Trail gives a second and final chance to short-cut this hike. This description continues straight to stay
on the White Trail.
The gradual climb up Jack’s Branch
leads to a steep climb up the man-made dam that forms Jack’s Lake. Built in 1972 to be a recreation spot before
the park was formed, Jack’s Lake provides a wetland habitat for a wide variety
of wildlife including frogs, fish, and snakes.
A bench located atop the dam allows you to sit, rest, and observe the
lake via a partially obstructed view.
 |
| Hiking above Jack's Lake |
The trail now joins a wide
two-track path that appears to be an old road as it heads west above the north
side of Jack’s Lake. Due to a dam
reconstruction, lake levels are lower than they used to be, and a thick area of
brush sits between the trail and the water.
Near 3 miles into the hike, the trail curves right and begins the
moderate climb out of Jack’s Branch ravine.
At 3.4 miles, you reach an area
known as Jack’s Hill that marks the highest elevation of the hike. The Brown and Green Trails enter from the
right in that order as the trail assumes a ridgetop course through an old farm
field that is still early in the process of reverting to forest. Some interpretive signs describe the flora
and fauna of this area, and a very informative trail brochure that describes
some of what you will see on this hike is available at the Visitor Center.
 |
| Hiking over Jack's Hill |
3.8 miles
into the hike, the trail joins the gravel driveway for the assistant ranger’s
residence, which it will follow for the next 2000 feet. Watch for the white plastic diamonds and
paint blazes to find where the trail exits the driveway to the right, still
following a wide two-track treadway. At
4.3 miles, you reach the park’s main picnic area. The trail crosses the picnic area loop road
twice and spends most of its distance through the picnic area inside the
loop. This section of trail is
surprisingly quiet and natural-looking considering it passes through a picnic
area.
After
crossing the picnic area loop road the second time, a gradual descent brings
you to the close of the White Trail’s loop.
Turn left to quickly return to the Visitor Center and complete the hike. The Visitor Center offers some interesting
exhibits on the area’s Civil War history and on life at the New Manchester
Mill, so it is worth a visit either before or after your hike.
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