James H. "Sloppy" Floyd State Park: Marble Mine/Jenkins Gap Short Loop (Blog Hike #933)

Trails: Marble Mine, Jenkins Gap, and Upper Lake Loop Trails
Hike Location: James H. "Sloppy" Floyd State Park
Geographic Location: south of Summerville, GA (34.43914, -85.33462)
Length: 2.3 miles
Difficulty: 6/10 (Moderate)
Date Hiked: April 2023
Overview: A mountainside loop featuring a waterfall at an old marble quarry.
Park Information: https://gastateparks.org/JamesHFloyd
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=933390
Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: 

Directions to the trailhead: From Summerville, take US 27 south 2.4 miles to Sloppy Floyd Lake Road and turn right on Sloppy Floyd Lake Rd.  Drive Sloppy Floyd Lake Rd. south 2.5 miles to the park entrance on the left. Turn left to enter the park, pay the entrance fee, and park at the rear of the parking circle for the picnic area.

The hike: Tucked in the deep valleys of northwest Georgia, James H. "Sloppy" Floyd State Park protects 561 hilly and forested acres at the base of Taylor Ridge.  The park has a more intimate community park feel compared to many state parks, a feeling enhanced by the fact that most of the park's visitors stay near the park's picnic area and lakes.  The park was established in 1973, and it is named for a regionally famous member of the Georgia House of Representatives from this area who served from 1953 through 1974.

            In terms of amenities, the park offers a cozy 25-site developed campground, 4 cottages, 2 playgrounds, and 4 hiking trails totaling 5.8 miles.  The trail system's main attraction is the old marble mine, which sits on the side of Taylor Ridge.  This hike starts with the shortest route to the mine, but then it forms a loop by taking a longer route (but not the longest possible route) back to the trailhead.  On a personal note, with this hike I have now visited and hiked in all 45 Georgia state parks.  While this hike and park are not among my very favorite Georgia state parks, they easily fall within the top half.

Trailhead at picnic area

            From the rear of the picnic area, start by following the Marble Mine Trail, which is marked with orange plastic diamonds.  The trail dips to cross a small stream on a wooden bridge before it splits to form our loop.  For the shortest route to the old marble mine, angle left to stay on the Marble Mine Trail and use the Upper Lake Loop going right as your return route, thus hiking our loop clockwise.

Climbing on the Marble Mine Trail

            The Marble Mine Trail follows what used to be the access road for the old mine.  A moderate climb brings you to the top of a knob, which contains the ruins of an old cement block building.  While I could not find any specific history on this building, logic implies a connection to the old marble mine.

Ruins of cement block building

            Next comes a brief descent to a streamside area, where a left curve begins the final somewhat steep push to the mine.  In total, the mine sits just under 300 feet higher in elevation than the trailhead.  Ignore side trails marked with yellow diamonds and white diamonds; they lead to the park's backcountry camping area and shortcuts for this hike.  The forest here is a nice mixture of beech, hickory, and pines, and the wide trail makes for pleasant if steep hiking.

Old marble quarry

            At 0.8 miles, you reach the old marble quarry.  The sharp cuts in the rock here are clearly not natural, and neither are the deep pits carved into either side.  A small spring-fed waterfall sprinkles over the rim of the old quarry.  A wooden bench invites you to have a rest and snack while you enjoy the scenery and the cool cave-like air on a warm summer day.

Resting at the old quarry

            Just past the old quarry, the trail splits.  Either option at this intersection can form a loop.  The Marble Mine Trail angles left and begins a steep climb to the Pinhoti Trail, a 330-mile backpacking trail that runs atop Taylor Ridge.  Because I was running out of daylight on my hike, I chose to angle right to hike an easier and shorter connector trail marked with white and blue plastic diamonds.  If I had more time, I would have chosen the longer and harder loop involving the Pinhoti Trail.

Starting the connector trail

            After a brief descent, you reach an intersection with the Jenkins Gap Trail at 1.1 miles.  The option going left is another route up to the Pinhoti Trail, and I would have come from the left had I chosen the longer and harder loop earlier.  With the choice I made, I turned right to begin heading back down.

            Marked with blue plastic diamonds, the Jenkins Gap Trail descends moderately with a stream downhill to your right.  Ignore more side trails that exit right.  At 1.6 miles, you pass through a small parking lot about 500 feet before reaching the lower end of the Jenkins Gap Trail at an intersection with the Upper Lake Loop.  Turn right to begin the final leg of this hike on the Upper Lake Loop.

Upper Lake

            True to its name, the Upper Lake Loop goes part way around its namesake lake, and nice views across the lake emerge.  I did some nice wildlife viewing along the lake that included a heron, some mallard ducks, and some turtles.  After 0.5 rolling lakeside miles, you close the loop.  Cross back over the bridge and climb the short hill back to the picnic area to complete the hike.  If you want to do more hiking while you are here, you could also hike the flat and easy Lower Lake Loop Trail, which circles its namesake lake and starts near the park office.