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Sweetwater Hike Exploring Some Off Trail Sites (Beginners Welcome)




The Basics:
Event Type:Hike
Event Location: Sweetwater Creek State Park   Hike: Sweetwater Hike Exploring Some Off Trail Sites (Beginners Welcome)  National Weather Service Forecast
Date(s) & Time:Mon, Jan 6 2020  10:00 am >> Mon, Jan 6 2020 12:00 pm
Registration Opens: Thu, Jan 2 2020 3:00 pm
Registration Cut Off: Mon, Jan 6 2020 7:00 am
Event Duration:2 Hours
Difficulty Rating:D2: Easy to Moderate (Exploratory)
Distance:4.5 Miles
Pace:Moderate
Trip Leader(s):
Trena
Joyce T.
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Member Cost:None

Participant Info:
Who's Invited: Members Only, 21 And Older Only
Maximum Group Size:15
Minimum Group Size:2
Number Registered So Far: 20 / 0 (To see who's signed up, log in to the Member Area)
Are Dogs Permitted: Yes

Note: This is an "EXPLORATORY" trip. This means that there are parts of this trip, or perhaps the whole trip, that is new to your Trip Leader(s). However, they are confident that this will not be an issue.
This note is here so that you can make an informed decision. When a Trip Leader isn't personally familiar with a trip, there is an increased chance of things not going as planned and you need to be prepared. The Trip Leader may have additional details in the itinerary.

Itinerary:

Winter time when the trees are bare is some of the best time to spot old ruins, old roads and other sites of interest that are totally missed with the summer folage. 

Let’s hike some of the trails at Sweetwater Creek State Park that few people have probably seen.  We will attempt to locate the ruins of a couple old houses that the "locals" refer to as the Beatnik Houses.  We will also visit an old cemetery that few have seen.  Note that it's listed as exploritory not because the trip leader has not been on these trails, but because they are sometimes a little harder to navigate sections off trail.

If we have time, we will also see both the "hidden" lake that's not on trail maps as well as the famous old Mill Ruins.

While we are listing this as a "Beginners Welcome" hike it does involve some bush whacking and beginners might not find this enjoyable.  Our plan is not to do a lot of elevation but there will be some climbing involved - - and off-trail climbing is sometimes steep. 

Because of a glitch in the registration process, we've run into the problem of having too many members added to the active list above the maximum limit of 20.  Please be aware that we will be moving members above 20 registrants to the waiting list in the order of their registration times.  People will then be added to the active list as we have withdrawals.

This hike is located in a State Park so parking will cost $5 or use of an annual GA State Park parking pass. There are bathroom facilities in the Visitor Center near where we will depart along with an outstanding nature and history museum in the Visitor Center if you find that you have arrived early. No cost for the museum beyond the parking fee.  


Required Items to Bring:

Water

Snacks

Recommended Items to Bring:
Use our Event Checklists to make sure you have everything you need.

Hiking Poles if you like to use them


How to Get There:
Event Directions:

1750 Mount Vernon Rd, Lithia Springs, GA 30122

Coordinates for the Parking Lot are 33.753299, -84.628643

Directions

Take I-20 West Direction towards towards Douglesville, GA for approximately 7 miles past I-285 (you will pass Six Flags Over Georgia on your left)

Take Exit 41 for Lee Road and turn left towards Lithia Springs

After 1 mile, Take Left onto Cedar Terrace Road

After 0.8 miles take Right onto Mount Vernon Road

After 0.3 miles Turn Left onto Factory Shoals Road

After Parking Pay Station, proceed straight ahead and follow signs to Visitor Center (approximately 0.6 mile)


Notes:

Trail Map for Sweetwater Creek Trail:

https://gastateparks.org/sites/default/files/parks/pdf/trailmaps/SweetwaterCreek_TrailMap.pdf


* We encourage all members to follow our Etiquette Guidelines while participating in AOC events.


Cancellation/Partial Attendance:   Please review the AOC cancellation policy.