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Sweetwater Creek - D4




The Basics:
Event Type:Hike
Event Location: Sweetwater Creek State Park   Hike: Sweetwater Creek - D4  National Weather Service Forecast
Date(s) & Time:Fri, Nov 24 2023  9:00 am >> Fri, Nov 24 2023 1:30 pm
Registration Opens: Wed, Nov 1 2023 1:00 pm
Registration Cut Off: Fri, Nov 24 2023 7:00 am
Event Duration:4 Hours 30 Minutes
Difficulty Rating:D4: Moderate to Difficult
Distance:11 Miles
Pace:Moderate
Trip Leader(s):
DavidV
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Member Cost:None

Participant Info:
Who's Invited: Members Only, 21 And Older Only
Maximum Group Size:10
Minimum Group Size:2
Number Registered So Far: 6 / 0 (To see who's signed up, log in to the Member Area)
Are Dogs Permitted: No

Itinerary:

Join me for 11 miles of hiking at Sweetwater Creek State Park - where history and pop culture meet with some beautiful hiking trails. 

We’ll begin our hike on the White trail, which will take us through the Jack’s Hill area (a former farming community). We’ll pass Jack’s Lake and hike along a lovely branch creek to Sweetwater Creek. Here we’ll take a hard left up the short but fierce Brown trail to get some elevation gain. We’ll be doing some zig zagging on the White and Green trails to finally reach the Red trail that runs along Sweetwater Creek. That will take us up to the Manchester Mill ruins. This mid-19th century textile mill has more recently been featured in the Hunger Games movies. 

After taking the White trail up to the Visitor Center for a short break and snack time, we will head out on the Yellow trail (more elevation gain), veer off on the Orange trail and back to the Yellow trail, returning to the Visitor Center.

The Red trail will take us across some rocky terrain so if you’re not comfortable scrambling across rocks, you may want to sit this one out. I will maintain a roughly 3 mph pace for the hike so be prepared to maintain this pace. We’ll need to stay fairly close together as there are a lot of turns on these trails. The elevation gain will be approximately 1500 feet. This is a long solid D4 hike so please be ready with good hiking boots and enough water (you can refill at the Visitor’s Center on our break). I ask that you have solid D3 and up experience.

Sweetwater is a beautiful park with lots of history. If time allows after the hike, I encourage you to visit the excellent history and nature center.

We'll meet in the parking area for the Visitor Center. Please arrive early to allow time for a pit stop if needed (there are restrooms here) and introductions. There are also restrooms across the parking lot in stand-alone building.

Note: There is periodic maintenance at the park, and if trails are closed, we will need to modify our route.

 

Sweetwater map w 
directions


Required Items to Bring:

Good hiking boots
Water
GA State Parks pass (day or annual), please purchase before the event.

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

Hiking poles
Suncreen
Insect repellent
Snacks


How to Get There:
Event Directions:

Directions to Sweetwater Creek State Park

  • 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 1.6 miles and turn left on Lynch Rd, then left on Mount Vernon Rd.
  • After approximately a mile you'll cross over the George H. Sparks reservoir, take the next left onto Factory Shoals Rd. The ticket booth is now located about half a mile down the road. Continue straight to the end of the road to the parking area.

***Do not use 1750 Mt. Vernon Rd for your directions. It may take you to the edge of the reservoir.

 

Notes:

$5 day pass or $50 annual pass. Both can be purchased on site or online. Day pass can be purchased at the kiosk in the parking area. You can also check out a Georgia State Parks pass at most public libraries. (But it's a good thing to support the parks and pay for a pass).

 

Special thanks to Joyce B. for this excellent write-up!


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


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