Sweetwater Creek White Loop

Sweetwater Creek State Park offers a breath of fresh air and beautiful sights only 15 miles from Atlanta. The park has 9 miles of trails to choose from. The shortest of the three trails is the Red Trail (1 mile, one-way). After a half mile you will arrive at the impressive 5 story New Manchester Mill ruins. New Manchester was a mid-nineteen century mill town that was burned down in the Civil War. These ruins appeared in the Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 when Jennifer Lawrence leaves District 13 to go hunting. After the mill you will continue south along the creek until you dead end into the white trail.

From here you can decide to turn back the way you came or complete the White Trail Loop. The White Trail is a 5 mile loop (you have already completed 1 mile on the Red Trail at this point) that highlights the park's wildlife and plant communities. Along this trail you will have opportunities to bird watch, enjoy the views of Jack's Lake, and learn about the different types of vegetation that are all clearly marked with signs along the way.

If you want to go on a hike that is in between these two distances there is a Green Trail that effectively cuts the White Trail loop in half making a 3 mile loop option. Between these three trails there are many other combinations of routes to take during your hike in Sweetwater Creek State Park.

Be sure to bring $5 cash for a parking pass or you can buy an annual for pass for all of the Georgia's State Parks for $50.