Evening Hike at Sope Creek - - Starting at Sope Creek Elementary School

This will be a moderately paced hike,  keeping a "healthy" pace, but not a killing one. If you're brand new to hiking, you might best start on a flatter trail.  But if you've done some of the more challenging D1 hikes, this would be a good one to move up to.  PLEASE NOTE:   We're going to park at the Sope Creek Elementary School lot, about 1/4 mile down Papermill Road from the official park entrance.  Park at the end of the lot farthest from the traffic light entrance.   The lot at Sope Creek is large . . .  and it's FREE!  So we'll gather there and enter the park through a little path off Papermill Road.

We'll be taking off at 6 pm, so arrive 10 minutes early to meet your fellow hikers.  Our trek will take us from Sope Creek into the Cochran Shoals area; then, we'll make our way back into the Sope Creek section. 

We'll hike for about 2 hours, getting in a little over 5 miles.  Some of the trails are hilly and rocky, but if you're up for the distance and can handle moderate elevation gain, you should be able to manage this hike. This is NOT a fitness hike, so we'll stop as needed for views of the river, water, or just for a breather. 

The Sope Creek Elementary School parking lot is on Papermill Road, about 1/2 mile past the Sope Creek bridge, on your left. If you're coming from I-75 on Papermill, it will be on your right at the traffic light at Shadowlawn Road.  The address is 3320 Papermill Road, Marietta, GA. Park at the far east end of the lot, to the left of the school.

If you bring your dog, it should be able to keep up with the group and interact well with other dogs and people. The Chattahoochee NRA requires that owners keep their dogs on a leash and clean up after their pets on the trails. Please be willing to keep your dog on leash out of consideration to other hikers, because it's the law and because the reputation of the AOC is damaged when members break the leash law.

Limit of 3 dogs, please!

Sope Creek Elementary School Parking Lot (Paper Mill Road)

Latitude: 33.935803 |  Longitude: -84.453363

3320 Paper Mill Rd SE
Marietta, GA

Directions: Take Interstate 75 North out of Atlanta to Windy Hill Road (exit 260). Turn right on Windy Hill Road, and then left on Powers Ferry Road. At the intersection of Powers Ferry and Terrell Mill Road, take a right on Terrell Mill. Take a right on Paper Mill Road; the elementary school entrance is approximately 1/2 mile further on Paper Mill Road on the right (at the traffic light).

From Johnson Ferry Road, cross the river going North; turn left at the Paper Mill Road intersection, past the Columns Drive light.  Stay on Paper Mill as it winds along to the Sope Creek bridge.  Once you cross the bridge, go to the traffic light (about 1/2 mile from the bridge) and turn left into the parking lot..

If you're traveling south on Johnson Ferry Road, turn right at Paper Mill Road and proceed according to the directions above.

Trail Map - http://www.nps.gov/chat/planyourvisit/upload/TrailMapSopeCreek.pdf

No bathroom facilities at this location, but the trees and bushes provide good cover!

3320 Paper Mill Rd SE, Marietta, GA 30067, USA
Latitude: 33.935803 |  Longitude: -84.453363