Vickery Creek Morning Tour

THIS HIKE IS NOT FOR BEGINNERS, AND WILL BE AT A BRISK-MODERATE PACE

STARTING FROM THE SOUTH PARKING LOT ON RIVERSIDE ROAD.  We will have a nice tour of most of Vickery Creek Trails at a brisk pace,  I hope we can get in 5-5.5 miles for a high D2 event.

We will ascend briefly to the highpoint and wind our way down to the north side of the park and walk along the rushing river. The climax of our hike will be arriving at the covered bridge, Roswell Mill and dam, with a quick touch-and-go view of the spillway (and bathroom break, if needed).  We wlll then return to the parking area and, depending on our progress, have the option to zip across Big Creek to the AllenBrook portion of the unit for another 0.5 miles, or so.

There are bathrooms at Riverside Park, and the covered bridge.

The trail is well marked, but with many intersections, so the group will need to stay in sight of each other.  The footing is generally smooth, with occasional roots and rocks as is typical of the woods.  

Vickery Creek was originally called Cedar Creek, then named after Charlotte Vickery, a Cherokee woman born in 1788. She lived in Roswell and must have seen the expulsion of her people, yet remained in Geogia. Wouldn't it be fascinating to know more about her story??!   It's name became Big Creek after the Civil war.

The creek powered one of the South's most important mills during the 1800s. Supplying textiles for Confederate uniforms, the mill was a primary target for Gen. William Sherman whose troops destroyed the facility during the Civil War. Like the New Manchester Mill in Sweetwater Creek State Park, its workers were captured and exiled north of the Ohio River, and most never returned. Unlike that mill, Roswell mill was rebuilt and used into the 20th century.

How the land was preserved as woods until the '70's is unclear. Then it was consolidated into the Chattahoochee National Recreation Area by President Jimmy Carter and the NPS.  CRNRA is one of the most popular national parks in the country because of its urban access, and has millions of visitors every year.

National Park Map of Vickery Creek 

AllTrails Map of Vickery Creek, with mileage for each trail segment. NOTE:  Our route will be different.

We are meeting at the Riverside Road Parking Lot entrance to Vickery Creek. $5 Parking Pass is needed, or your annual CRNRA pass. Free parking and bathrooms are available up the street 1/10 mile at Riverside Park.

Trailhead physical address:   400 Riverside Road, Roswell Ga. 30075

GPS Coordinates: 34°00'26.5"N 84°21'02.6"W

FREE PARKING and bathrooms across the street at Riverside Park.  $5 Parking passes needed at trailhead.

Volunteer Opportunity:  AOC has adopted the Vickery Creek system for trail maintenance over the next few years, so take note of current trail conditions, and how you might join a trail maintenance project to clean up after some excavation, clear some brush, or feed trail workers, for example.  Which trails need help?  

We will go past a minor re-route, log bridge and gully fill near Oxbow Bridge. An AOC volunteer group completed it in February this year.  It was satisfying work, and safely cordinated by Susan Ferguson and Dave from the NPS. 

Sentinel Trees:  Jonah McDonald identifies three in his book, Hiking Atlanta's Hidden Forests. A large magnolia almost a foot in diameter, a clump of 7 magnolias, and a river birch 8' in circumference.  We might see them all!