Sweetwater Creek - Every Trail Except Blue - D4

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Sweetwater Creek - Every Trail Except Blue - D4

The Basics:

Event Type:

Hike

Event Location:

1750 Mt. Vernon Road, Lithia Springs , GA 30122

Hike: Sweetwater Creek - Every Trail Except Blue - D4

Date(s) & Time:

Sat, Jan 25 2025 8:30 am >> Sat, Jan 25 2025 1:30 pm

Registration Opens:

Fri, Jan 17 2025 6:00 pm

Registration Cut Off:

Fri, Jan 24 2025 4:00 pm

Event Duration:

5 Hours

Difficulty Rating:

D4: Moderate to Difficult

Distance:

12.4 Miles

Pace:

Moderate

Trip Leader(s):

Kip

Email Trip Leader(s)
You must be logged in to get the Trip Leader contact information.

Member Cost:

None

Participant Info:

Who's Invited:

Members Only, 21 And Older Only

Maximum Group Size:

Minimum Group Size:

Number Registered So Far:

1 / 0 (To see who's signed up, log in to the Member Area)

Are Dogs Permitted:

Itinerary:

Yellow and Orange Trails

We will start at the Visitor Center, take the Purple Trail to the bridge and cross over to the Orange Trail. We will hike the entire Orange Trail, which offers views of the creek and the factory ruins from the opposite side during the winter. Orange connects with the Yellow Trail, which leads us down the hillside and along the side of the creek. We will cross the bridge again and return to the Visitor Center for a snack and restroom break.

White, Red, Green and Brown Trails

On the second half of our hike, we will traverse sections of all 4 trails on the Visitor Center side of the creek. As always, we will hike the Red Trail along the creek and past the ruins of the Manchester Manufacturing Company, a Civil War era textile mill. We will also visit an abandoned cemetery on the White Trail near the Park Ranger's residence. We will increase our elevation gain by hiking up the Green and Brown Trails.

We will hike at a pace of 2.8 - 2.9 mph.

This hike is rated as a D4. Due to the rocky terrain on the Red and White Trails and some steep ascents, this is a challenging hike. This hike is not recommend for hikers who have limited or no previous D4 experience.

Please arrive at least 10 minutes early for introductions and hike instructions. We will meet in the parking lot near the walkway to the Visitor Center.

Required Items to Bring:

Water

Good hiking shoes

$5 for parking pass (or annual GA State Park pass)

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

Hiking poles

Snacks

How to Get There:

Event Directions:

Directions to Sweetwater Creek Park -- 1750 Mt. Vernon Rd. Lithia Springs:

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 2 miles and turn left on Mount Vernon Road.
Travel a couple more miles and into the park.
Just after crossing over the lake, look for a sign that says hiking/nature trails, and take a left there (there is a small entry gate on Factory Shoals Rd). Enter at the Factory Shoals gate and continue straight to the end of the road to the parking area.

Notes:

You will need an annual Georgia State Park pass or $5 to purchase a day pass.

The day pass can be paid at the gate (cash only) or you can purchase a pass inside the Visitor Center after the hike.

Annual pass costs are:

Senior (62 or older): $25
Non-senior: $50
Military (active or veteran): $37.50

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

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

Registration for this event opens at 1/17/2025 6:00:00 PM