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Sweetwater Creek State Park: Red and White Trail loop hike
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Sweetwater Creek Rapids (c) Nathan Sears
WHO: Everyone, a good introductory hike for beginners, but challenging enough and scenic enough for experienced hikers.
WHAT: 4-mile Loop Hike
WHEN: Year Round
WHERE: Sweetwater Creek State Park
WHY: to take a great loop hike just minutes outside Atlanta
Looking for a nice loop hike by a raging river and a peaceful lake, where flora and fauna abound, but don’t have the time (or money) for a trip into the mountains? Then take a trip to Sweetwater Creek State Park west of downtown Atlanta off of highway I-20. The best loop in the park is a combination of the red and white trails for four miles of easy to moderate hiking.
This hike begins and ends at the parking area for the Platinum LEED certified visitor center. If you have time before your hike you should take a minute and tour the visitor center. This will give you some background on the area, its historical sites, and the plant and animal life in the park. Or, check out this article by Atlanta’s Outdoor Examiner for a nice, quick historical background of the area.
Start off your hike on the Red Trail. This trail starts off relatively easy and quickly makes its way to Sweetwater Creek. The trail follows the river closely throughout its entirety and affords encompassing views of the rivers many rapids. At the half mile point you will come to the historic Civil-War era mill ruins that are a central attraction of the park. Take a moment to read some of the interpretive signs regarding the ruins and then continue down the steps back towards the river.
As the trail continues the terrain becomes more rugged and slightly more challenging, especially for inexperienced hikers, butis still only of moderate difficulty. Follow the Red Trail to the “Falls” overlook. These falls are actually a class IV-V set of rapids, but are still quite impressive for their power. After the falls continue on to the junction of all three trails. While you can take the right fork for the Blue Trail, go left and follow the White Trail back down to the river.
The White Trail gives a taste of everything the park has to offer and highlights many of man‘s impacts on the area. The first section of the trail continues along Sweetwater Creek much as the Red Trail, though after the falls the river calms considerably.
At Jack’s Branch the trail bends west, leaves the river and begins to follow this small tributary into woods of the park. The trail follows closely to Jack’s Branch and brings you to Jack’s Lake. As you come to the lake you will hear the falling water of a nearby waterfall. There is a short path to your left that takes the edge of a short drop where you can look down on the falls. These falls are where the man-made lake breaches the dam which was constructed prior to the parks creation.
As you continue on the trail begins to rise above the lake. Keep an eye out for a downed tree in the middle of the lake. There are typically numerous turtles sunning themselves here. Next, the trail turns northeast and climbs to the Jack’s Hill Area, an old agricultural field which has been reclaimed for wilderness. This is a great place to see the various birds and even some of the white-tailed deer that call the park home.
As the hike winds down you cross main park road twice, pass several picnic shelters, and a playground. The hike ends at the park visitor center and parking lot.
View Atlanta Hiking Examiner Maps in a larger map
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