Sweetwater Creek State Park

One of my favorite parks to go hiking on. Has a variety of different trails that each have there perks. The white trail is a long loop that is very easy for everyone to do. The red trail has the best scenery and has an easy section that shows the historical sites within the park, however the second half can be difficult but worth it for the views by the river. The orange trail will give you a good workout with all the uphill there is. The yellow trail is a more moderate orange trail, but still a slight challenge. There are more smaller section that are a nice enjoyable view and hike. Every trail is marked really well making it rather difficult to get lost. As a word of caution, the trails are not paved, so do bring good foot wear.

Beautiful lake with so many amazing trails to hike. This place is a gem in Douglas county that I’ve had the pleasure of making memories for 2 decades and counting. Only negative thing I can say is how GA DNR has absolutely neglected this lake as far as re-stocking fish. The fish population is practically nonexistent. With daily ticket prices rising to $10 for admission, GA DNR needs to do better with restocking the lake with fish.

My daughter and I love taking our dog to walk the trails. Its a great way to get exercise while enjoying beautiful scenery and take some amazing pictures.

First time visiting this park and it was a great experience! Cheap and easy parking right by trails starts. There are maps with estimated times for each trail. Trails were clearly marked and indicated if a trail got more difficult. The moderate area of trails were a lot of fun with just a little bit of a challenge. Incredible sites and views are just stunning. On top of all of that, it's dog friendly (leashes required)

Sweetwater Creek State Park is a gem. The trails are beautiful, well-marked, and offer a great mix of scenery—from peaceful woods to the rushing creek and even historic ruins. It’s the perfect place for a hike, a picnic, or just to get a break from the city without driving too far. If you plan on cooling off in the creek, definitely bring water shoes—it makes splashing around way more fun and comfortable. The park is well-maintained, parking is easy, and there’s enough variety in the trails to keep both casual walkers and more serious hikers happy. One of the best outdoor escapes in the area.

Love this state park. Trails are marked nicely and the views are beautiful. You can fish, camp and just relax from so many areas within the park. The restrooms within the main day use area by the paddle rentals could use some attention (smelled worse than a men’s urinal) which is very atypical for GA state parks. Aside of this, the park, views, accessible parking, and ability to fish and enjoy are all wonderful and worth the experience.

Great park with well-marked trails and plenty of parking. I just wish the parking wasn’t so expensive—it’s going to double on January 1st.

Probably one of my favorite places to hike! Mixed assortment of trails ranging from single track dirt, sand, bridges, stairs, deck walkways, gravel access roads, rocks & roots, and large boulders! Strenuous and technical wrapped up together into one awesome place!

Sweetwater is my usual hiking spot, I've been hiking here for years. Beautiful forest, rivers, and all around views. If you're able to hike during a weekday you'll have most of the grounds to yourself. The weekends can be crowded but the more difficult hiking trails will still provide you with some quiet if that's what you're looking for. A beautiful and scenic place to hike or meditate.

Thank you to Ranger Fox for a fun night time hike- she gave us a tour of the New Manchester Manufacturing ruins. She's studied the history so we got an in-depth tour. Plus we stopped along the way to tell us about nocturnal animals we saw along the way. Ranger Fox is enthusiastic and enjoys sharing her broad knowledge. Made for a fun Saturday night outing!

Great park! Lots of options and good views. Cool historical mill. The red line trail does get a bit hard and I wouldn't recommend it for anybody with kids/dogs/bad knees etc. yellow trail is easy !

Sweetwater Park is my favorite spots to relax, I would come here right after school, work, being at home, anytime I could honestly it's so peaceful to me. You would always catch me being here with or without someone. I can hike, walk, run, have picnics, bbqs, or just chill on my hammock while I listen to music. They have a lot of trails and just secrets peaceful spots to chill at. Recommend coming here on your next chill day !

In the site, it states that there's a playground on site & we even stopped a worker on a bike that was directing us to the playground.. and if he didn't know that then???

Came out and enjoyed the day on the water! Only thing I can say didn't know there would be pay to park but only $5 so not to terrible. I would recommend and will be back out for sure. They have yurts as well.

I love this trail so much. It's such a great hike. I haven't gone in years and it felt so good to be back out in nature. The water has risen substantially since the last time I was there. So much so that apart of the red trail is covered by the river. I also love that there was a decent amount people. I didn't feel so alone. Sweet water Creek will always be a favorite for me.

Close to the house and relaxing! Beautiful scenery and laid back environment. I'll definitely be back.

It's a great place to visit and stay awhile! I love this park because the trails are clearly marked and the hikers are quite friendly.

Earth Day! What a great way to spend Earth Day at Sweetwater Creek State Park. This is one of our favorites. Today a strong group of eight hikers did 12 miles here. We covered the white, red, brown, orange, yellow, and blue trails; some twice! All trails are well marked with color codes. Easier hikes are available. Most of the trails have views of the large creek running through the park. The red trail is busiest and has the historic mill ruins, beyond the ruins the trail gets tricky with some rock hoping. Brown trail has lots of elevation. Orange, yellow, and blue trails are on the other side of park (cross pedestrian bridge to get there) and this side of the park is less busy. All in all great hiking here. See my pics for more details. The visitor center is well staffed and has map of the trails mentioned above. First place to stop on a visit here. Restrooms at the visitor center. Closest state park to Atlanta and very popular. Small entrance fee ($5) to park. Today we only hiked, but lots of other things at this park described in their website. Definitely worth a stop here.

Today our little girl hiked the white trail with portions of the challenging billy goat trail along sections of the Sweetwater creek, and she managed to hike her age in miles on her tiny little legs. Two years ago she we visited for the first time and we barely managed a mile and a half and this with me carrying her on my shoulders. Today we are proud parents and look forward to continuing the outdoor adventures with her. It's fun to see this type of process. Thankfully we packed plenty of fluids and snacks to entice her to keep going on this crisp, sunny, Winter afternoon. However, we also did not plan on traveling this long. After all, in the morning I had already run 18 miles and was a little tired. However, after moving along the trail for 2.5 miles we realized that we were way off course. We took the brown trail short cut and found the White trail once again. It was a joyous hike. All of the little traverses of rock and roots kept her entertained. It was when we were back on the normal hike-able path that things got interesting towards the end. However, after a few parental mind tricks, we were well on our way back to the car. In the park was also an orienteering event. Runners searching the trails for electronic check boxes. Pretty cool. Nicole and I shared a beer at the end was a nice treat. We loved our time back here. Look forward to doing it again.

Love this place and its trails. Beautiful view and great moderate trails. Very instagrammable. My only problem has been the crap load of snakes but it's nature, it lives there lol so just mind your step and keep your eyes and ears open and you'll be fine.

$5 to park, there aren't any specific trail markers when you get there so go in the visitors center and ask for a map. The red trail leads you to the water, once you get on the trail the markers are clear. I took the red trail great views of the water, if you want even better views you'll have to climb into the river. The trail does get a bit difficult for some at some points but it's great!

Beautiful and serene spot to just get away from. Very nice and peaceful. Great walking trails as well.

This is one of my favorite hiking spots in Georgia. Great for the entire family including dogs. I love the workout station that there and all of the trails. There's fishing and a few other water activities as well. It's definitely worth the trip.

Absolutely breathtaking area!! This is the place to go to see the leaves change in the fall!!

This was the perfect place to visit for some outdoor exercise for not much money at all. I was surprised to hear that there were several levels for various hiking level enthusiasts. I am certainly the yellow trail person (gotta visit to see what I'm talking about). Fun for the entire family and there are tours that occur there so sign up, learn and get exercise at the same time.

It was so beautiful. The water was a little cold a little warm, but it was amazing. I loved it so much and my daughter she's a Torian. She loved it too. She said it was the best day of her life. She loved it so much send for me my husband brought the boat and we went on a boat ride. That was amazing too. Me and my daughter swam too.

(As seen on @sydneyyrhodess Tiktok) This was my first time at Sweetwater Creek and I absolutely enjoyed it. I loved seeing all the families and friends out on the water and rocks having picnics and just enjoying nature. I loved site seeing and bird watching. We saw some pretty cool birds while there but we were notified that there are tons of snakes so be ware and keep that in mind when you bring your pets! Other than that I would definitely recommend checking it out. There are fishing holes, camp grounds, trails, and a spot to actually swim in the creek. We went on a week day (Tuesday to be exact) so it was pretty chill but a few folks did tell us that it's extremely packed on the weekends so plan your trip accordingly!

Beautiful well-maintained trails. Fun rock hopping in the scenic river. Often busy on weekends.

This is one of my favorite state parks - a fact that surprised me when I first visited as its close to the city and isn't in the mountains. Despite that, though, the trails here are gorgeous traveling along the river. They have many trails so you can do a short hike just along the most popular portions, or extend for a longer hike to reach more private areas of the park. The ruins are of course an attraction for many and they are very cool. To go inside the ruins you simply need to sign up for a tour with a park guide - which is completely free. The guides also point out other interesting facts about the park, including where Katniss fired an arrow in some memorable Hunger Games scenes as several scenes were filmed here. This park does get VERY busy, particularly in the summer time so I recommend getting there early if you don't want to have to walk a ways from one of the many overflow parking lots. All in all, though, I find this to be one of the most enjoyable parks I've visited (and we visit A LOT of state parks) and would highly recommend!

It was the best time they have a lot of trails. The river and the lake was beautiful.

One of my favorite places to hike especially in the Fall. The trails are well marked, the rangers are knowledgeable and friendly. And the hikers have such good trail etiquette. Sweetwater is good for the beginner and the advanced hiker. It's great alone and with friends.

I came here for the waterfall. I was inspired and in great need of fresh air. I wanted to explore after the lock down and hiking seemed safe enough. There were a lot of people there when we arrived. Despite that, there was plenty of parking and the majority of people were wearing masks. I liked that there are maps posted throughout the different trails. It's frequently traveled and safe. There are some steeper parts, but people of all ages were able to get through the hikes. As I said earlier, I came for the waterfall. It took us about 30 minutes to walk there. Other hikers were gracious and helping us find our way to the waterfall. Once we got there we saw different families with children, teenagers, and couples taking a dip in the river. The weather was beautiful and it was nice to see everyone enjoying the great outdoors. I'm still not sure how they got there, I'm sure if we kept walking around we would've found an entrance but we decided to stay on land. The hike is definitely beginners level and I would definitely recommend it for anyone seeking a light challenge, and/or looking for a nice little view. Next time we go will probably bring our puppy.

It's good hiking spot. good hiking spot We got there about 8:40am, the parking lot is almost full, people were still keeping coming. From visit center we started the red trail to see the New Manchester Mill historic site, it was worth to take a look at the 1846 cotton mill. The the trail is merged with white trail, it's fun to hike along the creek. Even the name says it's creek, but at this point, plenty of water makes it river. At turn of the trail, it becomes Jake's Lake. At this moment, a lot of Persian Silk tree blossom with pink silk flowers along the lake. the first half is rocky, second half is flat. Total is about 5 miles. The visit center is closed.

We came here on a Saturday and it was not as crowded as I thought it would be. We paid our $5 parking fee at the gate ($50 for an annual pass) and found a spot close to the trail head. There are multiple trails that range in distance and difficulty at the park. They are all clearly marked with colored markers. There is a visitors center where you can get maps, information, and use the restroom before embarking. We did the red trail which takes you along the river and is about 2 miles round trip. The trail starts off easy and the path is wide. There are numerous sites along the way including the historical mill. I was bummed that you could not walk around the ruins as it was fenced off. After the mill, the trail gets a little harder with some rocky parts and some elevation gain. You can access the creek all along the way. We switched to the white trail for the way back and our 6 and 8 years old enjoyed all of it!

Love coming to this park to enjoy the beautiful sceneries and the small river. There's a few trails to follow in the park as well.

My dogs Chloe and Charlie love sweetwater. One of their favorite places to be! I'll happily buy a season pass every year bc it's such a great park and facility. Extremely clean and everyone is very friendly.

Huge park with multiple spots to park. Great for fishing, picnicking, or just enjoying nature.

Sweetwater Creek is like a good book, it has something new/different for you every time you come back to it. I've hiked it solo, with my husband, with our dog, with a group of friends. For such a scenic area, it is only about 20 minutes West of Atlanta, so it makes for a great easy morning/afternoon excursion. Fun fact - a lot of movies, including the Hunger Games, were filmed here! There are several different trails you can choose from depending on how much time you have and the difficulty you are looking for. But there aren't any trails that will stump even a novice - this is family friendly, dog friendly hiking area. Nice visitor center with clean restrooms and lots of parking. What are you waiting for, get outside!

I saw a group of women on another app set up a meet and greet to do the yellow trail at this park and decided to tag along with my kids. We got there shortly before 9am on a warm July morning and initally went into the area for the bait house and lake. Once we got a map to the area with the trails it was pretty easy to figure the rest of it out. We did the Yellow trail, which took a little less than two hours. It wasn't some spectacular view and there was an incline close to the end of the trail, but I wouldn't rank it as particularly difficult. It was a beautiful day and to spend it with my kids was a great adventure. I think its $5 to park, but son is in the military so I think we got a $2 discount on the parking. about 20 mins from my house in SW Atlanta, so I think I'd definitely go back and do the other trails.

Beautiful views and sights. I take my dog out for a walk at least 3 times a week. She loves every second of it.

Please read this before going it's important. I love this park it is among my favorite in the state. The fishing is great and kayaking there is always serene. The trails are always enjoyable and have still yet to hit all of them. You can make multiple trips and see a different part of the park every time. BE VERY MINDFUL OF SNAKES IN THE WARMER SEASONS!!!!! I have seen numerous snakes here of all species through the years. They are here there is no doubt you should be very aware of where you are stepping when getting close to the water. I have personally seen cottonmouths and water moccasins which are 2/3 of the most dangerous snakes in this state. I cannot stress enough that you need to be careful and take precautions to avoid them. I always where snake guards when fishing in or by brush here. If you have kids do not let them play by rocks by the river with low currents that is where the water moccasins/cottonmouths hide under I have seen it with my own eyes. This is a truly wonderful park but please not come here without accepting the fact you may run into very dangerous snakes when in warmer seasons. I hope you enjoy this place as much as I do!

The visitor center was very educational n I enjoyed reading everything...Go to their bathroom n check out the compost toilet lol We took the yellow trail n the scenery around the new Manchester mill ruin was beautiful...It was an easy walk, not much hiking on that particular trail I really liked how the different trails are color coded. My friend bought a $50 annual park pass (multiple Georgia state parks) n when we were leaving, she received $5 parking refund cuz parking is exempt for park pass holders :)

Gorgeous park on the water... awesome trails and beautiful place to picnic! Love spending my outdoor time here. Serene!

I went on a hike here on Sunday so fun, the history of the old Manchester Mill house. They have different routes depending on how deficient you'd like to hike. You can get into the creek with little to no hiking from various parts. It was a lot of people but still felt very private. Shaded hike because all the trees. Only 5& to park and you can do so much. Dog friendly kid friendly people friendly. Def a challenging hike if you pick to go the difficult route which was also fun.

Favorite place for a long or short hike, mainly because of the beautiful creek you get to view along the way. Our two year son especially loves looking for the diamond shaped trail markers on the trees. I tried running the trail with a couple of friends about 4 years ago ... I like the challenge of the different terrains. But watch your step because of random tree roots and jagged rocks poking out.

I love this park so much. I recommend getting there early on the weekends. For more experienced hikers take the yellow or the whole white trail. For moderate hikers go white to green to white or blue! And the white to red is some Lord of the Ring's junk if you go back from the stairs to the river. Watch out for snakes!

Hiked the Yellow trail.....it was amazing.....will try the Orange trail next. Beautiful scenery.

Great place to hike. I really enjoyed seeing the old mill and reading about it. With a gentle breeze and partly cloudy skies, it was almost a perfect day.

This was a really neat hike that included Civil War era history and is located about 15 minutes outside of Atlanta.The old mill is there and was really neat to see and read about from the signage around the mill. I read online that it was not open to public (the actual mill) but I did not expect there to be a huge fence around it. The fence made it a little difficult for photos but I was able to manage. The hike itself was pretty easy for the first portion but then got more strenuous. If you are not much of a hiker I would suggest turning around after you reach the mill. The second half of the hike includes lots of large steps, small areas to walk through and some somewhat dangerous spots if you aren't wearing the right shoes. We wandered a bit but with doing the mill hike we hiked just under 4 miles. The hike follows the river for the majority, there are huge rocks and beautiful flowing water. We saw people relaxing in the water too which sounded great after the second half of the hike! This hike was a great way to learn about some history, see some sights and get some exercise!

This is one of the best parks for an beginner or advanced hiker. The trails follow the beautiful lakes and streams. I would ensure you bring water and do not hike close to sunset. If you go on the white trail there is a lake with turtle in the middle. The white trail is a little harder then the others. Ensure you have good shoes to walk both. Sitting on the rocks to enjoy the nature around was the best part. Very relaxing.

Love the atmosphere! Kids play area, the bike trail, the body weight workout area, and of course the cafe!!! Like who serves pulled chicken nachos with ALL THE FIXINGS at a park?!? Literally gourmet style

Excellent park for a light hike, anytime of the day. I love going here all the time, and, strongly recommend it. The pads are fairly long, so, you can definitely get a good walk in. They are also not very strenuous, so, easily accessible for children and elderly.

This place is sooooo underrated i mean soooo underrated it's beautiful!!! It's tucked away so if you're not from around there you would have noooo idea it exists! When i say peaceful my goodness I couldn't believe I was in lithia springs! Perfect date spot for a lil picnic by the water!

I absolutely love it here! This is where I go for a great view and a clear mind. Very beautiful lake & scenery.

Lovely large park near Atlanta! Great for hanging, picnicking, walking, fishing and hiking. + Ambiance is large, spread out, popular with day trippers. Scenic creek with old mill ruins, many trails and low altitude forest. + This park offers a little bit of everything to everyone. So it's popular. SCSP is mostly for day use...picnicking, row boating, fishing, photography and walking more than hiking. Trails are many and well maintained. Though their blazes and markers could be better especially for trails farther from the visitor center. They must have changed the routes over the years for environmental reasons but seems to have failed updating the colors / blazes. It's pretty busy and prolly easy enough to find your way back to the parking lot. So safety isn't too much of a concern but it's still annoying. + Entry to the park is free but the Parking is $5/car and the line to the entrance snakes out onto a two lane road can be long. Parking was almost full but after a few minutes one opened up. + Service at the visitor center was helpful. Overall, I found this park to be scenic and easy hike. Some of the trails especially along the creek were root ridden and full of loose rocks so caution is necessary. It's a good place to spend a day strolling with friends and family or an easy trail running ;-)

I love this park..Sweetwater Creek is a State park that offers many things that outdoor enthusiasts enjoy. Miles of nature, hiking trails, beautiful scenic river side walking paths, large fishing lakes, a museum, pavilions and more. If you looking for a break from the mundane, head on over to sweetwater creek, you won't regret it..

This park in the fall and winter is beautiful. I went on the yellow trail and loved it. The park has several trails to choose from and I suggest online online to see which one appeals to you because they vary in length and ease. I didn't do the full trail because some parts were narrow and it rained night before so it was muddy. Didn't want to fall in the creek since I am clumsy. I stopped at the visitors center to get a map and bought stones which are in a bin and you can fill a small bag for $5. This was my 3rd time coming but first time onthe trails. The other times I just went to take pictures and look at the peaceful water. They have picnic areas where you can bbq. I did see some fishing but not sure what they can catch. This is my go to spot since it is not far from where I live now.

Nice park, lovely pavilion across from the water, and scenic trails for exercise. Pleasant setting for a day on the park with the family.