The Park
Charles James McDonald, who had just completed a four-year stint as the 37th governor of Georgia, bought land along the Sweetwater Creek in 1845 for $500. With his partner, Colonel James Rogers of Milledgeville, McDonald set out to put the energetic waters of the creek to use by building a textile mill. By late 1849 the Sweetwater Manufacturing Company was churning out cotton, yarn, and fabric. The business thrived and in 1858 McDonald renamed his mill after the center of the British textile industry in Manchester, England. During the Civil War the New Manchester Manufacturing Company attracted the attention of Union General William Tecumseh Sherman’s troops who destroyed the mills on July 9, 1864. The business was never revived and the 1,986- acre Sweetwater Creek State Park was founded to protect the brick ruins of the historic factory.
The Walks
There are some nine miles of hiking trails on both sides of the Sweetwater Creek and the star is the red-blazed route that leads to the riverside factory ruins. This trail serves up a bit of everything for your dog from a ramble down the remnants of the road that served the town that grew up around the mill to a pick-your-way exercise through rocky outcroppings above the river. The town was once a bustling place where as many as 400 people lived, large enough to merit its own post office but no trace remains today. Past the ruins wooden steps drop you to the water’s edge and eventually the cascades of Sweetwater Falls. The inland Blue Nature Trail closes a loop back to the trailhead by moving easily up and around the hills above the creek. The sporty Yellow Trail traipses through similar terrain across the creek on a three-mile loop. A natural highlight is a wide, 10-foot shelf of rocky outcropping known as the “Indian Cave.”
Where The Paw Meets The Earth - A park map is available, key junctions are marked and detailed descriptions of each trail, including length and terrain, are posted at the trailheads.
Workout For Your Dog - A half-day of canine hiking will delight your dog here and expect any outing to occupy at least an hour.
Swimming - The rock-studded shoals of Sweetwater Creek, with Class IV rapids, is no place for extended canine aquatics but your dog can step in and cool off safely in a few spots, including a stony beach and generous pool between the Factory Ruins and the Sweetwater Falls Overlook.
Restrictions On Dogs - Dogs are welcome at Sweetwater Creek and you can usually find a bowl of drinking water outside the Visitor Center. The park also conducts monthly ranger-led “Wagging Trails” hikes.
Something Extra
At five stories, the New Manchester Mill was said to be the tallest building built in the Atlanta area before the Civil War. A 25-ton water wheel powered all the operations in the factory, which employed as many as 100 workers. Today the raceway and the stately ruins are the only reminders of this chapter in the region’s history.
Phone - (770) 732-5871
Website - gastateparks.org/SweetwaterCreek
Admission Fee - $5 parking fee
Directions - Lithia Springs; 1750 Mt. Vernon Road. From I-20 use Exit 44 at Thornton Road and head south, getting into the right lane as soon as possible. After a 1/4-mile, turn right on Blairs Bridge Road at the sign. After 2 miles, turn left on Mount Vernon Road and continue to the third park entrance on the left, with parking at the trailhead.
