Date/Time
Date(s) - 05/11/13
9:00 am - 4:00 pm
Category(ies)
List of Attendees
- Rony K
- Peter de Lastic
Date: Saturday, May 11, 2013
Hiking Distance: 2 miles or 5 miles
Difficulty Level: D1 or D2
Carpool Time: 9:00 AM at Intown Community Church
Cost: $10 per person for 4 people sharing a car
Hike Leader: Peter de Lastic (770-880-2966)
This is a beginner’s hike. Children are welcome if accompanied by parents. There are 3 trails at Sweetwater Park. You can pick whichever you want to do. We will start at the Visitor Center at 9:45 so if you prefer can meet there, instead of at Intown. The driver can pay for the park entrance fee out of the money they receive from those travelling in the car.
This is a short hike so we will be done by about 2-3 pm.
RED (HISTORY) TRAIL
1 mile one way. Blazed red. Rated easy to difficult.
The Red Trail, after half a mile, takes you to the impressive New Manchester mill ruins alongside the white-water rapids of Sweetwater Creek and is the recommended hike for first-time visitors. New Manchester was a mid-nineteenth century mill town which met its demise during the Civil War. A history guide for the Red Trail is available in the Interpretive Center. The second half mile of the Red Trail, downstream of the mill, continues to follow the rapids to the Sweetwater Falls area and is considerably more strenuous because of the very rocky terrain.
The Red Trail is the most frequently used trail in the park because it’s the shortest trail to the mill ruins and best showcases the beauty of the creek valley.
BLUE (NATURE OR NON-GAME WILDLIFE) TRAIL
2 miles one way. Blazed blue. Rated moderate to difficult. A steep climb down to the falls deck.
The Blue Trail intersects with the Red Trail near the overlook of the New Manchester mill ruins at the one-mile mark. This trail was specifically designed to highlight the park’s non-game wildlife and plant communities. The trail winds through several lovely stream coves and follows the ridges overlooking Sweetwater Creek. There is an amazing diversity of habitats here, with many species of wildflowers, ferns, shrubs and trees that make the Appalachian foothills (Piedmont) such a biologically rich and diverse place. The Blue Trail is a quieter alternative to the Red Trail and allows hikers to return to the trailhead via a loop instead of backtracking.
WHITE (NON-GAME WILDLIFE) TRAIL
3 miles one way. Blazed white. Rated moderate to difficult.
The White Trail passes through some of the most remote areas of the park west of Sweetwater Creek. It connects to the end of the Red and Blue trails following the rapids as they continue down the creek. The trail then turns west and follows Jack’s Branch upstream to Jack’s Lake. This stream community has a great variety of spring wildflowers. Hikers will also pass through areas covered with ferns, Bigleaf Magnolias, Wild Azaleas and Mountain Laurel. After climbing out of the lake valley the trail passes through the Jack’s Hill area, a former farming community now known for its open meadows and a favorite of bird watchers.
Things to bring:
– daypack
– hiking shoes, tennis shoes or river shoes.
– lunch or snacks
– water (2 liters)
– $10 for driver
– bathing suit (if you want to get wet in the creek)
– towel (if you decide to get wet in the creek)
Bookings
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