Sweetwater Creek State Park

Date/Time
Date(s) - 05/08/21
11:30 am - 4:30 pm

Category(ies)

• Hiking

List of Attendees

• Rony K
• Catheirne Broussard
• Deborah Saulino

CHANGE IN MEETING TIME to 11:15 am 

Date: Saturday, May 8, 2021
Hiking Distance: 5 miles
Difficulty Level: D2-D3 (Easy to Moderate)
Carpool Time: 11:15 AM at Intown Community Church
Cost: $ 10 per person
Hike Leader: Rony

Red (History) Trail

The Red Trail, after half a mile, takes you to the impressive five-story 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.

White Trail

The White Trail is a loop that passes through some of the most remote areas of the park. It intersects with the Red Trail at the overlook of the New Manchester mill ruins at the one mile mark. This trail was specifically designed to highlight the park’s wildlife and plant communities. The trail winds through several lovely stream coves and follows the ridges overlooking Sweetwater Creek. It connects to the end of the red trail then follows the rapids down the creek. The trail then turns west and follows Jack’s Branch upstream to Jack’s Lake. 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 which are a favorite of bird watchers.

Things to bring:
– daypack
– hiking shoes, sneakers
– lunch or snacks
– water (1.0 – 1.5 liters)
– camera
– $ 10 for carpool driver

Bookings