Custom Search
|
|
Sweetwater Creek State Park
The park is situated along Sweetwater Creek, a tributary of the Chattahoochee River. At drier times of the year the water in the creek flows gently along, but after a period of heavy rain the creek has areas of white water than are rated as class IV rapids. These falls and cascades once made the creek a suitable site to build water powered mills. The ruins of New Manchester Manufacturing Company, an old cotton mill, are preserved within the park. The mill, built at the falls in the creek, was established in 1849 as the Sweetwater Manufacturing Company. It was built by former Georgia governor Charles J. McDonald and an associate, James Rogers, as a cotton mill. By 1857 a community had developed around the mill, which included a store, a post office, and housing for the workers. The business was renamed the New Manchester Manufacturing Company, and the five-story brick structure was taller than any building in Atlanta at that time. During the Civil War the mill produced cloth that was used to make tents and sheets for the Confederacy. The New Manchester mill, along with two other mills in the immediately area, was burned on July 9, 1864 by Union cavalry forces led by Major General George Stoneman. The mill and the community surrounding it were never rebuilt. Sweetwater Creek State Park contains a network of four intersecting trails totaling nine miles. The Historic or Red Trail follows the creek past the falls and the ruins of the cotton mill. The Yellow Trail leads past the remains of a grist mill and bridge that once served the community. Another trail leads along the rocky bluff 50 feet above the creek and provides scenic views of the creek and cascades. The trails offer a look at some of the park’s wildlife, including deer and many varieties of birds. The trails are well maintained and range in difficulty from easy to moderately strenuous. The park offers fishing in the creek and in 215-acre George Sparks Reservoir. There are two fishing docks and canoe and fishing boat rentals (electric motors only) at the lake. A bait shop is open seasonally. There are also picnic areas and a playground in the park. Exhibits are displayed at the park’s LEED certified Visitor Center, which is open from 8am-5pm. Sweetwater Creek State Park is located at 1750 Mt. Vernon Road in Lithia Springs, Georgia. Park hours are 7am-10pm daily. Trails close at dark. A $3 parking fee is charged. Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com D. Wells is the Director of Sales for Hilton Garden Inn Atlanta Airport North Hotel. This Atlanta Airport hotel is located only 1 mile north of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and provides complimentary 24-hour Atlanta airport hotel shuttle service. For more information visit: www.ATLANTA-AIRPORT-HOTEL.COM |
|