Trail Length: 3.0 miles	Type of trail: In and out
County: Douglas County, GA	Our rating: Moderate
Features: visitors center, stream, scenic, 60hikes	Your rating:
Usage: Medium	Added on: December 14, 2004
Last hiked: December 12, 2004	Updated on: December 16, 2004
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Additional Trails Hiking trails in Douglas County, GA

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This trail, whose full name is the Sweetwater Creek White Non-game Wildlife Trail combines campground trails and dirt roads to follow a ridge to the south end of the park. It then descends into the Sweetwater Creek river valley. After following a tributary and lake shore (Jack's Hill Lake) to the creek, the trail parallels the river, occassionally running next to the bank of the creek, to an intersection with the Sweetwater Creek Blue Trail. A few feet after this intersection the Blue Trail joins the Sweetwater Red Historic Trail. The trail is entirely within Sweetwater Creek State Park

Sweetwater Creek White Non-Game Wildlife Trail

Spotting a white-tail deer or a red-bellied woodpecker isn't very hard on the Sweetwater Creek White Non-game Wildlife Trail, especially if you check the solunal tables beforehand. The path begins on the right-hand side of the current visitor's center at the end of the parking lot, following an old road and forest path into the picnic area of the park. Just past a pavilion, the trail returns to the woods. It crosses two paved roads as it begins the journey to the southern end of this Georgia State Park through the Jack's Hill Environmental Education Area. A majority of this portion of the hike is in full sun.

At 1.2 miles the trail jogs right, then almost immediately bears left into the woods. This is the high point of the footpath. The treadway dips, then rises to a four-way intersection where it turns left and climbs an easy hill to another left. As soon as you make this turn at 1.5 miles, there is a dramatic change in the trail. The roadway is older (but not historic) and rockier, and it begins a rapid descent into the Sweetwater Creek river valley as it curves around a low peak. At points the road's embankment is taller than a person, indicating the steep drop of the mountainside. From this point to the end, Sweetwater White is a moderate hike. A valley that quickly forms on your left becomes steeper as the road follows a tributary to a dam. About halfway across the dam the White Trail turns left and descends a set of wooden steps into a second-growth hardwood forest.

As you near Sweetwater Creek, the roar of the water can be deafening. The path joins the river, turns left and the churning creek is on the immediate right as Sweetwater White begins to climb. Running adjacent to the stream at times, the trail offers excellent stream-side views into the valley the river has carved. When the river is high, it is a destination for skilled kayakers.

At 3.0 miles a set of wooden steps takes hikers up a steep mountainside to the "T" intersection, where Sweetwater White ends at Sweetwater Blue. Steps down to the right go to an overlook, where both the blue and Sweetwater Historic Trail (Sweetwater Red Trail) end.

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Trail Length: 3.0 miles	Type of trail: In and out
County: Douglas County, GA	Our rating: Moderate
Features: visitors center, stream, scenic, 60hikes	Your rating:
Usage: Medium	Added on: December 14, 2004
Last hiked: December 12, 2004	Updated on: December 16, 2004
About these ratings
Additional Trails Hiking trails in Douglas County, GA

Sweetwater White
Sweetwater White maps and directions
Trail reports for Sweetwater White