Amazing place to take kids to play in sprinklers and experience nature. Lots of frogs and horses…read more always passing by.

This is one of our favorite places to hike with the dogs. There are paved trails, and natural…read moretrails that are pretty well marked now. There are lots of amenities for a smaller county park...tent camping, RV camping, fishing lake, splash park...the folks who work there are friendly. What's not to love??!?

Fifty years ago, I stood on the low grade bank of the river near Bobwhite Road just a few feet away…read morefrom a 50 acre field where I had planted Soybeans. The soil is so rich that chemical fertilizer was not used. Perhaps some of the best topsoil in Georgia because of decades of the Chattahoochee River overflowing into this location and other natural lowlands. It's still pretty much as natural as it was 50 years ago. I highly recommend this private, not crowded area for a good place to actually walk up and touch the river water.

We came here mid-morning on a Sunday for a hike. We stopped at the ranger station / gift shop to…read morepay the $5 parking fee. We then proceeded to the end of the road and parked at the lot next to the river. We did the hike along the river. The trail map says it is over 5 miles, but we just wanted to do around 3 total. We passed a couple of markers for 0.5 and 1 miles and hoped to find the 1.5 mile marker as our turn-around spot, but we never saw it. I suspect we were approaching 2 miles when we turned around. The trail was pretty, especially with the fall leaves. We only encountered maybe 4 other hiking groups during our walk. If you are in the area, this is a pleasant area for hiking.

Pro: If you're looking for a scenic hike near Atlanta, I highly recommend Sweetwater Creek State…read morePark. The park offers a perfect blend of nature, history, and adventure. The trails wind alongside beautiful rushing rapids, through shaded forests, and lead to the fascinating ruins of the historic New Manchester Mill, which dates back to the Civil War era. citeturn0search0turn0search2 The Red Trail is especially popular and provides stunning creek views with a relatively easy-to-moderate hike, while longer trails offer more of a challenge for experienced hikers. The sound of the water, rocky landscapes, and peaceful surroundings make it easy to forget you're only minutes from Atlanta. excellent destination for a day of hiking, picnicking, and making memories with friends. Con: Parking fees are $10 (gone are the $5 day) Also, the way you pay is...via link and it can be tricky & time consuming. You can go park anywhere in the park once you pay...you don't have to pay 2nd time.

Today's hike at Sweetwater exceeded my expectations in every way! The weather was giving spring…read morevibes and the people were out for it ! Initially we parked in the wrong lot but that worked in our favor (where the bait and tackle shop is). There were lots of families out having picnics and fishing. We did a 1-mile loop in the area and were able to see the yurts. NOTED . Beautiful sites to take in before we ventured to the main lots with the visitor's center. Not only are the trails well marked, but there is ample parking across multiple lots. The attendant at the gate entrance was so kind, welcoming and JOYful! We ventured out on the red trail and it was gorgeous. To my surprise, the trail was full today. It seems that Sweetwater is a populated date spot!!! We saw folks of all ages out with picnic baskets, journals, coloring books, bathing suits ... it was AMAZING! We hiked to the end of the red trail and back, venturing off trail to be clear to the River only once. By far, this was one of my favorite hikes and definitely a place I'll revisit to explore some of the other trails.

Do you want to see a red barn and a waterfall with hardly any hike? Very picture friendly and easy…read more Come to Starr's Mill Park, located in Fayetteville, right off the street. You cannot miss it. However, you may miss the road or entrance to view. It's going downwards to get to one side, but the other side is another road that you will easily miss! I had to ask someone. Free. Small parking space. I actually see two barns. I didn't go inside. I saw several photographers there doing their job and didn't want to interrupt them. I came and took photos and am satisfied overall!! 95/2020

Beautiful little spot to check out. We wanted to fit in a morning walk and there aren't any paved…read morepaths, but we were able to do a few loops around on the gravel drive. Not busy at all, just us and then one other dog walker just before we left. They have portable bathrooms. Can't go inside the mill building or anything, at least on a normal day, but still neat to look at and get some outdoor time. Peaceful and worth the pitstop.

Woo Hoo! Great neighborhood park. Swings, slides, climbing…read morethings, working water fountain and nice benches. Usually shady.

It's a tiny park right near where you start to leave Morningside and are on your way to Emory…read more Today the MLPA sponsored Carter Rude (some guy who plays folk musicesque tunes) for a free concert. A nice walk, free, perfect temp, no bugs and well behaved kiddies (that weren't even mine!); not sure I can ask for more...

The cabins were very clean and we had room for 6 people pretty comfortably. The area is beautiful…read moreand quiet and the waterpark was well maintained and the highlight of the trip. Jan at the Ranger Station was very helpful at check in and explained the rules. Brandy was amazing about getting us extra towels and sheets, and checked on us every time we saw her. We used the laundry facilities that were easy to use. For a family that only had enough time and money for a weekend trip this year, this trip was incredible and memorable. We would certainly return in a heartbeat!

The kids and I visited the park this past weekend for our yearly back to school adventure trip. (1…read moreadult, 3 11 year old girls, 2 10 year old boys). Check in was a strict 4:30 check in as they had a lot of turn overs that day. One of the older ladies in the front office wasn't very helpful or pleasant to deal with. We got there around noon and was able to head down to the water park and play until check in. There are plenty of bathrooms down there for changing into swimsuits. *After check in and unloading the vehicle, we were able to head back to the water park and swim until supper time. The pool at the rec center was down and completely green so we weren't able to swim at the pool closest to our cabin. Communication was a bit confusing with some of the guest reps. We tried to buy the guest experience packages and was told by employees at every building that it was at a different location on the property. After speaking with every location at least twice, we were able to speak with a manager and got our experiences purchased. *On day one, Friday evening, we witnessed a mother and her toddler swimming in the pool at the water park swimming with no diaper. The child told her mother she had to potty. Child walked up the steps and out of the pool and pooped right on the concrete. Mother picked her up and walked to the bathroom and left the turd on the concrete. An employee had to clean it up after we flagged them down. *Saturday, we enjoyed the water park and some of the activities on our VIP experience but again got the run around on the locations of simple things like where firewood could be purchased, where the cotton candy machine was located, and when we could do activities. They didn't have the red gem bags so we had to split a bucket between the kids instead. We were told to check back for the meet and greet and ultimately told it wasn't available for us. If this is important to you, make sure you schedule it soon after you check in or you'll miss out like we did. The glow in the dark hay ride Saturday night was by far my favorite experience there. The golf carts followed behind and made for a very cool parade throughout the park. The employees really hyped it up with sing along songs. *Sunday was check out at 11 but after packing up we were able to do our ceramic (it's just painting a piece of pottery). When we cashed in on our stuffed animal we were told to go to the store at the water park but they told us it had to be done at the rec center. Rec center told us to go to the water park store. The back and forth was exhausting. The cotton candy machine was never located and eventually we spoke to an employee for an exchange of cotton candy for a scoop of ice cream. And again Sunday, the same mom allowed her toddler to swim with no swim diaper but this time the kid successfully pooped in the pool causing a shut down of the ONLY pool on the property for a few hours. *Our cabin was listed as fully stocked kitchen and linens for rent however there were linens in our cabin along with shampoo, conditioner, body wash on the wall of the shower. I would suggest bring more dish soap as you only have 6 of everything and will have to wash a lot. They provide a tiny bottle of dish soap but we definitely needed more. *All in all, my kids and I enjoyed this trip a lot and would definitely come back. My only hope is that they can learn from their chaos and work on communication and training employees on when and where everything is located. Knowledge is power. I'd like to see more employees hanging out by the pool to enforce diaper laws (it's a Georgia law that babies wear them btw) *Also note the fire pits at our cabin was literally three feet from our cabin. It rained a lot so we couldn't get our fire going but looking back, it might've been a blessing in disguise due to close proximity to the cabin itself. *There is so much more I could share but this is already very lengthy. Parents, if you need any information feel free to DM me as I learned more via people camping than I did from calling the office or going into the buildings to speak with employees there. *Also note, our WiFi wouldn't work at first. Had to have maintenance come down to fix it. That maintenance man was golden. Loved him. Super friendly and sweet to my kids (but not in a creepy way) *The roads are terrible. The pot holes are similar to a dirt road or down town Atlanta. *Our bathroom door also didn't latch properly. Every time the kids had to use it, I'd have to go lift up on the door to get it to close for them. *The mattress on the bottom bunk bed had springs poking out and into my body. I only survived because I just happened to bring a yoga mat which I was able to use for cushion. *Our air conditioner was perfect and we never ran out of hot water.

January 23, 2021…read more McIntosh Reserve is about an hour outside of Atlanta in Carroll County, Georgia. It is a a 527 are park home to some rich history and popular amongst equestrians, nature hiking, and boarders the Chattahoochee River and definitely a spot to cool off in the summer. The park has a good website: http://www.carrollcountyga.com/293/McIntosh-Reserve-Park I would take a peek at the events calendar. Would be nice to see some music festivals here. The River ran swiftly while we were visiting, and there is plenty of space to picnic or grill on the premises with park benches and covered seating under a nice pavilion. The park happened to host the Jerome Scales 10k race held by the Atlanta Track Club on this day, which is why we were here. (Otherwise I might never have know about it.) We had a parking pass and entered the park, and were directed to park on a wide field. Went down to register and obtain our bibs at around 7:30am on a chilly morning. Thankfully we had a cloudless sky and the promise of a a sunny morning. The races began at 8am with 20 socially distanced athletes wearing masks setting off every 5 minutes. My time slot was 8:20 and Nicole was at 9:05 which was perfect because we could both race! The course was completed in 2.5 loops with 50% grass, 33% hard pack gravel, and 17% roads with a good hill. I was happy to come in 3rd overall. Nicole ran a slightly less competitive time but had fun too. History: The Reserve is named for William McIntosh, Jr., a prominent Creek Indian leader and planter. The plantation was known as Lochau Talofau, which in English means "Acorn Bluff". It is adjacent to Acorn Creek. McIntosh lived in a modest home, a two-story log house with a central, open "dog run" passage on both floors. The house doubled as an inn for travelers. A reconstructed house is open to park visitors today. In 1825, McIntosh signed the second Treaty of Indian Springs. The treaty essentially sold all Creek lands in Georgia and Alabama to the United States government; McIntosh was allowed to keep his plantation in exchange for signing the treaty. The treaty had been opposed by the Creek National Council and it violated the Law, the Code of 1818. The Council ordered the execution of McIntosh and other signatories for having committed a capital offense against the government by ceding communal lands, and he was executed at his home in 1825. McIntosh's single-plot, military grave may be found just across the road from the reconstructed house. Carroll County acquired Lochau Talofau in 1978; the plantation now lies within McIntosh Reserve boundaries.[1] McIntosh Reserve Park was closed for several months in 2009 and 2010, following the September 2009 flooding on the Chattahoochee River. The park was scheduled to reopen for Memorial Day weekend, 2010. Looking forward to our next visit.

Some of the history items are cool to see. Lots of ant hills when we visited and I stepped in one…read morewithout realizing it, so I was bit a lot on my ankle. Bathrooms could be cleaner.

This may be one of the oddest bridge location I've ever run across. You will find it along a garden…read morewalking path crossing a small gully with a stream no wider than 1 foot. The path is behind a church with multiple buildings that make it feel a lot like a 19th Century religious compound (not implying that it is). Prior to coming here I actually thought this was one of the last remaining historic bridges in the state of Georgia, but it turns out it was built in the 90's. The path allows you to wander through a variety of memorial trees and vegetation that I can only assume were planted in memory of church member loved ones. Most everything has a small plaque with the name of the person whom it was planted for (or by). The bridge itself is a real beauty and is said to have made use of 100 year old timbers from another old 1800's bridge that was once nearby. It certainly is one of the most handsome covered bridges in the state, even if it isn't a historic one. Location: Shiloh United Methodist Church Built: 1994 Length: 42 feet Crosses over: essentially what would be considered a drainage ditch. FINAL THOUGHTS You don't actually have to park in the church parking lot and walk the trail to see this bridge. Turn South on Davenport Mill Road and the bridge is less than 100 feet from the road and easily visible. My Georgia covered bridge list is nearly complete. I've provided a list below of all the covered bridges I've visited so far in the state from the furthest north to the deepest south. I've also included the year they were built: Stovall Mill ~ 1895 [furthest north] Blind Susie ~ 1915 [shortest] Poole's Mill ~ 1906 Cromer's Mill ~ 1906 Mashburn Estate ~ 1958 [private - no access to the public] Hurricane Shoals ~ 1882/2002 Euharlee ~ 1886 Roswell Vickery Creek ~ 2004 Watson Mill ~ 1885 [longest] Howard's Mill ~ 1905 Concord/Nickajack ~ 1872 Stone Mountain/Effie's ~ 1891 Elder's Mill ~ 1897 Shiloh Trail ~ 1994 [furthest west] Haralson Mill ~ 1997 Old Town Morrow ~ 2008 [newest] Big Red Oak Creek ~ 1840 [oldest] Calloway Gardens ~ 1870 Auchumpkee ~ 1892/1997 [favorite] Parrish Mill @ George L. Smith State Park ~ 1880 [furthest east] Coheelee Creek ~ 1891[furthest south] There are at least 25 more, but most are small, have been built in the last 50 years and are on private property.