On this rainy and chilly Sunday morning the park felt almost suspended in its own quiet, the kind…read moreof stillness you only get when the weather keeps everyone else home and you end up with the place to yourself. No one was camping or fishing or wandering the grounds (though I did see one park ranger pickup truck on patrol), which meant I had time with the real centerpiece of the park, the Watson Mill Covered Bridge, and the soft sound of the river underneath it carried farther than usual in the damp air. The bridge was built in 1885 by W. W. King, one of Georgia's most skilled nineteenth century bridge builders, and it remains the longest existing covered bridge in the state at 236 feet. It uses the Town lattice truss system, a design patented in 1820 that relies on a crisscross pattern of planks secured with wooden pegs, and Watson Mill is one of the best surviving examples of that method in the Southeast. The bridge once served the workers of the grist mill and sawmill that stood nearby, and it doubled as a community gathering place where people held picnics and even square dances. The Georgia Department of Transportation restored it in 1973, and the bridge became the anchor for the surrounding state park, which preserves both the structure and the landscape that supported it. The posted clearance was too low for my Sprinter van so I walked the length of the bridge instead, letting the boards creak underfoot and taking in the smell of wet timber that always feels older than the structure itself. There is no dedicated pedestrian lane, but the interior is wide enough that I could step to the side when a car approached, and the drivers moved slowly enough that it never felt unsafe. The combination of the rain, the quiet, and the long wooden tunnel made the whole experience feel like stepping back into the late nineteenth century for a few minutes. [Review 245 of 2026 - 942 in Georgia - 25434 overall]

Beautiful, just beautiful place to go hike walk enjoy peace and quiet family time or whatever you…read morewant. Lovely, beautiful place small country perfect setting.

What a great park for everyone! Visiting from Baltimore for the holidays. I have a high energy dog,…read moremy friend had her 11 month old son, and we were able to play, walk, and explore. Loved how friendly the parents and children were at the playground. Dog parents were also attentive and friendly. Separate Small dog and big dog park areas.

Love this place!!! By far Best park for kids oof all ages in Athens. The park consists of a hiking…read moretrail, dog park, sidewalk for kids to skate, bike, walk, open play area for family sports. Amazing play area with mega large slide which kids love. Gated area to protect kids. Restrooms and benches for the parents.

I have been to Sandy Creek Park many times and I never stop being amazed at the many activities the…read morepark has to offer. Best way to see your tax money at work. For $2 per person you may do any or all of the following. Enjoy their man made lake beach, fishing, 7 mile nature trail around the lake, volleyball, Frisbee course, picnic tables, picnic grills, use their baseball diamond and for additional fee you may rent a canoe and boat around the lake. Their is plenty of shade and plenty of room for you and your family to still feel you are on your own. You may choose to take a nature trail to Sandy Creek Nature Center which is approx 6 miles away. The nature trails are very well kept with man made wood breaches when necessary and the ocasional benches.

We went here to use one the private dog parks since our dog is a service dog in training with…read morerestrictions on playing with unknown dogs. You call ahead to reserve one of the five fenced in areas for $1 per hour per dog. It also costs $2 per person to enter the park. The space was beautiful and had tons of space for my dog to run around! Also had a nice picnic table and water for the dog so would be great for a picnic. We will definitely be back!!

We camped here and it was so fun! The park is beautiful and has many trails to check out. The camp…read morestore is stocked with everything you may need!

We had such a wonderful time camping here. The employees at the trading post are beyond friendly…read moreand helpful. And so very patient in assisting us. The campground itself is wonderful. The sites are well maintained and there are plenty of sites that accommodate our 43 foot camper. There are some premium sites that pull through. Just exercise caution with some of those because you could see where some campers dragged trying to get into those. The bath houses are very clean and modern. They also have 20 cabins you can rent. A fair number have been remodeled and those are really nice. We had a great time and are already planning our next trip.

Great park lot of nature and very clean and natural has great creek with stream nice place to take…read morea walk and breath in the fesh air I highly recommend it if your close but not a park I would drive hours to visit although nice not a destination point in my opinion great park!

The park was nice but there was this creepy older man walking through the parking lot peering into…read morecars. He walked up and down the parking lot while on the phone and then got into his car and sped away when i tried to call someone. He was driving a white Chevrolet sedan with a Dawgs "G" sticker/magnet and no license plate. DO NOT GO HERE ALONE AT SUNSET.

Really nice park, it has a pretty long wall around trail if you want to get those steps in. Also…read morehas some playgrounds for the kids if you decide to bring them. Its a pretty sizeable park and very clean. There is the occasional dog poop om the side of the trail here and there but it wasnt anything too crazy. It also has some nice places to take pretty cool selfies.

I do love this park but it's not the park where my issue lies,it's with the grounds maintenance or…read moreI should call this one person the Poop Gestapo! Five minutes of getting there and into our walk, this dude comes chasing us down on his mower, scared the hell out of us, thought he was going to run us over, jumps off the mower and comes over and yells at me, "You didn't pick up your dogs poop!" Ok for one, my dog hadn't even had time to poop, we had just got there. And even if I hadn't I didn't appreciate the theatrics. I come there with my dog and disabled husband to walk in peace, it's good therapy for my husband who has dementia but this was uncalled for! If they want to really obsess over something, how about all the poop on the walkway and the used condoms I have to constantly step over!

Was staying in the area for a few days. But didn't have use of our car. Husband had to take it for…read morework. It was a beautiful day and appeared to be safe area so i set off to take a walk. My phone direction indicated a different way but i saw stairs near the coutyard Marriott. It was paved trail by a stream. Lovely walk.

In my opinion as someone who travels all around the southern United States to visit hiking trails &…read morewaterfalls, Ivy Creek Greenway is a lovely local opportunity to get out into nature without driving a great distance. FIRST, the trail is peaceful. On most of my visits there have been a minimal amount of walkers, riders, and/or hikers on the trail. It's a great place to walk by yourself, with a friend or even as a family. SECOND, the trail offers multiple experiences. The section that starts beneath the southbound exit on I-85 traveling west towards the Gwinnett Heritage Center is fully paved. But from the same point traveling east is a wooded hiking trail with dirt/gravel paths. Along this eastern section are also many spur trails leading into the large marsh area sandwiched between Mall of Georgia Blvd & I-85. THIRD, while it is very close to civilization it feels like its own world. I love that you can get away right in the heart of a populated area and feel very much like you've been on an adventure. [ THE EXPERIENCE ] There are several access points, but we chose to park at the Mill Creek Nature Center on the backside of the Mall between Bird Watcher Supply Company & Wendy's. There is only space for about 10 cars in the little gravel parking area, but don't worry. If it is full there is plenty of paved parking available just across the Boulevard. Once parked you walk out to the sidewalk parallel to the street for a short distance until you come upon a set of wooden stairs leading down to the trail. When you reach the main trail you can go left where the trail will lead you 1 mile to Gravel Springs Road or go right towards Hwy 20. We decided to go right, but along the way discovered a wooden foot bridge leading through the swamp. This is not actually on the official trail map and will add approx. 1.25 miles to your hike. *WARNING - it can be a bit confusing to follow because it breaks off into so many side trails, but if you are capable of remembering the way you came, it won't be a problem. The marsh trail contains MANY old wooden footbridges to keep your feet dry as well as a watch tower that overlooks a wide open area of the marsh. I would imagine this would be a fun area for young ones to pretend they were trespassing on SHREKS land. Along the way there are also several markers indicating different species of trees, plants & wildlife from opossums to birds. Great educational tool for both young and older children. Near the lookout tower is a loop trail we did not follow. Instead, we returned the same way we came to the main trail. *** NOTE: We ventured across a HUGE snapping turtle on the main trail. It looked like a boulder at first. While snapping turtles can't run fast, their bite is lightening quick and their neck are longer than you think. DO NOT try to handle them. Continuing West we soon passed below the exit loop of I-85. Just before this point you will encounter a spur trail leading to the parking lot behind Mattress Firm, which also serves as another trail access point. Next you will cross under Hwy 20 before coming to an old concrete bridge leading across Ivy Creek. To your right is yet another parking area and access point, but I would advise you to only use this one if you have a high clearance vehicle. Ruts in the gravel have made it rather rough for low clearance cars. It's also tricky to get here since you'd have to cross into the parking area about where the southbound ramp is merging with Hwy 20. Once across the concrete bridge the waterfall is only a little over 200 feet away. If the water flow is good, you should easily hear it! It's not a natural waterfall, but the remains of historic Woodward Grist Mill. The metal wheel is still on site. The banks of the creek are sandy, making it a great spot to hang out a while with the kids or a date! Continuing west you will pass The Preserve @ Mill Creek Apartments. Near their picnic deck is another sandy area for relaxing right where the creek cascades for about 100 feet. Beyond that is a wooden boardwalk leading to a split. Either go towards the Gwinnett Environmental Center (right) or continue on Ivy Creek Trail (left). We walked the trail left all the way to the suspension bridge and then returned the way we came. [ FINAL THOUGHTS ] Overall we clocked about 5.25 miles from the Mill Creek Nature Center parking area to the suspension bridge and back with a tour of the swamp trail to the lookout tower. It is a very easy trail, but does get a little hilly as you get closer to the suspension bridge. Overall it took us a leisurely 1.5 hours on a GORGEOUS 80 degree Sunday afternoon with perfect breezes. I know what some of the other reviews say, but I can't see how anyone wouldn't enjoy spending a little time on this trail. Afterwards we ate @ nearby Burger 21, home to one of my favorite burgers (The OMG) and one of the ONLY black bean burgers my particular wife enjoys. HAVE FUN! 2022 / 62

Georgia Power park: campground. Boat docks, swimming area and grouP area…read more Very well maintained and clean. Hosts great you and after just 2 visits they recognized us. Very personable and they take pride in the park. Swim area and day use is sandy and safe. Boat waves add some movement to the warm water. Safe for floaters, swimmers and even little ones that can not swim,

We loved the campground. It's beautiful! People are friendly and nice. The only complaint we…read morehave is lot 86. When we stayed the lot we had was 86. We had a very hard time getting our camper backed in due to the trees. We actually damaged the side of our travel trailer. There was an experienced truck driver in the camp and he came to help along with other campers. Even with that it took 45 minutes to get into our lot. We have a 27' travel trailer.

Walking trails are paved and great for strollers. Path is relatively short and loops around, plus…read moreit's mostly shaded. Playground is right off of the path. Pool has a shallow end with splash pad area. Only giving four stars because there was a lot of trash on the playground despite there being plenty of trash cans nearby.

We love Bishop. It's one of our favorite places to play with the kids! It's a good place to meet up…read morewith others for outside play days and let the kids run. Plus there is beautiful views of the sky morning day and night.

Beautiful and historic. The shoals are so much fun to slide and play in the water. Once a year in…read morethe fall they have a festival called Art in the Park! Believe me, you do not want to miss it! Be sure to save a lot of time for the awesome Village of historical buildings that have been moved to the site and restored. It's well worth many visits!!!!

park is nice but unstaffed most of the time and the area is bare bones. parking isn't convenient…read morefor the pavilions and having to cross the street to large hills with no stairs to access them from the parking areas is difficult for handicapped or limited mobility individuals. The river is fun for the kids but a lack of even a single park employee leads to many insatnces of crowds of loud violent groups taking over and running families out.