Plenty of trails to explore; walking, running, or biking. There is a free parking lot at 3726 Paper Mill Rd SE, Marietta, GA 30067. The trails are pretty narrow so you have no choice but to say hello when crossing paths. But there are PLENTY of trails to avoid people all together. I may have gotten lost and tripped over a tree root or two but I enjoyed this park. If you are parking at the above address, it doesn't really show on the map so don't mistake that parking lot for the Powers Ferry parking lot like I did, when you are trying to find your way back to your vehicle. Definitely a great place to get a good walk in. read more

See all

Beautiful walking path, biking path, and hike for all ages and abilities right here in Atlanta. Try to get there early for parking(day pass is $5). I found one of the last spots around10am. read more

See all

This is a great spot near Marietta for a quick hike. The trails are well maintained they have bike paths to and also a pond where you can catch and release fish. Parking is available though can be limited on busy weekends, and you need the national park pass or you can pay daily $5 as a fee. We hiked down to the sope Creek Mill ruins, heads up there is no restrooms available at this location. So plan ahead :) read more

Parking lot is bit further than expected, parking fee is not required. From parking lot, there are different paths that can reach the historical ruins which is popular photo spots. during the day, there are always some photo sessions in progress. The trails are networks, if you missed one branch , you can always find next branch. read more

See all

This is a part of the extensive national park land that surrounds the waterways in Atlanta's suburbs. This spot had a smallish parking area and requires payment (or display of a national park pass). The trails and verdant and mildly hilly. The most notable feature is a set of ruins of various industrial buildings, which make for an interesting visual experience. There's plenty of other places to spend an hour or two hiking around. read more

See all

I've been coming here since I was a little kid and it's always great! Whether you're looking for a casual stroll around the pond, walking down to the creek or looking for a longer hike, Sope Creek trails are great for it all. There is a little platform by the pond where people will fish. The ruins by the creek are so much fun when you're a kid to explore. As a kid I spent a lot of time playing on the rocks of the creek in the summers. As a adult, I've hiked short trips on the trails and longer trips from Sope Creek to the Cochran Shoals trails. There's a lot of area here to explore. We love it so much we even took our engagement photos here read more

See all

As of October 2024, parking is free at the Sope Creek Trailhead in case you see anything contradictory. Easy trail with lots of bikes. The ruins themselves are off the main bike path. read more

Sope Creek - The ruins - Parks Near Me - Marietta, Georgia

Sope Creek is a real neat park. It is part of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area (CRNRA) federal parks along the Chattahoochee River. Sope Creek is used primarily for hiking and biking. Today a group of 10 friends hiked 6 miles around the park. Trails are marked with maps at junctions. Highlights included mill ruins along the creek and an old graveyard in the middle of park. See pics. Medium size parking lot which gets busy on weekends and holidays. Parking fee is required here (currently $5). Three CRNRA units connect together: Sope Creek, Cochran Shoals, and Powers Island. One of my friends said you can do a 17 mile hike if you combine all of them. Nice! Great area and worth a stop. My favorite CRNRA unit is "Island Ford", see my review .... but all of them are worth a stop at least once if you are in the area. read more

Sope Creek - Sign - Parks Near Me - Marietta, Georgia

Sope Creek Trails had abundant parking on a Thursday. Perhaps 6 cars when we arrived and 20-ish spots. Bring your dog, your bike, your sneaks and maybe a light spray of mosquito repellent. On a Sunday lucked out getting a spot as someone was leaving. This loop allows you to explore the park's highlights; the trails are abundant on both sides of Sope's rocky creek bed before looping to the placid waters of Sibley Pond (if your hubby doesn't mess about and slide on a rock and fall in-yup, he did that on the weekday, so we went back on Sunday). If you want to get to the Ruins quickly, download from All trails or another trail application because the trail signs/markers don't indicate where to go. Sope Creek Trails are covered quite nicely so you won't burn up. Feels 10 degrees cooler here! Plus, so much quieter. The hike departs at the Sope Creek trailhead and there are maps at every turn guiding your way, they do tell you no bikes or bike path. Do be careful on weekends...if you walk where bikes go and have small kids...the bike guys come pretty fast (some not all) you may want to stick to the paths that have no bikes). If you can go weekdays vs weekend so quiet and more enjoyable. But go, enjoy and just kick around the many trails :) read more

See all

I went for a hike on a 9:00 am on a Friday in July. It wasn't crowded at all and there was plenty of parking. They have dog waste bins and other secure trash cans at the trailhead. There was also a water fountain. The signage was really good and the trails were well-marked. There were signs at every fork we passed. The creek, pond, and paper mill are all nice to see. You can hear the traffic at certain parts on the trail, but it's separated enough. Minimal elevation change. Shaded with trees. Great place for a leisurely walk. read more

See all

I love that the trails loop back around, maps are in several different locations. 10/10 read more

See all

Here's to one of the many trail opportunities offered up by Chattahoochee River Parks. Sope Creek Parking can be found off Paper Mill Rd, right off Johnson Ferry Rd before you hit the VERY steep hill going down to the river and Columns Drive. It's about 2.5 miles from Johnson Ferry Rd. One thing to be cautious of is how curvy the road gets before you get to the parking lot. Most of the parks in this area require a pay-to-park, which is typically $3. Or, you can get an annual pass for $35. If you're planning to visit more trails in the area, I would recommend just opting for the annual pass. Seeing that I'm running on these trails 4-5 days per week, it doesn't take a mathematician to figure out how much value is in the annual pass. This parking lot is fairly small and might offer up around 30 spots. However, if you can find a spot, it's certainly a trail worth checking out. I took my son up here this past weekend, and thought it would be fun to hike to the creek. I've run these particular trails hundreds of times, but have never hiked them. To be honest, I never even realized they had maps on the trail telling you of your exact location either. I've just run them and tried to memorize where I was going. They have some beginner parts, intermediate parts and then some very rugged terrain. You'll need to keep an eye out for bikers, as some trails allow bikers (who fly down them) and some don't. Part of the trails can get pretty rocky, so depending on the route you want to go, you might want to wear some thick shoes (as the little rocks can really hurt). There are NO restrooms at this part, which is why i bumped it down one star. However, there is a water fountain (multi-level for adults, kids and pets) and park benches. There is easily about 7-9 miles of trails back in here, maybe more. It's hard to get lost if you follow the maps, so that should be comforting for beginners. The sites along the walk are great, and two particular areas are worth the trip: a very calm pond and the old Marietta Paper Mill Company ruins. If you take the trail to your immediate left, you'll hit the ruins. If you go straight from the parking lot, you'll hit the pond at the bottom of the hill (less than a quarter mile). My son and I explored the pond first. They have little brim in there swimming near the dock, and it was almost twilight zone like when we threw a small leaf in the water and ALL the fish literally turned around and were STARING at us. It was freaky. I assume they've been well trained to be fed from here. Him and I hiked about 2-3 miles, and decided to check out the old ruins. This is certainly worth the trip, as it sits right by the river, with tons of rocks and shallow spots to wade in. It's also great for pictures. The story behind the mill is a good one to read, as it was built in the 1850s, burned down, built again in the 1870s, burned down again, and then built again until it's final use in the very early 1900s. All that remains are the stone walls, but you can pull up pictures of it on the internet, and see what it looked like in the early 1900s, as well as the once covered bridge right near it. Truly fascinating to see. There were tons of families and couples hiking, so good for all ages. I would highly recommend this as a spot to check-out! read more

See all

Took a Mother's Day weekend stroll with my wife and daughter. The creek has a bike and hiking trail. The maps a very useful along the trail and they do a good job separating bike from hiking trails. The walk through the lush greens and calming creek was peaceful and well needed. Nothing like fresh air. The hike was not overly taxing on the body and we definitely enjoyed ourselves. Our new hiking spot instead of Kennesaw Mtn (too steep). read more

My son lives about a mile west of here as the crow flies and a couple times a week, he will take my two Grandsons here. It's one of their favorite spots. Last week when we were down for Thanksgiving, I went with them. We did not walk all the way down to the Chattahoochee but did walk down from the main parking lot to the Lake and then circumnavigated the Lake and back. An interesting walk with a three year old who did keep up nicely. The one year old was safely strapped into a carrier on his fathers back. It's surprising to me to find this much space conserved in the Atlanta area. This was an old Paper Mill and you can still visit the ruins. Park is well maintained and the Park Service takes good care of it. Dylan the three year old was not happy we did not bring along anything to feed the turtles. Apparently that is something the local kids like to do. That and catch and release the small snappers. It's a pleasant walk and while there is an incline to the lake, it's not difficult. We were there during a drought where it had not rained in 45 days plus so the lake level was down. Still it was a nice walk and the kids enjoyed it. Word of caution. This is maintained by the National Park Service and requires a permit. One day is $3 and annual is $35. (recently up from $25). My son did not place his pass in a prominent position on this dash and got a ticket. Options were to buy the $3 pass, get an annual one for $35. Not sure what he did since his current annual permit is good till February 2017 read more

See all

Photos on IG of the ruins is what lead me to Sope Creek. I've heard about it from ex-coworkers (they no longer work with me at my current job). Because I don't live in the area but just work in the area, never do I want to come after work to hike nor on weekends. However, because I was itching to go hiking cause it is going to be sunny all weekend, I dragged my hubby to go hiking with me. We have the annual Chattahoochee pass since hubby likes to fish at the Hooch. Since it's been raining, we haven't used much of it. I had no idea where the ruins is. We just kept walking and walking. The only thing I remember reading online is that it's half a mile to get to the ruins. We just kept walking and walking and found the pond. Afterwards, we took a chance and just went left and kept walking, and walking, and walking. Never did we find the ruins, we didn't hit every marker but hubby was hangry so we left after me hitting 8,000 steps on my Fitbit. Thinking to myself is if this place is like East Palasides where no one wants to tell you where the bamboo is. I had to keep going and finally found it on my own. The map is not hard to follow and much better than East Palasides. Wide Nature trails. Very well shaded also. I will come back to find the ruins!! 82/2019 read more

See all

Very busy here but of course who wouldn't come here on a 50s sunny day in January. The park as a limited amount of parking and might be hard at times if the park is busy. People from the nearby neighborhoods come here to walk and bike. The place has a bike trail that looks very intense with inclines and hills. Also, there are trails that bikers cannot go on. The place is a really nice walk and connects to other trails so if you want to do along day hike you can. I enjoyed it and the nature. The trails let you walk your dog which I love because I have a dog and she loves walk on the trails. There is trail maps all over the place so it is really hard to get lost if you just follow the trails. However, at the time the leaves were covering the trails and hard to figure out the smaller trails that would connect to the main one. read more

Great place for a day hike. My wife and I went out on a beautiful mid week afternoon, hiked down to the ruins of the old mill, packed a lunch and just had a really nice time. Excellent hiking, lots to see and do. read more

See all

I came here to do a photoshoot. I came a day early to scope out locations to shoot. We got lost because most of the maps on the markers were chipped or broken in half. It took us a long time to find the ruins as it was not labeled on the map. But after the frustrations of being lost, we finally found the Paper Mill Ruins and the creek. It was absolutely beautiful and totally worth getting lost. We didn't get to see the pond. We definitely plan to come here again and exploring the entire park. Tip #1: Parking is $5. Bring exact cash! Tip #2: The ruins and the creek are on Marker SC27. It's a little over a half mile walk. Follow the sound of the cars on Paper Mill Road. Tip #3: Wear comfortable shoes with good traction. read more

See all

The entire Chattahoochee National Recreation Area system rocks, which is not a surprise because everything the National Park Service is associated with rocks. That said, the Sope Creek unit is exceptionally cool. Along with the usual awesome trails and forests and creeks and rivers, you have a pretty neat set of ruins: the Paper Mill ruins. You'll find them just past SC-27 on the map (where Paper Mill Road crosses the crick). You can climb in and all around them; the stones used to build them make great steps. But you need to go to the other side of the creek to see the rest of the ruins, between SC-28 & 29 on the map. It's a dead-end trail but not real long and totally worth the trip. Although you can see the bulk of the ruins from the trail, which is a bit elevated from the creek, do also go down to the creek at one of several places along the trail and at the ruins. This unit has good elevation changes, so you can get a workout if you want one. Or you can take it easy. The trails are well marked and easy to walk- as with all the Chattahoochee NRA units - but some have a lot of tree roots. Watch your step. Also typical of the Chatt NRA - there are good trail intersection maps, making it easy to track your hike. Except for between SC-18 &16, on the west side. There you will find many unmarked trails and intersections. One of the paths leads off to Paper Mill Road - a trail you won't find on the map - and even has a blue-marked tree, normally the marker for the 'official' path. Very misleading. In the end, I decided to follow the topography, knowing that the mapped trail should end up at the lake, which is at a lower elevation. But it's not like you're gonna get lost in the woods, never to be seen or heard from again. This is, after all, a city park. Sope Creek has a mix of hiking-only trails and hiking/biking trails. The hiking trails are a bit less developed and offer a better chance to get away from people. Not that that was a problem when I was here - my hike started out at a temperature of 26 degrees on a Friday - not many people at all. And I saw no bikers. read more

See all

Really, really pretty trails but they are a little confusing. *Most* cross-sections are marked which is confusing for the one or two that aren't. I also looked up Google Maps before and planned my trails based on that which was WRONG. So use the one from NPS https://www.nps.gov/chat/planyourvisit/upload/TrailMapSopeCreek.pdf Parking wasn't a problem for me on a Saturday afternoon, but there was some rain so that may have kept the crowds away. read more

See all

I enjoyed the hiking trails, but went to fish. Fishing was awesome! We caught some bluegill and a couple of nice large mouth. Good quiet place to relax. read more

Off the beaten path kind of a park. Light crowd and the $3/day parking has about 30 stalls. This park is best for outdoorsy types not Sunday strollers. Half the people we encountered were mountain bikers moving full steam ahead. We did a 5 mile hike covering all the outer perimeters and criss crossing the paths. You could pick easier and much shorter hikes or runs or bike rides. The elevation is moderate to lightly difficult if you climb up from the creek. The canopied trails are well maintained and best marked out of most Metro Atlanta parks. Some of the trails are tree root heavy so wear proper shoes and take precaution. This park has everything - historic ruins to explorer, water, forest, rolling elevation, wildlife, flexible hikes and duration options. But there is no restroom. There are a couple of trash bins at the parking lot. The hiking trail head is to the left of the parking deposit box. Enjoy! read more

See all

-Great place for an outdoor trail hike/walk/run/ride -Noticed a fair amount of trail runners and bikers -Small lake with a trail around it upon entering the park -Extremely limited parking on weekend. A constant line waiting for someone to leave in order to park, so highly recommend carpooling. -Parking is $3, unless you have an annual pass. You'll need exact change. Grab an envelope, insert the $3 cash, tear off perforated tag and hang from rearview mirror in car, deposit the envelope is designated box. Park rangers do monitor this. -Of course, dog friendly. -Recommend to bring/download a detailed map how to get to the ruins & creek as the maps throughout the park do not have that area marked. We had to ask someone. It was a little tricky, but thankfully found it. read more

See all

We've been buying an annual pass for the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area for years now, but I hadn't been to Sope Creek but once before, and that was from running the trail from the Cochran Shoals area. Now we try to go on a "new hike" at least twice a month with the boys. Our most recent "new hike" was Sope Creek, starting at the parking lot, taking the route closest to Paper Mill Road, across the bridge to the east side of the creek, back to the west, south by the creek, and then up through the middle. I did have to carry the 2yo on my back close to the creek, but other than that, the trails are relatively easy to maneuver even for the little guys. There is a good sized parking lot with room for probably 2 dozen cars. From the parking lot, there's a wide straight path to Sibley pond, or there are the smaller meandering trails that take you closer to Paper Mill Road and the Sope Creek ruins. There are maps at most trail junctures. The trail on the west side of the river was quite close to the water (like inches away) and was pretty rugged, so be warned. Not sure if that's just due to the recent rains or if that's just what the creek has eroded away over time. There are signs at some key vantage points teaching you about the history of the area (at the ruins) or the wildlife (at the pond). Many of the trails are closed to bikes (with the No Bikes wooden gates) and some are even closed to foot traffic for revegetation and erosion control, but there's still plenty to see. read more

We took a quick hike at Sope Creek on Saturday and were pleasantly surprised at what a gem this place was! We were visiting from Nashville and our hotel happened to be about 5 miles away from here. We need a little time to kill in between our planned activities and this place did the trick! How amazing that this NATIONAL PARK exists in an urban area of Mariettta, GA, has nice trails, and RUINS along the beautiful Chattahoochee River. My only complaint was that the map wasn't clear about which way to go to get to the ruins, but we got to loop by the pond in our first attempt to get there, which was also a nice little area. I highly recommend you check this place out for a really nice hike. Spend an hour or a few more! Either way you'll really be glad you did! read more

See all

MUST PAY FOR PARKING. That was the main drawback of this trail system. The old paper mill ruins are cool and right next to the creek.

Good maps and signage throughout. There are sections where bikers are not allowed to travel, only hikers/walkers. On the paths where bikers and walkers share, stay aware because they will be coming downhill fast and furious. Some paths are wide and some narrow. We traveled about 3.5 miles, partially because we took a wrong turn, and there were a few hills but pretty easy. Good tree coverage so it's good even on a very sunny hot day read more

My absolute favorite hiking trail in the Atlanta area. It's beautiful and the creek is breathtaking. Love sitting on the rocks near the shore and getting an nice peaceful moment to take it all one. There are several trails making it a great local try out and break in your new hiking or backpacking equipment. There's also lots of biking trails. As other's have stated, it's easy to get turned around as many of the trail signs and markers are in need of repair. I had a heck of a time finding the ruins last time few times I was there. But all in all I love this place and hope to hike here more regularly now that I live closer. read more

It was a beautiful day when my mom and I came here to take the dogs for a nice long walk . It is a really nice park . It's got a nice big lake where lake life lives . We got to see some turtles which was awesome . My favorite part is they got certain areas blocked off from the bikes so it's just people on their feet and for dogs . Literally blocked off by wood posts that say "no bikes " . Come early when the day is beautiful . Everyone takes advantage of the sunny day and goes out . read more

Beware the plentiful poison ivy; spotted in the foliage directly beside the path. Stay on the path. *Gorgeous* park. Highly recommend. Aromatic honeysuckle. Windy, wooded, extensive trails. The pond looks like glass in the AM. Hikers & Bikers. There exist ruins, walls to climb on. Beautiful creek. $3 fare. read more

Sope Creek Trail is part of the Chattahoochee river trails. It is $3 to park. You have to find the envelope and stick the money in there when you park. The Trail is pretty standard. The real attraction is the Paper Mill Ruins. When I first saw this, I thought I was in a Tomb Raider set. For a second, it looked like I happened upon ancient ruins in the Amazon jungle. The Ruins are next to the Chattahoochee River. It's a nice, relaxing area to picnic or visit. You can go tubing or play in the water. There are plenty of shades and the river makes you feel calm and peaceful. I haven't been to the other area of the trails, but I do recommend visiting the ruins. It's only a .5 mile hike. read more

So many options of routes to take from super short around the pond to much longer! We began with hopes to see the Ruins, but got distracted by the serene area near the creek, which had clear water and no other visitors! After planning to go back to the parking lot, we happened upon the ruins and were pleasantly surprised! They were super cool - only wish there was more information about what we were looking at on site. Clearer maps would also be helpful as some of the trails were unlabeled. Would definitely come back with plans to spend more time by the water! read more

Part of the Chattahoochee river trails, this is an incredible trail. Water, trees, long paths, old ruins... There's so much to explore. You do have to pay a $3 fee at the entrance, cash only, as it's a national park. You must go once, just to check it out. Beautiful. read more

Great place to hike. It's not as busy as most trails so it's peaceful and relaxing. Plus the creek offers a great place for your dog to swim. read more

Sope Creek - Parks Near Me - Marietta, Georgia

See all

Visited for the first time today and brought my dogs to the creek. Great spot to hike and let the dogs run around. Recommend checking it out if you like outdoors adventures. read more

My favorite place to go to hike. Absolutely beautiful. My dog loves it. Careful of snakes in the summer. Maps are posted so you don't get lost. Parking can be tricky on weekends. read more

Sope Creek - Parks Near Me - Marietta, Georgia

See all

Out of all my recent hikes, this is one that I love returning to. The Sope Creek hikes have a decent amount of moderate trails, but it is the combination of the ruins with the backdrop of the creek that make this place awesome. Most recent visit was in Autumn when the leaves were mid-way through their color changes. Started at the lot off of Paper Mill and made our way down to the creek-side initially before backtracking to the ruins. What I did not know is that the other side of the creek has ruins of its own. The ruins were burnt down over the years, but it is easy to imagine the history that has occurred in these locations. It is also an added bonus for the architecture fan to see the magnificent homes of Paper Mill Road on the drive in to the hike itself. Sidenote: the address linked from Yelp took me somewhere completely different, so I would double check and make sure you are on Paper Mill Rd. read more

Sope Creek - Map at marker 24 - Parks Near Me - Marietta, Georgia

See all

Pretty decent biking trails, Definitely not a great place for runners/walkers in my opinion. I've been to numerous trails all over Atlanta for either 'hiking' or 'running'. This unfrtly was my absolute 'least' favorite. Trails just keep going around in small right circles, terrain is incredibly uneven for trails running (cake close to twisting my ankles numerous times). Plus views.....ehhhh not so much. By any means. Again maybe great for biking but that's about it, unfrtly. read more

This place is HUGE and gorgeous. I came here as a photographer for a senior portrait photo shoot and was surprised by how many beautiful locations there were here. It's a national park, if that helps explain how large this place is. I underestimated it! read more

This hiking trail was great! It's kept up pretty well and has a few different routes so you can come here a few times and go a different route each time. The trail is super dog-friendly which was great for us. It also was pretty well shaded so even in mid-90 degree heat, we weren't overheated after our hike. read more