Roswell Mill Waterfall at Old Mill Park
This Roswell waterfall is definitely an impressive one!
On a Sunday afternoon, Jesse and I headed out to Roswell, Georgia. We are currently trying to explore more hikes near the Atlanta area, and for this trip we chose the waterfall at the Old Mill Park, also known as Vickery Creek Falls.
This waterfall hike is located right in the middle of downtown Roswell in Old Mill Park. First of all, if you are reading this and have any knowledge of this park, you are probably thinking, “That place is not for hiking!” But let me tell you, it can definitely be made into a hike!
This park is a City of Roswell park and is also a historic site. The park is the location of the 19th century Roswell Manufacturing Company Mills. If you are a history person, you will enjoy walking down the trail and seeing the historic markers, the old mill buildings, and the machine shop. There is also an amazing, covered bridge over the creek.
When you get to Old Mill Park, there is a parking lot. We had to park at a lot near the park, but it wasn’t a bad walk. The lot was packed, so parking was hard to come by. After you walk through the main parking lot, you will see a large brick building to the left. Or, from the covered bridge (before you cross) take a left. Either way, you need to go left. If you go down the trail that runs alongside the left side of the creek, it is only .3 miles to the waterfall.
The waterfall is definitely an impressive one. It is man made and was used to power the old factory. It was the most crowded part of the park. People were all along the banks of the creek right in front of the waterfall. There is also an observation deck and a sandy bank area that provide different vantage points of the waterfall.
We hiked as far as we could down the original trail past the waterfall in Roswell
After the waterfall, we hiked as far as we could down the original trail past the waterfall in Roswell. The trail ended at a bend in the creek. However, when looking at the map, the trail did continue across the creek. The only way to get across the creek is to walk along a massive waterworks pipe that juts out of the bank. Jesse had no problem walking across – I know I could’ve done it! However, I am the cautious hiker, so we made the decision to walk back the way we came. We walked all the way back to the covered bridge and even farther till that trail ran out. We were hoping at that point the creek would be shallow enough to walk across, but we decided against it.
Once again, we walked back up the trail and across the covered bridge. I’m sure we looked lost from all the back and forth! At the end of the bridge there are two options: go upstairs or go downstairs (well, up 11 stairs then downstairs). Go down the stairs! After you walk down the staircase, follow the trail along the creek. On the map at VC 12, take the trail up hill. It is a pretty long uphill, but I rather do that than go upstairs any day of the week.
When you look at the map, you can see that there are hiking trails all through the woods. If it wasn’t 80° outside, we would’ve done a longer hike. When you get to the top of the hill, you will be at the top of the stairs, and it is all downhill from there. After our 2.34-mile hike, we decided it was time to drive four minutes down the road to a downtown Roswell brewery – Gate City Brewing.
Notice from the City of Roswell – August 16, 2024
Due to the high volume of visits and in an effort to preserve the natural environment, access to the water at Vickery Creek/Old Mill Park Waterfall is suspended effective Friday, August 16, 2024. Click to read the full notice.
Tips for your trip:
- Old Mill Park is extremely popular and extremely crowded – if you want a “peaceful” hike, this might not be the place for you.
- The hike is dog and family friendly.
- Roswell Mill Waterfall Trail Map (Online view of Vickery Creek Trail at Roswell Mill)
- Interested in an overnight stay near the Roswell Waterfall and Old Mill Park? Search for hotels near Old Mill Park.
Happy Trails!
Katie and Jesse
Old Mill Park
95 Mill View Avenue
Roswell, GA 30075 (Google Map)
