Explore Sope Creek Trail and Marietta Paper Mill Ruins

Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area

On a mid-January afternoon, Jesse and I decided to brave the cold and head to the Cochran Shoals area of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area. Located in this area of protected forest is the Sope Creek Trail, famous for its paper mill ruins that were built during the antebellum era.

The Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area is located along 48 miles of the Chattahoochee River. This recreation area is operated by the National Park Service. It is an extremely popular place to hike because it is mostly located in the Atlanta metro. Parts of the park are located in Roswell, Sandy Springs, and Marietta (which is where we went).

Finding Sope Creek Trail

Because there are so many places to hike in this park, you definitely need to make sure you have the correct address for where you are wanting to hike. If you follow this link to the NPS website, you will be able to find PDF trail maps and Google maps of all the different places to hike. The address we went to for the Sope Creek trail was 3726 Paper Mill Rd SE, Marietta, GA 30067 (Google Map).

After you park, go to the little info board to take a picture of the map. Whether you download it on your phone, print it, or have a photo, you will definitely need a park map. This hiking area is not marked with traditional color-coded blazes. Instead, it is a large network of multiple trails, intertwining with each other and marked with numbers. These numbers label trail junctions. Unless you know your way around the park (which a lot of people there did!) you will be referencing the map quite often. It is kind of like a real life connect-the-dots type of hike
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When we started at the parking lot, there were two trail starts. We took the one on the left. From there, we connected the junction dots through the woods. This trail area has gently rolling small hills, but it was not very difficult to walk down towards the creek. Much of the trail was covered in pine straw. As we walked through the woods, we came alongside a small stream. This stream seeped through large boulders, which was cool to see. Finally, we made it to Sope Creek.

Sope Creek Mill Ruins

At the time of our hike, there had not been much rain for a while. Once we got to Sope Creek, we were able to rock hop down the creek to get closer to the mill ruins. This part of the creek is very scenic because of its rapids. There were also large rock formations in the banks where the water had carved through the ground over time. The Marietta Paper Mill ruins are very neat to see, especially if you enjoy history.

Sibley Pond for Bird Watching and a Flat Trail

After spending some time exploring the creek, we decided to head back up the trail and go to Sibley pond. The pond has a nice and flat trail around it. It is great for bird watching. The pond is actually located fairly close to the parking lot. If you want to hike just to the pond, start at the right trailhead, not the left (the one we took). It takes you closer to the pond. Sibley pond has an observation deck and interpretive signs about wildlife posted around the water’s edge. Many families with smaller kids were here because of how easy the trail is.

After the pond, we decided to head back to the car. Our end hike distance was 1.58 miles. However, because of the way the trails are, you can really choose your own adventure and add/subtract distance to your hike.

Our next stop that day was Schoolhouse Brewing, also located in Marietta. This brewery is kind of an odd location – in an office park. But please don’t let the location fool you! Once you step inside, you are transported to your school days. Read about our visit to Schoolhouse.

Happy Trails,
Katie & Jesse

Tips for your Trip to Sope Creek Trail

Take a picture of the map at the Cochran Shoals trail head! You will need it!
Take a look at the National Park Service website page for maps and trails before you go: https://www.nps.gov/chat/planyourvisit/maps.htm
The Chattahoochee National Park Conservancy’s website is also helpful: https://www.chattahoocheeparks.org/
This trail area is great for dogs and kids!