I was thrilled when I ran across https://www.atlantatrails.com/hiking-trails/sope-creek-trail/ as it wasn’t that long ago that I was visiting another Atlanta area mill ruins, https://www.atlantatrails.com/sweetwater-creek-state-park/, and this would be the second civil war mill ruins site I got to visit. This time the trails of https://www.atlantatrails.com/hiking-trails/sope-creek-trail/ were much closer to home.
The trails were so well maintained and marked which was great considering the spider web of options available to hikers.
I figured there really wouldn’t be all that much to see and when I came upon them, I thought I had found what I was expecting.
Fortunately, a few more steps I was thrilled at what I found. Let me just share some photos.
The ruins of the paper mill are alongside Sope Creek which was quite beautiful itself.
Backtracked up the trail and then over the bridge that spans the creek for pics downstream and upstream.
Took a little trip up to around Blue Ridge, Georgia, to see the Taccoa River Swinging Bridge on the Benton MacKaye Trail (BMT).
Not more than a couple hundred of yards into the walk I heard a noise something like a very loud cicada was heard just a few yards in front of me and then I saw him; a diamondback rattlesnake. I slowly backed up and he eventually started crossing the trail.
A few folks stopped coming up the trail and we all watched this beauty. Some a bit closer than I thought was a good idea. Thankfully, nobody got hurt.
I was glad the next creature was just a little caterpillar This one looked pretty unique.
Finally made it to the bridge and it did not disappoint.
Looking up and you can see a plaque stating the bridge was built in 1977.
Looking down and you can see it was built to last.
I paused as I got to the center of the bridge.
Beautiful looking upstream to the left…
Even more beautiful look downstream to the right!
On the other side the BMT continues on.
My stop was on the left to see the tiny little cascading waterfall.
A beautiful view of the bridge from down at water level.
It was a short little hike and it was a blast to cross back over this beauty.
